Activities for Leadership Principles MGMT 1250
1. Lesson 1-Definition & History of Leadership
a. Team Search (attached)
b. Interview
Break the group into two-person teams (have them pick a partner that they know the
least about). Have them interview each other for about fifteen minutes (You can also
prepare questions ahead of time or provide general guidelines for the interview). They
need to learn about what each other likes about their job, past jobs, family life, hobbies,
favorite sport, etc. After the interviews, reassemble the group and have each team
introduce their team member to the group. This exercise helps them to learn about
each other.
I tell them to take notes, but when it is time to introduce I tell them they can’t use their
notes, and I give them 5 minutes to memorize what they will say.
c. Leadership Tendencies (in manual)
2. Lesson 2- Leadership Theories
a. Characteristics list
Have students from small groups (4-5) and sit in small circles or around tables. Each
group will write on the top of a piece of paper, “Characteristics of a good leader.”
Announce these simple rules:
-Students take turns writing on the paper. When it is your turn, write down one
characteristic of a good leader and then pass the paper to your left.
-Students may not repeat characteristics already listed.
-If you can’t think of any characteristics, pass the paper on.
-There is no talking allowed.
- The group with the most non-repeated, acceptable characteristics wins.
b. Star Wars (in manual)
3. Lesson 3- Developing Your Personal Leadership Style
a. Who do we look up to? Worksheet (attached) (pass out in advance)
b. Pilot (in manual)
4. Lesson 4- Creating Vision
a. Back Art (attached)
I have also included the pictures I use. I do them in this order:
-Heart, usually most get it right
-Smiley face
-Triangle, I tell they students in hall that the triangle needs to be upside down
-Flower, has to have 5 petals
-Sun, has to have eight rays
-Star, no lines on the inside
b. Tinker Toy Activity (in manual)
I use Legos (in my school colors), that are already in a structure that all teams use.
5. Lesson 5- Setting Goals
a. Helium Stick (I purchased tent pole replacement kits on-line)
Deceptively simple but powerful exercise for learning how to
work together and communicate in small to medium sized
groups.
 Line up in two rows which face each other.
 Introduce the Helium Stick- a long, thin,
lightweight rod.
 Ask participants to point their index fingers and
hold their arms out.
 Lay the Helium Stick down on their fingers. Get the
group to adjust their finger heights until the Helium
Stick is horizontal and everyone's index fingers are
touching the stick.
 Explain that the challenge is to lower the Helium Stick to the ground.
 The catch: Each person's fingers must be in contact with the Helium Stick
at all times. Pinching or grabbing the pole in not allowed - it must rest on
top of fingers.
 Reiterate to the group that if anyone's finger is caught not touching the
Helium Stick, the task will be restarted. Let the task begin....
 Warning: Particularly in the early stages, the Helium Stick has a habit of
mysteriously 'floating' up rather than coming down, causing much
laughter. A bit of clever humoring can help - e.g., act surprised and ask
what are they doing raising the Helium Stick instead of lowering it! For
added drama, jump up and pull it down!
 Participants may be confused initially about the
paradoxical behavior of the Helium Stick.
 Some groups or individuals (most often larger
size groups) after 5 to 10 minutes of trying may
be inclined to give up, believing it not to be
possible or that it is too hard.
 The facilitator can offer direct suggestions or
suggest the group stops the task, discusses their
strategy, and then has another go.
 Less often, a group may appear to be succeeding
too fast. In response, be particularly vigilant about fingers not touching the
pole. Also make sure participants lower the pole all the way onto the
ground. You can add further difficulty by adding a large washer to each end
of the stick and explain that the washers should not fall off during the
exercise, otherwise it's a restart.
 Eventually the group needs to calm down, concentrate, and very slowly,
patiently lower the Helium Stick - easier said than done.
How Does it Work?
 The stick does not contain helium. The secret (keep it to yourself) is that
the collective upwards pressure created by everyone's fingers tends to be
greater than the weight of the stick. As a result, the more a group tries, the
more the stick tends to 'float' upwards.
