leadership challenge case study

50 Case Studies for Management and Supervisory Training by Alan Clardy

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The teaching cases in this section are designed to provoke critical thinking on various domestic and international leadership challenges. Students will find themselves in the shoes of leaders from many positions—whether it be in the nonprofit or public sectors—and will have to navigate the complex reality of what it means to be an effective leader.

A Fork in the Road: Simulating Lyndon Johnson's Choices in Vietnam in Early 1965

Publication Date: April 11, 2024

This historical role-play simulation is set on March 28, 1965. The scenario places students within the context of that time, a point at which, after months of increasing tensions and contentious debate, President Lyndon Johnson appears to be...

The Mosquito Network: Global Governance in the Fight to Eliminate Malaria Deaths

Publication Date: April 5, 2024

Malaria, a deadly disease transmitted by the bites of infected mosquitoes, had been effectively eliminated from the developed world since the end of the World Health Organization’s Global Malaria Eradication Campaign in 1969. In Africa,...

Operation Pufferfish: Building and Sustaining a Department of Neighborhoods and Citizen Engagement in Lansing, Michigan

Publication Date: March 5, 2024

Lansing native Andi Crawford returned home and took over a mismanaged and outdated neighborhood grant program, revamping grant processes, bringing in new money and capacity, and expanding eligibility.This shift became just one element of a much...

Charting a Course for Boston: Organizing for Change

Boston Mayor-elect Michelle Wu was elected on the promise of systemic change. Four days after her November 2021 victory—and just eleven days before taking office—she considered how to get started delivering on her sweeping agenda. Wu...

More than a Contract: Black Self-Determination and People’s Assemblies in Jackson, Mississippi Epilogue

Publication Date: March 1, 2024

This epilogue accompanies HKS Case 2276.0. The Jackson People’s Assembly (JPA), a vehicle of “Black self-determination and autonomous political authority of the oppressed peoples and communities in Jackson,” launched the...

More than a Contract: Black Self-Determination and People’s Assemblies in Jackson, Mississippi

The Jackson People’s Assembly (JPA), a vehicle of “Black self-determination and autonomous political authority of the oppressed peoples and communities in Jackson,” launched the political career of Chokwe Lumumba, a veteran...

Mayor Curtatone’s Culture of Curiosity: Building Data Capabilities at Somerville City Hall Epilogue

Publication Date: February 21, 2024

This epilogue accompanies HKS Case 2255.0. A practitioner guide, HKS Case 2255.4, accompanies this case. For sixteen years, longer than any mayor in the city’s history, Mayor Joseph Curtatone has led his hometown of Somerville,...

Mayor Curtatone’s Culture of Curiosity: Building Data Capabilities at Somerville City Hall Practitioner Guide

This practitioner guide accompanies HKS Case 2255.0. An epilogue, HKS Case 2255.1, follows this case. For sixteen years, longer than any mayor in the city’s history, Mayor Joseph Curtatone has led his hometown of Somerville,...

Mayoral Transitions: How Three Mayors Stepped into the Role, in Their Own Words

Publication Date: February 29, 2024

New mayors face distinct challenges as they assume office. In these vignettes depicting three types of mayoral transitions, explore how new leaders can make the most of their first one hundred days by asserting their authority and...

Mayor Curtatone’s Culture of Curiosity: Building Data Capabilities at Somerville City Hall

For sixteen years, longer than any mayor in the city’s history, Mayor Joseph Curtatone has led his hometown of Somerville, Massachusetts. The case begins in January 2020 when the mayor is looking ahead at his recently won,...

Leadership in Moral Conflict Simone Veil and Abortion Reform in France

Publication Date: April 1, 2003

This case tells the 1974 story of a French health minister, Simone Veil, and her ultimately successful effort to liberalize France's abortion law. It serves as a vehicle for exploring leadership in a legislative setting, in this instance a...

Fallen Idol? Aung San Suu Kyi & the Rohingya Humanitarian Crisis Epilogue

Publication Date: January 25, 2024

This epilogue accompanies, "Fallen Idol? Aung San Suu Kyi & the Rohingya Humanitarian Crisis," HKS Case Number 2139.0. Soon after Myanmar’s longtime democracy crusader and opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, was...

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Leadership Case Studies

Here is a sample of three case studies from the book, Leadership Case Studies, that are most instructive and impactful to developing leadership skills.

For the past 30 years, I have conducted seminars and workshops and taught college classes on leadership.

I used a variety of teaching aids including books, articles, case studies, role-plays, and videos.

I recently created a book, Leadership Case Studies that includes some of the case studies and role-plays that I found to be most instructive and impactful.

Here is a sample of three case studies.

Peter Weaver Case Study

Peter Weaver doesn’t like to follow the crowd. He thinks groupthink is a common problem in many organizations. This former director of marketing for a consumer products company believes differences of opinion should be heard and appreciated. As Weaver states, “I have always believed I should speak for what I believe to be true.”

He demonstrated his belief in being direct and candid throughout his career. On one occasion, he was assigned to market Paul’s spaghetti-sauce products. During the brand review, the company president said, “Our spaghetti sauce is losing out to price-cutting competitors. We need to cut our prices!”

Peter found the courage to say he disagreed with the president. He then explained the product line needed more variety and a larger advertising budget. Prices should not be cut. The president accepted Weaver’s reasoning. Later, his supervisor approached him and said, “I wanted to say that, but I just didn’t have the courage to challenge the president.”

On another occasion, the president sent Weaver and 16 other executives to a weeklong seminar on strategic planning. Weaver soon concluded the consultants were off base and going down the wrong path. Between sessions, most of the other executives indicated they didn’t think the consultants were on the right path. The consultants heard about the dissent and dramatically asked participants whether they were in or out. Those who said “Out” had to leave immediately.

As the consultants went around the room, every executive who privately grumbled about the session said “In.” Weaver was fourth from last. When it was his turn, he said “Out” and left the room.

All leaders spend time in reflection and self-examination to identify what they truly believe and value. Their beliefs are tested and fine-tuned over time. True leaders can tell you, without hesitation, what they believe and why. They don’t need a teleprompter to remind them of their core beliefs. And, they find the courage to speak up even when they know others will disagree.

• What leadership traits did Weaver exhibit?
• If you were in Weaver’s shoes, what would you have done?
• Where does courage come from?
• List your three most important values.

Dealing with a Crisis Case Study

Assume you are the VP of Sales and Marketing for a large insurance company. Once a year your company rewards and recognizes the top 100 sales agents by taking them to a luxury resort for a four-day conference. Business presentation meetings are held during the morning. Afternoons are free time. Agents and spouses can choose from an assortment of activities including golf, tennis, boating, fishing, shopping, swimming, etc.

