What's a specific exercise or activity you've found to be particularly effective in leadership workshops?

Inviting our leaders to use coaching as a form of leading their people is a mind twist that can take some time. Inviting them to pause, listen more deeply and ask more questions -- to invite their team to find the answers themselves is often greeted with skepticism. When put forward in a workshop scenario, where all the leaders in the room have to explore this together, has them laughing at themselves and then, by the end of the exercise, celebrating how they all were able to move through their personal barriers and build more capable teams in the meantime. The workshop activity introduces coaching style questions and has the leaders practice not immediately solving the problem at hand, but using coaching to help their teammates find the answers themselves.

Communication and Engagement. I coach healthcare businesses and CEOs, and the key is communication from me and communication and engagement from them. Without it, the workshop becomes stale and boring for everyone. It is important to ask the right questions and let the delegates/coachees answer them using their own frame of reference, not yours. Letting them come to their own conclusions is much more likely to stay in their long-term memory especially if it relates to a feeling or emotion.

To have effective leadership workshops, all participants need to be engaged from beginning to end. At the start of the meeting, I ask everyone to take a minute to notice what thoughts are in their heads. Maybe they are thinking about the last meeting they were in or the morning commute. Maybe they are thinking about what they must do later that day. I ask them to notice those thoughts, without judgement, and put them into little boxes that they can come back to later. Then after a minute (yes, I set a timer for this), I ask them to bring their minds back to where their bodies are - in the room, in the meeting. This is an exercise that can be repeated after every long break during a multi-day meeting.

One exercise I believe that consistently stands out in leadership workshops is the Role Reversal activity. It involves participants swapping roles within their team, allowing them to experience the challenges and responsibilities of their colleagues’ positions. This will not only foster empathy but also encourages a deeper understanding of different aspects of the organization. Engaging in this activity, leaders gain insights into the day-to-day hurdles their teams face. It’s a hands-on way to identify areas where support is needed and to appreciate the contributions of each role. Moreover, it breaks down barriers, promoting open communication and a more cohesive team dynamic. Ultimately, Role Reversal empowers participants to return to their own roles with a renewed perspective, driving them to be more considerate and effective leaders. It’s a simple yet powerful tool that resonates well with professionals, as it directly relates to their work environment and relationships.

Several years ago, I ran a successful decision effectiveness workshop at a company QBR. We had the worst timeslot: the last section at the end of two long days. Once the workshop was underway, the energy in the room was palpable and we received many kudos afterward. Two things made the workshop effective. One: we stayed grounded in a business challenge, the speed and cost of our current approach. Two: the insights were generated by two gamified situations which removed any blame from the scenarios presented and lightened up a serious topic.

A gentle embodiment exercise, such as breathing into the lower half of the body and naming sensations, is a very effective tool for leadership workshops. The reason this works is that most humans are conditioned to live life from their minds, which is where our anxieties and self-doubt live. By becoming embodied, the mental nerves are released and leaders can lead far more effectively.

Active listening exercises are great in leadership workshops. Pairing participants and allowing one person three minutes to discuss a personal topic, like a hobby they enjoy. During this time, the listener refrains from verbal responses, instead using body language and affirming sounds to indicate attentiveness. Following the three-minute period, the listener verbally summarises what the speaker shared to the group, including any emotional cues perceived during the conversation. Participants then switch pairs and repeat the exercise.

When running strategy sessions, a tool I use often is borrowed from product development. It uses "How Might We" (HMW) statements to facilitate creative thinking. Around a particular area of the strategy I run a four step process that involves the attendees at the session to break into small groups. Ahead of the meeting I will know how many groups we have (I'm aiming for 3 to 5 people in each) and break down the topic so that each group will have a particular strategic goal to work with. The first exercise is for each group to consider what we as an organization are doing well in the area they are focussing on. We reconvene and they share their top three with the group. This process is repeated for what we are not doing well, and after the playback, all groups will be invited to rotate through the other groups work and add any additional well/not well statements they think have been missed. These activities create the right context and mindset for the next step. Returning to their original groups they are then tasked with developing How Might We statements. These are ways of focusing people's attention in the right direction when ideating. They are intentionally high-level and specifically avoid incorporating the solution. Once again the groups share their top three. The final step is the ideation phase. I ask each group to write down as many ideas as they can think of to address the HMW statements. Similar ideas are grouped and ideas can also be built on. The goal is to get lots of ideas out there, that are not finished but form the basis of potential opportunities. The groups review each others boards allowing them to add and contribute in a strategic area they have not been working on. Each group then prioritises their top 3 to 5 ideas and the final step is dot voting to decide which to take forward. I use the HMW exercise because it is a great way to get people who are not typically in creative roles, to contribute ideas.

I am always on the lookout for exercises that not only energize our team but also deepen our understanding of effective leadership. Here is one activity that has proven particularly valuable in our leadership workshops. The "Scenario Simulation" exercise has proven effective in our workshops. Leaders are given hypothetical business scenarios ranging from crisis management to handling sudden team changes or market shifts. They must think on their feet and devise strategies to navigate these challenges. This exercise tests their problem-solving skills, adaptability, and ability to leverage team strengths in stressful situations. It also provides insights into their decision-making processes and encourages a proactive approach to potential business challenges.

The "Leader-Follower Dichotomy Dissection." is an exercise that I find the most effective during a leadership workshop. Here’s a breakdown: Data Acquisition: Before the workshop, I anonymously survey participants. They rank leadership qualities (decision-making, communication, delegation) on a scale of "most important for a leader" to "most important for a follower." Data Visualisation: During workshops, I present the anonymised data visually. This bar graph shows "Leadership Qualities" on the X-axis and “Average Ranking” on the Y-axis. Two bars represent each quality's "Leader" and "Follower" perspectives. Logical Deconstruction: Here's the fun part. We then analyse the discrepancies between the two perspectives. For example, if "communication" ranks much higher for followers than leaders, it sparks a discussion on how effective leaders can bridge the communication gap. The beauty lies in objectivity. Data removes bias and opens the floor for a fact-based probe of leadership dynamics.

The Power of 360-Degree Feedback in Unlocking Leadership Potential As the founder of a legal process outsourcing company, I vividly remember the early days of my entrepreneurship journey when I eagerly attended online workshops to enhance my leadership skills. One specific activity that stood out to me as particularly effective was the "360-degree feedback" exercise. In this activity, participants receive anonymous feedback from colleagues, subordinates, and supervisors, providing a comprehensive view of their leadership strengths and areas for improvement. I distinctly recall the humbling experience of reading feedback from my team members, which highlighted both my strengths as a leader and areas where I could better support and empower them. This exercise not only fostered self-awareness but also sparked meaningful conversations within our team, ultimately strengthening our collective commitment to growth and development. Through this experience, I learned the invaluable lesson that effective leadership begins with understanding oneself and actively seeking feedback from those we lead.

One exercise that stands out is Values-Based Decision Making. In one session, we divided participants into groups and presented them with a scenario where they had to make decisions under time pressure. The catch was that each decision had to align with a core set of personal and organizational values we provided. This exercise powerfully illuminated how values influence leadership styles. Personally, I found it transformative; it not only guided my decision-making in professional settings but also resonated deeply on a personal level, reinforcing the importance of aligning actions with values.

One highly effective exercise in leadership workshops is the "Blindfolded Trust Walk." In pairs, one person is blindfolded while the other guides them through a series of obstacles using only verbal instructions. This exercise fosters trust, communication, and teamwork—essential components of effective leadership.