 Processing Ideas
 What was the initial reaction of the group?
 How well did the group cope with this challenge?
 What skills did it take to be successful as a group?
 What creative solutions were suggested and how were they received?
 What would an outside observer have seen as the strengths and weaknesses
of the group?
 What roles did people play?
 What did each group member learn about him/her self as an individual?
 What other situations (e.g., at school, home or work) are like the Helium
Stick?
 More information on Facilitation and creative debrief and processing tools
Equipment
 1 thin, light-weight, 10 ft Helium Stick with activity guide & facilitation
notes
Summary
 Deceptively simple teamwork activity. Form two lines facing each other.
Lay a long, thin rod on the group's index fingers. Goal: Lower to ground.
Reality: It goes up!
Group Size- 8 to 12 ideal, but can be done with 6 to 14
Time
 Total time ~25 mins
 ~5 minute briefing and set up
 ~10-15 minutes of active problem-solving (until success)
 ~10 minutes discussion
b. 5 Squares (in manual)
6. Lesson 6- Time & Meeting Management
a. In box (in manual)
7. Lesson 7- Four Styles of Communication
a. Pass right/Pass left (attached)
b. Squirrel Story (in manual)
8. Lesson 8- Power in Diversity
a. Pie Cleaner Similarities (attached)
I bought my pipe cleaners at a craft store in a big package
b. Chain of Diversity (attached)
Note: I do not use the Diversity Bingo that is provided in the manual
9. Lesson 9- Making Decisions
a. Pass the Hoop
Make a circle, hang a hula hoop on one player's arm, and hold hands. The group must
pass the hoop over each player and on to the next without breaking the chain of hands.
b. Murder Mystery (in manual)
10.
Lesson 10- Managing Conflict
a. Role-plays (part of the Performance Objectives packet)
b. Win as much as you can (in manual)
11. Lesson 11- Developing Power
a. Zoom
I ordered this book and cut the binding off, then gave each student a random picture
and without talking they had to put themselves in the correct order.
Zoom (Picture Puffin) by Istvan Banyai (Paperback - Jul 1, 1998)
b. Box (in manual)
12. Lesson 12- Team Building
a. Trust circle (attached)
b. Awesome lap sit (attached)
c. People jump (attached)
d. NASA (in manual)
13. Lesson 13- Managing Change
a. All aboard! (I use the basic method with a tarp, folding it in half each time)
This activity requires working together in close physical proximity in order to solve a
practical, physical problem. It tends to emphasize group communication, cooperation,
patience and problem solving strategy, as well as issues related to physical self and
physical proximity.
 The activity can be run in many different ways.
 Basic method: Ask the whole group to try to fit inside a
small area which can be marked by:
o small platforms, or
o circle of rope, or
o tarpaulin or blanket
 When the group succeeds, decrease the area (e.g.,
changing platforms, shrinking the circle, or folding the
tarp) and challenge the group again. How far can the
group go?
 Cautions: Obviously people are going to need to feel
physically comfortable in order to get physically close
and be supportive of one another. So make sure people are warmed up and
preferably have removed excessive jewelry, watches, etc.
Variations
 Tarp Flip Over: With a group standing on a tarp, challenge them to turn the tarp
over without anyone touching the ground in the process. Can add a time limit
e.g., 15 mins for this activity.
 Framing, e.g., “The group must work together to ensure
everyone manages to get aboard the new management structure.
As time goes by, the team must become closer to deal with
shrinking margins and increased competition."
[www.bushsports.com.au]
 Team building variation of Tarp Flip Over: the group discusses
the present state of the team and a future desired state for the
team. One side of the tarp represents the present state, the other
side the future.
 Name game: The activity can be used as a name game by setting the rule that
every communication to another person must include that person's name.
Equipment
 10ft of rope for a circle or a tarpaulin or small platforms
Time~15-20 minutes
b. Space (in manual)
14. Lesson 14- Ethics
a. Labels (in manual)
15. Lesson 15- Coaching Skills
a. Fence and Angle (in manual)
b. GROW (in Performance Objectives Packet)