On day 2 at 3:00 p.m., you are at the gym working out on the treadmill, when you see Sue your administrative assistant rushing towards you. She says, “I need to talk to you immediately.”

You get off the treadmill and say, “What’s up?” Sue states, “We’ve had a tragedy. Several agents went boating and swimming at the lake. Randy, our agent from California died while swimming.”

(Background information – Randy is 28 years old. His wife did not come on the trip. She is home in California with their three children).

• Explain what you would communicate to the following people.
• Your Human Resources Department
• The local police
• The attendees at the conference (Would you continue the conference?)
• How will you notify Randy’s wife?
• If Randy’s wife and a few family members want to visit the location of Randy’s death, what would you do?
• What are some “guiding principles” that leaders need to follow in a crisis situation?

 Arsenic and Old Lace Case Study

Review the YouTube video, “ I’ll show them who is boss Arsenic and Old Lace.”   

Background Information

The Vernon Road Bleaching and Dyeing Company is a British lace dyeing business. It was purchased in bankruptcy by the father/son team of Henry and Richard Chaplin. Richard has been acting as “Managing Director” which is the same as a general manager or president of a company.

The company has had 50-to-150 employees with 35-to-100 being shop floor, production employees. The company produces and sells various dyed fabrics to the garment industry.

Gerry Robinson is a consultant who was asked to help transform methods of conducting business to save the company.

Jeff is the factory manager.

• What are Richard’s strengths and weaknesses as a leader?
• What could Richard have done to make the problems of quality and unhappy customers more visible to the workforce?
• What do you think Richard’s top three priorities should be for the next 12 months?
• What could Richard have done to motivate the workforce?
• Evaluate Jeff’s approach and effectiveness as a leader.

The book contains 16 case studies, four role-plays, and six articles. I hope you find some of the content useful and helpful in your efforts to teach leadership.

Click for additional leadership case studies and resources .

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Closing the Truth Gap: The Missing 20 Percent

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The Leadership Challenge

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

Be on the lookout for the 7th edition of The Leadership Challenge , by Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner, coming in January.

• History & Background
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The Leadership Challenge Model

Welcome to ila’s website for the leadership challenge®.

Now in its 7th edition (released January 2023) their award-winning best-seller, with over two million copies in print worldwide, describes in detail The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership®, a proven model for developing more effective leaders. It is supported by the Leadership Practices Inventory® (LPI), a 360° assessment designed to specifically measure The Five Practices.

 Special Sections

For your benefit, we have provided complete sections describing all aspects of The Leadership Challenge® Workshop along with extensive detail and dates about ILA’s Public Offerings and Facilitator Training Workshops .

Also keep current on the latest happenings through the Upcoming Events page, including information about the annual Leadership Challenge Forum.

Enjoy learning more about this proven process of leadership development and what it can do for you: • The Model: The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership® • The Leadership Practices Inventory® (LPI) • The Business Case: Documented Organizational Impact • History and Background

ILA has over twenty five years of experience working with this leadership model, longer than anyone but the authors themselves?

For a copy of ILA’s comprehensive Leadership Challenge Information packet , please contact us , with the subject TLC Packet .

Steve Coats toasting author Jim Kouzes at Jim’s birthday celebration.

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• : Manufacturing, Metals & Mining

Strategic Success, Real Results by Transforming the Leadership Culture

Client Profile & Challenge

With urban environments growing fast in recent decades, KONE’s deep experience creates tremendous potential for growth. But the company faced challenges in turning that potential into reality and meeting the ambitious goal of moving from No. 4 in the industry to No. 1.

In the Americas, internal concerns typically overruled customer needs. Safety incidents were occurring too often, and operational discipline was lax and inconsistent. Former CEO Vance Tang expected more from KONE, and he viewed leadership development and culture change that ultimately focused on the customer as the best way to get there.

The company had ambitious goals, including:

• Achieve industry leadership;
• Drive organizational performance through people leadership;
• Set the ambition to be different, to be better, to be great; aim for excellence;
• Be more strategic and less operational;
• Collaborate more on customer-focused processes across functions and regions;
• Draw on different perspectives to generate new ideas for the business; and
• Win with the best talent and the best leaders; attract and develop talent.

What would it take to transform KONE’s culture, accelerate leadership, and achieve desired results?

Solution & Results

Our Organizational Leadership faculty worked with KONE in a powerful developmental process called Transforming Your Organization. We collaborated with the KONE senior leadership team during each step of the process.

The senior team began by spending time to increase feedback, build trust, and communicate better with one another. Then they boldly engaged the top 100 KONE Americas leaders in a 2-day leadership development event.

The meeting was focused on strategic direction and determining the changes in mindset and leadership needed to enact the strategy successfully. Senior leadership began by laying out the vision: Taking KONE from No. 4 to the industry leader.

During the event, the senior leadership team took the stage to hold an open discussion among themselves about what matters most to the success of the organization. They discussed how they were changing personally and how, as a leadership team, they were facing big shifts. They explored the leadership style required for achieving the organization’s new vision and plotted concrete steps to reach it.

KONE has chartered 4 strategy teams responsible for specific areas: leadership, profitable growth, environmental excellence, and financial excellence.

Team members are drawn from multiple functions and levels within the organization.

“An eagerness to think about strategy is permeating the culture,” says Chuck Moore, Senior Vice President of Human Resources. “People all over are weighing in. The goal is to let the best ideas win.”

KEY RESULTS

• Safety incidents have declined more than 70%;
• Customer satisfaction levels have tripled;
• Employee engagement has reached world-class levels; and
• Market share and profits have risen substantially.

Participants Say

“We had to appreciate that we had to change ourselves first in order to change the culture. CCL helped us talk to each other. We spent time on feedback, trust, and dialogue. Now we can openly challenge each other and achieve better outcomes because we can all be on the same page and work much faster . ”

Former CEO KONE Americas

“Transforming Your Organization is not a step-by-step plan. It’s not an HR program. It’s a more complicated journey of shared leadership. We had to learn how to collaborate and be interdependent in order to make this journey.”

Chuck Moore

Senior Vice President of Human Resources KONE Americas

Partner With Us

We can partner with your organization to develop a customized solution that transforms your leadership culture. We’ll work with you to build the culture and the team that fits the future of the business you want to create. Learn more about our Organizational Culture and Leadership solutions  today. 

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Vertical Development: Culture Still Wins Over Strategy

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Andi Williams, Director of the Nonprofit and Population Health Leadership practices for Societal Impact at CCL, has been awarded the 2024 Shirley Chater Enduring Leadership Award by NurseTRUST.

CCL has partnered with The Financial Academy to further develop leadership effectiveness in the financial sector of Saudi Arabia.

We’ve once again been named a top provider of leadership training on Training Industry.com’s global Top 20 Leadership Training Companies list.

Case Studies: Examining Leadership Challenges

The course "LFCS04 Case Study: Examining Leadership Challenges" is carried out in close collaboration with business and public organisations. Students develop their capabilities and know-how in multi-disciplinary research teams that design and conduct research projects on the basis of tasks assigned to them by a partner organisation. The course is organized together with the Master's Degree Programme in Sustainable Business. Read the blog post and have a closer look at the curious case studies that we had during the academic year 2020–2021!

Next, we will present you the public descriptions of the case studies, prepared by the six groups of students.

SASK case: A Just transition in South Africa in its social, economical and ecological aspects

Poverty, economic vulnerability and inequality remain widespread issues in many African countries. Trade union movements and labor organizations play a role in fighting these problems by promoting decent work and living wages for everyone. As climate change is accelerating and the world is shifting to a low-carbon society, the need for a just transition is becoming more urgent. SASK, the only Finnish human rights organization focusing on workers’ rights, supports the reduction of poverty and inequality by strengthening the trade union movement and position of workers in developing countries. This study aims to help SASK increase its knowledge and understanding of just transitions in the context of South Africa.

Having identified key stakeholders in the South African energy sector, namely private and public companies, governmental institutions, trade union federations and media, we look at how each of these stakeholders address just transition in their sustainability and climate change reports, future strategic plans and media statements and articles. Using content analysis method, we examine just transition from three perspectives: environmental, economic, and social.

The results indicate that just transition is discussed in different ways by different stakeholders in South Africa. The term “just transition” itself wasn’t that often mentioned in the data collected, instead just transition related terms, processes and principles were more often presented. SA Energy sector actors indicate different focus on social, environmental and economic dimensions and highlight different actions as dominant. Just transition is seen as an opportunity with multiple positive outcomes and at the same time just transition appears as challenging process to implement and adopt.

Keywords: just transition, low-carbon economy, South Africa, labor organizations, sustainability, energy sector.

The description was compiled by Karoliina Heikkilä, Tiina Kalinen, Alberto Monroy Trujillo, Valentyn Nizyev, and Saara Sokura.

Case Tappara: Saving the Finnish winters – Climate change mitigation through public transportation to ice hockey games

Global temperatures are on the rise since records began, caused by the human-led emissions of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere (IPCC, 2014; 2015). Living in a world that it is already affected by climate change can generate feelings of inaction and anxiety, but private organizations have the resources and innovation to help make a change. This study aims to contribute to climate action, by investigating how a sports organization, Tappara, an ice hockey team based in Tampere, Finland, can mitigate its GHG emissions related to transportation. Whereas winter sports are menaced by climate change, it also offers the opportunity for organizations such as Tappara to lead the way on protecting Finnish snowy winters, and to generate societal value through climate action. With sports events, there are masses of people travelling to matches, and for example, as Chirieleison at al. (2019) believe, the means of transportation to sports event can enhance the general sustainability of the event.

“Saving the Finnish winters” is a case study on usage of public transportation to Tappara’s ice hockey games. Our case company, the Finnish ice hockey team Tappara, has stated that over 90% of their GHG emissions come from heating, electricity and spectator transportation to the games. Currently, a new arena with a very central location is being built, giving the spectators better chances to use public transportation. Additionally, due to the location of the arena and for the sake of traffic, increasing the use of public transportation is important. Therefore, we studied how the spectators’ use of public transportation to the games could be increased. The research method for our study was quantitative and we targeted our online survey to Tappara fans. We asked about demographics, use of public transportation and for other reasons that dictated their choice of transportation. With this method, we aimed to find answers that enabled us to form suggestions to Tappara, that could help them to increase spectator use of public transportation.

Our findings suggest that majority of the respondents did not use public transportation when going to the games, and if they used it, it was not for ecological reasons. The main inhibitors for using public transportation were poor connections and inconvenience. Therefore, our study produced the following suggestions: increasing economic incentives for public transportation use, for example cheaper tickets and special routes on game nights and increasing communication and knowledge about transportation opportunities. Other solutions also include investing in an enjoyable and fun atmosphere in the special routes provided for the games and creating a friendly competition between ice hockey teams in Tampere. The winning team would be the one that engages more fans to use public transportation.

The description was compiled by Elisa Lyytikäinen, Gabriel Maciel Marães, Raysa França, Vilma Perttula and Gresa Semsedini-Sylejmani.

Case Workpilots 1: Business master’s students’ perceptions of future working life

Economic, societal, and technological changes in the early 21st century and correlated shifts in modes of employment pose challenges and opportunities to younger generations. How and why young people engage in employment or otherwise miss or opt out will have profound ramifications for individuals, societies, and economies.

In this case study we seek to elucidate and explore the attitudes, hopes and values of a specific group of youth to the future and their employment. We then make recommendations for how new knowledge and insights may be applied to the real world and used by WorkPilots Oy, an enterprise seeking to bring work opportunities to people.

The group developed the research problem through a review of pertinent academic literature which served to inform us of the field of research while also illuminating gaps in knowledge. From here we applied constraints to the scope of the case study, taking into consideration resources, and identified an area in which to best contribute. This guided us to focus on the perceptions of business master’s students towards future working life. To this end we designed an open-ended questionnaire as the method for data collection from the target group. A thematic analysis of data collected from business students was conducted to identify, analyze, and interpret patterns of meaning. This revealed a wide range of views and aspirations towards future working life.

The research results offer insights into how to engage a specific segment of youth, and thus how WorkPilots’ could develop its existing digital gig work platform to assist master’s students. Such a service could provide a new avenue to help youth people initiate, develop, or try out a career or career path. This cross-section of encapsulating changing perceptions and attitudes to work through research, shifting employment environment and new technology platforms could prove insightful in meeting new challenges for the organization, youth, and society.

The description was compiled by Kaisu Alatalo, April Hautala, Andrew Jones, Teemu Korvenpää and Merle Soppela.

Case Workpilots 2: What are the challenges and opportunities of gig work?

Work life is changing rapidly, and new ways of finding work and labour, and doing work are thus needed. Gig economy is one of the current ways to connect labour with companies that do not have the resources to hire full-time employees or that work in a field where work is sporadic rather than constant. While the perfect way to offer work experience and earn one’s living, gig economy has been criticised on the global scale from the US to Europe (e.g. Financial Times 2020, Justice4couriers 2020). Why is this? Is it not a good thing that people find work and can live more independent lives?

This research explores the ethicality of gig economy. It responds to the question of what the challenges and opportunities of gig work are and analyses the experiences of workers in gig economy through the lenses of two ethical theories: ethics of care and utilitarianism. The data was collected by interviewing three gig workers and analysing the data with a content analysis method. This research was made as a case study for WorkPilots, a platform company connecting labour force with their client companies.

The results show how similar experiences gig workers have irrespective of their field. Rather surprisingly, none of the interviewees claimed gig economy to be ‘bad’: they all understood the rules of the game and adapted to the work condition, because to them, this was the best option they could have at the time.

Understanding how gig workers find their work, the challenges and the opportunities, and how they value it, is crucial in building more ethically operating gig platforms, and this was the guiding idea behind this research. The results of this work aim to give an idea of what it is that gig workers think of their field of work and, potentially, suggest some line of future action to WorkPilots.

The description was compiled by Jasmina Ahonen, Sara Juujärvi, Joonas Ollgrén, Maria Toivanen and Marc Wolsztynski.

Case Rekola 1: Community Supported Agriculture – A guide for starting a farmer driven CSA

The problem statement of this case study was defined by the case organisation Rekola farm, which practises Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), an alternative socioeconomic farming model, where the producers and the consumers share the risks and responsibilities as well as rewards of farming activities through long–term agreements. Hence, with the derived research question “ How can a farmer–driven CSA model be successfully adopted by other farms around Finland? ” the objective of this case study was to elaborate a guide for CSA-interested farmers based on the information provided by the literature and CSA practitioners directly.

The qualitative approach of our study is reflected in the data collection method through a semi-structured interview and two email questionnaires with CSA-practising farmers. Pursuing with an inductive content analysis approach the information was categorised in 4 dimensions and successively 14 themes were identified. Furthermore, the findings in each theme were processed according to the 8 steps change model by John P. Kotter (1996). Eventually the resulting graph constitutes the core of the guide for starting a farmer driven CSA. The case organisation considers the guide to provide valuable insights and thus, it will be shared with Finland’s CSA umbrella organisation Kumppanuusmaatalous Ry for its free use and CSA promotion purposes. The guide is accessible for everyone and can be consulted here: CSA guide.

The description was compiled by Mariana Dieste, Mérédith Chuzel-Marmot, Mikko Noronen and Mirjam Schwitter.

Case Rekola 2: – The societal impacts of CSA through the concept of alienation and connections

In this case study for Rekola, we examined the societal impact of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). More specifically we investigated the feeling of connection in the context of CSA. CSA refers to an alternative socioeconomic model of agriculture that connects the consumers and the farm and is often said to offer a sustainable alternative to the “conventional” food system. Some might see joining a CSA as giving up some material and immaterial benefits when turning away from the conventional, flexible grocery chains, but in return one might obtain personal benefits from CSA in forms of creating new connections: connections to other human beings and one’s community and to nature.

In our literature review we focused on searching connections in different countries that we could use later to reflect our own findings on. After that we conducted a qualitative study with three semi-structured interviews and four interviewees, as well as 5 e-mail questionnaires to support our findings from the interviews. We analyzed the data using qualitative content analysis with a deductive approach. The thematic analysis on the transcribed interviews was therefore guided by pre-defined codes, focusing on these previously stated different connections.

Since CSA is quite a new phenomenon in Finland, we offer new information on connections in CSA from the Finnish perspective in addition to the hypothetical impacts that were observed in other countries and that could apply here, too. Through the positive connections a CSA can offer for individuals, we hope that our results could motivate more people to look into CSA and the opportunity of it as a new, sustainable and environmentally friendly way of consumption.

Keywords: community supported agriculture (CSA), alienation, connection.

The description was compiled by Tatjana Blum, Roosa Kullberg, Juuso Ilmola, Katarina Sladakovic and Marja Turunen.

Case Spoken: CSR processes in a flat organization: Case study of identification and communication of responsibility at Spoken

The pressure to implement corporate social responsibility practices are increasing for organizations to be more transparent about their activities. A lot of attention has been paid to studying the external aspects of corporate social responsibility in an organization. The case organization Spoken operates in transcription, subtitling, proofreading and translation service, and they employ a workforce that works entirely remotely. In this case, the aim of the study is guided by the case organization’s aims to evaluate and identify CSR practices that are relevant to it. The focus of this study is to look at some internal aspects of corporate social responsibility in a flat organization, which is an organization model with no levels of middle management between the employee and executives (Ghiselli & Siegel, 1972). The study is conducted with qualitative and quantitative methods, which include interviews with the managers of the company, following an online questionnaire that was sent to its 120 employees. The original research problem statement in this case study was to search the most salient issues that need to be taken into account in the identification of business responsibility and its communication at Spoken. With the limitation of the case study, thus the research question was refocused on “What kind of a role does internal CSR play in a flat organization such as Spoken?” The interviews and the questionnaire were formed from themes emerging from the literature, which are 1. organization values, 2. employees and relationship building and 3. vision of CSR at Spoken. The data was analyzed deductively, based on the themes, and it was contrasted with the literature. These results shed some light on what internal CSR can mean in the context of a contemporary flat organization. The findings of our study indicate that both internal and external CSR processes at Spoken are not yet developed. Our suggestion is to start with the basics of CSR implementation by creating their code of conduct and identifying their values and building a communication strategy on both. From there on, Spoken could Identify the proper strategies for developing both internal and external CSR strategies that fit their organization best.

The description was compiled by Belen Fuentes, Ville Pesola, Loriin Sheble, Victor Théorêt and Sari Veripää.

Keep reading

Join the Master's Degree Programme in Leadership for Change!

The application period to study in the master's degree programme in Leadership for Change is about to begin! The application period starts on 7 December 2022 and ends on 11 January 2023. When applying to the programme, you may choose from the three study tracks: European and Global Politics, Sustainable Business Management, and Governance for Sustainable Change. By interacting with staff members from various disciplines – business, governance, politics and international relations – as well as with different societal stakeholders, students will learn to foster new forms of engagement across sectors of the economy and society. The programme prepares the graduates to work in the private, public or third sector in tasks that involve analysing, planning and steering complex change processes.

The Leadership Symposium notes: International security – the outlook for Finland

"As I listened to the keynote speech given by Sir Mark Lyall Grant , the Former National Security Advisor to the British Prime Minister, I was left wondering about the magnitude of change that we are all facing in 2022. I was left with questions such as what kind of world are we leaving behind for the generations to come, and whether we are able to tackle the multitude of conflicts and issues we are facing today. Should there be new ways of tackling these issues?", LFC student Aino Anttila asks in her reflections concerning the panel 'International security: The outlook for Finland' at the annual Leadership Symposium, organized in Tampere University in September.

The Leadership Symposium notes: Social change and its typologies in the context of a Finnish mega-project in Uruguay to exploit natural resources

At the annual Leadership Symposium, organized by Tampere University's Faculty of Management and Business, one of the panels was dedicated to the topic of Finnish forestry megaprojects in Latin America. The panel hosted Saara Tahvanainen, vice president in stakeholder relations at UPM-Kymmene, professor Teivo Teivainen and research assistant Emiliano Sosa Barrios from University of Helsinki, and doctoral researcher Lara Gonzalez Porras from Tampere University. UPM-Kymmene, a Finnish forest industry company, is currently implementing a mega-project in Uruguay to develop a pulp factory, and this project is creating an important change in Uruguayan society. LFC student Yasmine Bounouara reflected on the panel's topic looking into four perspectives: character, magnitude, focus and level/scale.

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12.1: Taking on the Pepsi Challenge: The Case of Indra Nooyi

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She is among the top 100 most influential people according to Time magazine’s 2008 list. She is also number 5 in Forbes ’s “Most Influential Women in the World” (2007), number 1 in Fortune ’s “50 Most Powerful Women” (2006), and number 22 in Fortune ’s “25 Most Powerful People in Business” (2007). The lists go on and on. To those familiar with her work and style, this should come as no surprise: Even before she became the CEO of PepsiCo Inc. (NYSE: PEP) in 2006, she was one of the most powerful executives at PepsiCo and one of the two candidates being groomed for the coveted CEO position. Born in Chennai, India, Nooyi graduated from Yale’s School of Management and worked in companies such as the Boston Consulting Group Inc., Motorola Inc., and ABB Inc. She also led an all-girls rock band in high school, but that is a different story.

What makes her one of the top leaders in the business world today? To start with, she has a clear vision for PepsiCo, which seems to be the right vision for the company at this point in time. Her vision is framed under the term “performance with purpose,” which is based on two key ideas: tackling the obesity epidemic by improving the nutritional status of PepsiCo products and making PepsiCo an environmentally sustainable company. She is an inspirational speaker and rallies people around her vision for the company. She has the track record to show that she means what she says. She was instrumental in PepsiCo’s acquisition of the food conglomerate Quaker Oats Company and the juice maker Tropicana Products Inc., both of which have healthy product lines. She is bent on reducing PepsiCo’s reliance on high-sugar, high-calorie beverages, and she made sure that PepsiCo removed trans fats from all its products before its competitors. On the environmental side, she is striving for a net zero impact on the environment. Among her priorities are plans to reduce the plastic used in beverage bottles and find biodegradable packaging solutions for PepsiCo products. Her vision is long term and could be risky for short-term earnings, but it is also timely and important.

Those who work with her feel challenged by her high-performance standards and expectation of excellence. She is not afraid to give people negative feedback—and with humor, too. She pushes people until they come up with a solution to a problem and does not take “I don’t know” for an answer. For example, she insisted that her team find an alternative to the expensive palm oil and did not stop urging them forward until the alternative arrived: rice bran oil.

Nooyi is well liked and respected because she listens to those around her, even when they disagree with her. Her background cuts across national boundaries, which gives her a true appreciation for diversity, and she expects those around her to bring their values to work. In fact, when she graduated from college, she wore a sari to a job interview at Boston Consulting, where she got the job. She is an unusually collaborative person in the top suite of a Fortune 500 company, and she seeks help and information when she needs it. She has friendships with three ex-CEOs of PepsiCo who serve as her informal advisors, and when she was selected to the top position at PepsiCo, she made sure that her rival for the position got a pay raise and was given influence in the company so she did not lose him. She says that the best advice she received was from her father, who taught her to assume that people have good intentions. Nooyi notes that expecting people to have good intentions helps her prevent misunderstandings and show empathy for them. It seems that she is a role model to other business leaders around the world, and PepsiCo is well positioned to tackle the challenges the future may bring.

Based on information from Birger, J., Chandler, C., Frott, J., Gimbel, B., Gumbel, P., et al. (2008, May 12). The best advice I ever got. Fortune, 157 (10), 70–80; Brady, D. (2007, June 11). Keeping cool in hot water. BusinessWeek . Retrieved April 30, 2010, from http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_24/b4038067.htm ; Compton, J. (2007, October 15). Performance with purpose. Beverage World, 126 (10), 32; McKay, B. (2008, May 6). Pepsi to cut plastic used in bottles. Wall Street Journal , Eastern edition, p. B2; Morris, B., & Neering, P. A. (2008, May 3). The Pepsi challenge: Can this snack and soda giant go healthy? CEO Indra Nooyi says yes but cola wars and corn prices will test her leadership. Fortune, 157 (4), 54–66; Schultz, H. (2008, May 12). Indra Nooyi. Time, 171 (19), 116–117; Seldman, M. (2008, June). Elevating aspirations at PepsiCo. T+D, 62 (6), 36–38; The Pepsi challenge (2006, August 19). Economist . Retrieved April 30, 2010, from http://www.economist.com/business-finance/displaystory.cfm?story_id =7803615 .

Discussion Questions

• Indra Nooyi is not a typical CEO. How does she differ from your idea of what a typical CEO is like? How do you think your current image of CEOs was created?
• Indra Nooyi is touted as being “unusually collaborative” for someone in charge of a Fortune 500 company. Why do you think her level of collaboration is so unusual for top executives?
• Do you think Nooyi’s story represents a transition of American companies to a different type of leader or simply a unique case?
• Pepsi-Cola dates back to 1898 and officially became PepsiCo after merging with Frito-Lay in 1965. What are some challenges the CEO faces today that were not an issue at that time? What are some aspects that make the position easier in modern times?
• If you were in Indra Nooyi’s shoes, what direction would you take the company, given the success you have had thus far? What are some challenges that could arise in the near future for PepsiCo?

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Matt Garris

Above the Fray & Beneath the Surface

• Mar 12, 2021
• 11 min read

Case Studies in Change Leadership

The following post is adapted from my personal academic coursework.

At its essence, leadership is a change-focused enterprise. Leaders influence others to change. While this influence takes place at various levels and through diverse means, change is always the common denominator. Change is the distinguishing feature of leadership. History contains accounts of strong leaders, both good and bad, and weak leaders. The chronicles of the exploits of these leaders fill archives and libraries—those who have made changes that drastically improved the human condition, those who caused others to suffer, and those who history remembers only for the opportunities they squandered. These types of leaders existed throughout human history, from ancient times through the present day. For instance, World War II had good leaders like Eisenhower and Nimitz, bad leaders like Hitler and Mussolini, and weak leaders like Neville Chamberlain. The Bible tells numerous stories of good leaders like Joseph, bad leaders like Nebuchadnezzer, and weak leaders like Adam. Merida also recounted stories of all these leadership types, including the weak leadership of King Ahab, the bad leadership of Queen Jezebel, and the good leadership of King Josiah.

If the adage is true that history repeats itself, then it is vital for modern leaders to learn from the legacies of those who have preceded them. They must be able to identify those characteristics that distinguish good leaders from bad ones and strong leaders from weak ones. Aspiring leaders must know how to replicate good leadership traits and avoid evil ones. Because leaders are constantly effecting transformation, they operate within a moral imperative of making sure they are making the right changes. These changes should maximize the good they achieve while minimizing any negative impacts. This paper serves the goal of learning from others’ leadership through the identification of current best practices in leading organizational change and studying the examples of other organizational leaders from various contexts.

Best Practices

Experts have written countless volumes on the best practices of leadership. Ecclesiastes 12:12 (NKJV) admonishes readers that “Of making many books there is no end, and much study is wearisome to the flesh.” While it is therefore impossible to exhaustively catalogue the best practices of organizational change leadership, the following four main tactics will serve all leaders well: implement necessary changes, begin with the end in mind, rally the troops, and anchor the changes.

Implement Necessary Changes

Kotter stated that establishing a sense of urgency was the first step in achieving significant organizational change. He added that “establishing a sense of urgency is crucial to gaining needed cooperation.” Unfortunately, many leaders struggle to generate the urgency their initiatives require because they either implement changes that are not necessary or fail to implement those changes that are. Thus, a good starting point for any leader is to determine which changes are necessary. This is important because it is nearly impossible to establish a sense of urgency around an unnecessary change.

While applying Kotter’s eight steps to manage change in the United Kingdom’s Integrated Offender Management program, King et al. found that “not all partners had ‘bought into’ the philosophy and objectives of the schemes” because the initiatives did not seem necessary to multiple different agencies in the criminal justice community. This belief highlights how important it is for leaders to choose to implement necessary changes. Kotter stated that “People will find a thousand ingenious ways to withhold cooperation from a process they think is unnecessary or wrongheaded.

Graamans et al. presented another example of this withheld cooperation in their study of a failed attempt to change the brand of suture in a Dutch hospital. They found that cardiothoracic surgeons “adamantly refused to work with the suture…, …stockpil[ed] their own supplies of surgical suture…, …[and threatened to hold] managers accountable for patient deaths that could arise from use of the new suture.” Why were the surgeons so opposed to new suture? They believed that it presented a danger to patient health outcomes. In other words, what was a dollars and cents issue to the hospital management was a life and death issue to the surgeons. The hospital management tried to make this unnecessary change and it ultimately failed. Leaders must make those changes which are necessary and avoid making those which are not.

Begin with the End in Mind

Covey famously articulated this next best practice for change leaders as the second of his seven steps, “Begin with the end in mind.” Covey further explained, “To begin with the end in mind means to start with a clear understanding of your destination. It means to know where you’re going… …so that the steps you take are always in the right direction.” Covey suggested that leaders ask themselves, “What are the things I want to accomplish?” Kotter echoed this sentiment in the third stage of his eight-step process, “Develop a vision and strategy.” Essentially, leaders must know where they are leading the organization. They must have a clear vision of the desired outcome and know the paths that will lead to it. Watts explained, “Defining specific outcomes is an effective way to create actionable goals that… …focus on those whom the initiative is intended to support.” Watts added that “defining outcomes can assist in… …solidifying group buy-in to help move the project forward.” Watts understood the importance of having a clearly defined destination. Effective leaders must begin with the end in mind.

Rally the Troops

Another best practice of change leaders is to get people united around the leader’s vision for the organization. Two of Kotter’s steps—creating the guiding coalition and communicating the change vision—are in keeping with this best practice. Grenny et al. suggested that those who want to lead others should “engage all six sources of influence.” These sources of influence include personal motivation, personal ability, social motivation, social ability, structural motivation, and structural ability. While there are many ways which leaders may employ to draw people to their causes, most of them involve some form of communication. In Habakkuk 2:2 (NKJV), God says to “Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it.” Clearly articulating the change vision is critical to the leader’s success.

Watts stated that “If the team knows where they are headed, all the members can steer in the same direction.” Similarly, Muthusamy made the following recommendation: “Managers and leaders should employ collaborative and consensus-building socio-linguistic jargons… [because] …sharing positive communication is central to the creation, sustenance and achieving organizational transformation. Thus, the process of creating, acquiring, articulating, sharing inspiration and knowledge through positive maxims and metaphors is a core organizational capability for modern management. If managers and leaders enact the words they articulate, organizations can realize the mission and goals that seem impossible.” Hemme et al. also emphasized the importance of language in communicating the vision: “We argue for more deliberately crafted change messages that emphasize some aspects over others under consideration of change recipients’ specific change concerns and context. Whereas some readiness beliefs need to be addressed clearly and deliberately early on, others can be affected more easily at later points during the change initiative. Specifically, change recipients need to be convinced that the proposed changes are in fact suitable to engender significant organizational benefits – otherwise all other efforts to affect other change-related attitudes appear to be moot.”

Anchor the Change

A final best practice is for leaders to anchor the change. Kotter recommended that leaders “anchor new approaches in the culture.” Atkins et al. related the story of a failed change effort which relied too heavily upon a single person and dissolved upon that individual’s retirement: “The most significant barrier [to continuing the change effort]… …was the retirement of and failure to replace the director of sustainability. This… …affected virtually all aspects of empowerment through authority. The long-established director position was eliminated… It had created a point person…, but after the person who had held the job retired, support from the Academic Affairs Office declined in awareness, structural support, and resources. With no one assigned to report to the university president about sustainability or lead university-wide efforts, the academic branch… …met with significant setbacks that jeopardized its upward trajectory in gaining participation of both faculty and students on its campuses. The vital role… …was placed at risk.”

Wei and Clegg also addressed anchoring approaches in the culture through their research on the dominance of organizational cultures during acquisition. They found that several trends related to the acquiring company’s culture, the target company’s culture, the power differential between these organizations, and how those impacted the post-acquisition culture of the organization. They found that organizations in the acquisition process pass through three phases—resistance, conformity, and integration. These phases also may be present in other change efforts. Finally, Jeong and Shin found that “when high-performance work practices are paired with organizational change, organizations have a much better chance of survival and prosperity.”

Case Studies

The following case studies offer valuable insights into the organizational change process.

Talent Culture

Li discussed his own experiences building a talent culture at HKBN, a leading Hong Kong news agency.

The Change Process

Li developed a blended approach to organizational change drawing from Kotter’s eight-step model and Yu’s 3H (heart-head-hand) model.. Li spread his blended approach across three super-steps for change: creating the climate for change, engaging and enabling the organization, and implementing and sustaining for change, and explained how he implemented these super-steps at HKBN.

In creating the climate for change, Li created urgency, formed a coalition, and created a vision; in engaging and enabling the organization, he communicated the vision, empowered action, and created the quick win; and in implementing and sustaining for change, he built on the change and made it stick.

The Outcome

Li was successful in creating the talent culture he envisioned. He attributed his success in part to how he balanced the 3H model with Kotter’s eight steps.

Suture Situation

Graamans et al. explained how one Dutch hospital’s effort to reduce expenses by purchasing a different brand of suture backfired.

Although the hospital management thought this was a “relatively small-scale change initiative,” they still utilized some change-management principles. These included building a guiding coalition, consulting department heads, and communicating the change to the surgeons. In fact, this change was believed to be so simple that it would have been one of the guiding coalition’s early wins as they had more cost-cutting measures planned for the future. One manager even stated it, “This appeared to us as an easy win.”

Unfortunately, appearances are sometimes misleading, and this was not an easy win. The surgeons refused to use the new suture, citing patient safety, and the management abandoned the mew suture. One reason for this outcome is that the management team tried to make a change that was not necessary. Another reason the initiative failed is because the hospital management team did not effectively rally the troops.

Integrated Offender Management

King et al. examined the limited success of the United Kingdom’s Integrated Offender Management system, a multi-agency approach to criminal justice and rehabilitation. This program coordinated the efforts of police officers, probation officers, drug addiction counselors, and other stakeholders within the system.

After seeing the system fail to maximize its potential, King et al. retroactively evaluated the implementation of the system using Kotter’s eight-step change model to identify its shortcomings. They found significant issues at several stages. While the police and probation officers saw the urgent need for change, some of the supporting agencies did not and this hindered the entire process. The system had no guiding coalition and no strategic plan to implement its vision. King et al. also found issues with communicating the vision to adjacent law enforcement and probation units and empowering others to act.

Kotter stated that “successful change of any magnitude goes through all eight stages.” King et al. found that the lack of a strategic plan led to later difficulty creating short-term wins, consolidating gains and producing more change, and institutionalizing the new approaches.

King et al. made numerous recommendations for improvement to the system implementation at every stage of Kotter’s process. They acknowledged the difficulty of public-sector inter-agency cooperation, but stated that “the possible tensions between occupational cultures could be mitigated through some of the early phases of Kotter’s model.”

Self-Directed Teams

Vito addressed a failed case of implementing self-directed teams at a large mental health and development services agency.

Two new, inexperienced directors at this agency implemented a rapid-fire change to the organization’s vision, mission, values, strategic direction and structure. The changes all happened in a matter of months with poor preparation, minimal communication, and inadequate support systems.

For many reasons, this change initiative ultimately failed. While the reasons for the failure are varied, they have much more to do with the change process than the change’s intended outcome. Every organization has a limit to the amount of change it may withstand before it reaches critical mass. This study demonstrates precisely why managing change is so vitally important to an organization’s health.

Leading Librarian

Watts described his experience establishing the Department of Knowledge Production at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas.

Watts began with what he knew from experience. As he considered his plans, which consisted of “practical and cutting-edge technologies, furniture ideas, and job descriptions that were applicable to the UNLV campus context.” Watts realized that he was still missing some necessary information: “However, understanding and communicating how learners and researchers would make use of the new services and spaces did not easily unfold. A list of topics and technologies and a sheaf of carpet samples will not help a librarian or project team identify the behaviors that indicate learning or the evidence to demonstrate that a space or service meets an instructional or research need. Further exploration was required. The objectives for the initiative had to be further clarified.” In addition to Watts (2019) explaining how he developed a better plan, he also provided guidance for how to handle what he termed “side-eye” and fear when leading organizational change. Watts succeeded in launching the department.

Case studies contain a wealth of information for aspiring leaders. The case studies in this paper highlighted four best practices—implementing necessary changes, beginning with the end in mind, rallying the team, and anchoring the changes in the organization’s culture. Additionally, the case studies tell the stories of leadership successes, like those of Li and Watts; of leadership failures, such as Graamans et al. and Vito; and of reflective leaders, like King et al. Their experiences help develop the next generation of organizational change leaders.

Akins, E. E., Giddens, E., Glassmeyer, D., Gruss, A., Kalamas Hedden, M., Slinger-Friedman, V., & Weand, M. (2019). Sustainability education and organizational change: A critical case study of barriers and change drivers at a higher education institution. Sustainability, 11 (2), 501-517. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11020501

Covey, S. R. (1989). The seven habits of highly effective people: Restoring the character ethic. Simon & Schuster.

Graamans, E., Aij, K., Vonk, A., & Ten Have, W. (2020). Case study: Examining failure in change management. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 33 (2), 319-330. https://doi.org/10.1108/JOCM-06-2019-0204

Grenny, J., Patterson, L., Maxfield, D., McMillian, R., & Switzler, A. (2013). Influencer: The new science of leading change. McGraw-Hill Education.

Hemme, F., Bowers, M. T., & Todd, J. S. (2018). Change readiness as fluid trajectories: A longitudinal multiple-case study. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 31 (5), 1153-1175. https://doi.org/10.1108/JOCM-07-2017-0824

Jeong, I. & Shin, S. J. (2019). High-performance work practices and organizational creativity during organizational change: A collective learning perspective. Journal of Management, 45 (3), 909-925. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206316685156

King, S., Hopkins, M., & Cornish, N. (2018). Can models of organizational change help to understand ‘success’ and ‘failure’ in community sentences? Appling Kotter’s model of organizational change to an integrated offender management case study. Criminology & Criminal Justice, 18 (3), 273-290. https://doi.org/10.1177/1748895817721274

Kotter, J. P. (2012). Leading change. Harvard Business Review Press.

Li, E. (2018). A case study of the critical success factors for organizational change of a public listed corporation. Public Administration and Policy, 21 (2), 152-165. https://doi.org/10.1109/PAP-10-2018-010

Muthusamy, S. K. (2019). Power of positive words: Communication, cognition, and organizational transformation. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 32 (1), 103-122. https://doi.org/10.1108/JOCM-05-2018-0140

Merida, T. (2015). Christ-centered exposition commentary: Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Kings. B & H Publishing Group.

The Holy Bible, New King James Version (1982). Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Vito, R. (2019). Self-directed teams as an organizational change strategy to empower staff: A teaching/learning case study. Human Service Organizations, Management, Leadership & Governance, 43(2), 146-151. https://doi.org/10.1080/23303131.2019.1614852

Watts, J. (2019). Navigating the new: A case study on leading organizational change. Portal: Libraries and the Academy, 19 (2), 223-232. https://doi.org/10.1353/pla.2019.0013

Wei, T. & Clegg, J. (2018). Effect of organizational identity change on integration approaches in acquisitions: Role of organizational dominance. British Journal of Management, 29 (2), 337-355. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8551.12226

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Managing change

Leadership in times of change: how coaching can steer the ship.

Change is inevitable in business, and how leaders manage this change determines the success of their organizations. In today’s fast-paced environment, where companies must quickly adapt to new technologies, market conditions, and global challenges, the demands on leaders are immense. This is where coaching steps in as a critical resource.

Coaching provides leaders with the tailored support they need to navigate these waters successfully. It’s not just about improving skills but also about transforming perspectives and fostering an adaptive mindset that thrives on change. For organizations, understanding the power of coaching can be a game changer, equipping your leadership with the tools necessary to not only survive but thrive during periods of transition.

In this article, we’ll explore why leadership coaching is essential in times of change, how it benefits leaders and organizations, and how companies like Booking.com have successfully implemented coaching strategies to empower their teams and drive significant growth.

The Importance of Leadership in Times of Change

Challenges leaders face during change, the role of coaching in leadership development.

• Case Study: Booking.com's Coaching Success

Benefits of Leadership Coaching During Times of Change

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Effective leadership is more than just steering the organizational ship—it’s about being the compass that guides it through storms and calm alike. During periods of significant change, the role of leaders becomes even more pivotal. They are tasked with setting the direction, inspiring confidence, and ensuring that the entire team not only understands the vision but is also fully engaged in making it a reality.

Change often brings uncertainty, which can unsettle teams and disrupt workflows. Leaders are the linchpins in these scenarios, providing stability and clarity. They help their teams focus on the goals ahead, rather than the chaos that change might bring. This capability isn’t inherent; it is cultivated through targeted development strategies like coaching.

Leadership during change isn’t just about managing logistics or timelines; it’s about managing people. It involves understanding diverse team dynamics, recognizing individual needs and concerns, and addressing them proactively. Coaching equips leaders with these essential skills, ensuring they are prepared to handle the human aspect of change effectively.

This necessity for skilled leadership becomes clear when we consider the consequences of inadequate leadership during transformative periods. Without effective leadership, organizations may experience lower employee engagement, reduced productivity, and even a decline in morale. On the other hand, leaders who excel in guiding their teams through change can foster a culture of resilience, innovation, and adaptability.

Navigating change is no small feat for leaders. They often encounter a range of challenges that can test their resolve and demand new strategies for success. Here are some of the common hurdles leaders face during periods of significant change:

• Resistance to Change: One of the most pervasive challenges is the natural human tendency to resist the unfamiliar. Employees might be wary of new processes, technologies, or shifts in company direction. Leaders need to be adept at overcoming this resistance by building trust , communicating effectively, and demonstrating the benefits of change.
• Maintaining Morale and Engagement: As changes unfold, maintaining team morale and keeping employees engaged can be challenging. Uncertainty can lead to anxiety, which, if not managed well, may dampen enthusiasm and affect performance. Leaders must keep their teams motivated and connected to the mission, showing empathy and support throughout the transition.
• Decision-Making Under Pressure: Change often requires quick decision-making with limited information. This pressure can be daunting, as the stakes are high and the consequences of each decision are significant. Coaching can enhance a leader’s ability to make informed, strategic decisions even under pressure, ensuring that they consider both short-term needs and long-term goals.
• Adapting Leadership Styles: Different stages of change might require different leadership approaches . A leader who excels in stable conditions might struggle in a highly dynamic environment unless they can adapt their style. Coaching helps leaders recognize the need for flexibility in their approach and develop the skills to switch gears as necessary.
• Communicating Vision and Changes: Effective communication is crucial during change. Leaders must not only convey what is changing and why but also inspire confidence in the future. This involves clear, transparent, and frequent communication to ensure that all team members are aligned and committed to the new direction.

Each of these challenges, if not addressed, can derail change initiatives. However, with the right coaching and support, leaders can turn these potential obstacles into opportunities for growth and learning.

Organizational transformation doesn’t have to feel so daunting

Leadership coaching isn’t just a tool; it’s a transformative process that helps leaders maximize their potential and navigate the complexities of organizational change. At its core, coaching focuses on equipping leaders with the skills, knowledge, and confidence they need to face the challenges highlighted earlier. Here’s how coaching plays a pivotal role in leadership development during times of change:

• Enhancing Emotional Intelligence: Coaching helps leaders develop greater emotional intelligence , which is crucial for managing their emotions and understanding those of their team members. This increased awareness fosters a supportive environment where employees feel valued and understood, making it easier to manage resistance and maintain morale.
• Building Resilience and Adaptability: Change can be stressful, and resilience is key to dealing with stress effectively. Coaching provides leaders with strategies to build their resilience, helping them bounce back from setbacks and maintain their focus on organizational goals, even under pressure.
• Improving Strategic Decision-Making: Good decisions are often the backbone of successful change management. Coaches work with leaders to sharpen their strategic thinking , enabling them to make decisions that align with both immediate needs and long-term objectives.
• Fostering Effective Communication: Coaches train leaders in communication skills that enhance their ability to convey clear visions, align their teams , and articulate the benefits and logistics of change. This training ensures that messages are not only delivered but resonate across all levels of the organization.
• Encouraging Innovation and Risk Management: Coaching encourages leaders to embrace innovation and take calculated risks , which are often necessary during change. It helps them evaluate risks intelligently and fosters a culture where innovative ideas are welcomed and nurtured.

Through these focus areas, coaching empowers leaders to transform challenges into opportunities for growth and to lead their teams with confidence and clarity. The impact of such development is profound, not only on the leaders themselves but also on the broader organization, enhancing overall performance and agility.

Case Study: Booking.com’s Coaching Success

Booking.com, facing the volatile travel industry’s upheavals, leveraged coaching to strengthen its leadership amidst significant changes. The company introduced a digital coaching platform that personalized and flexible, making it accessible for leaders to integrate coaching into their busy schedules seamlessly.

Key Impacts and Developments:

• Leadership Enhancement: Leaders reported marked improvements in strategic thinking and change readiness, contributing to both professional growth and personal satisfaction.
• Program Expansion: Initially designed for top management, the success of the coaching program led to its extension across the organization, promoting a culture of continuous learning.
• Strategic Benefits: Coaching has notably increased Booking.com’s organizational agility, equipping it to handle challenges effectively and fostering innovation.

This example from Booking.com showcases the effectiveness of coaching as a strategic tool in managing change, underscoring its value in building resilient and adaptable leadership. For a deeper dive into their success story, check out their complete case study the bottom of this article.

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Leadership coaching has a profound impact on organizations, particularly during periods of significant change. It offers numerous benefits that not only enhance leadership skills but also improve overall organizational health and performance. Here’s a closer look at these benefits:

• Enhanced Decision-Making Abilities: Coaching helps leaders refine their decision-making skills , ensuring they can navigate complex situations with clarity and precision. This is crucial in times of change, where decisions often have far-reaching consequences.
• Increased Emotional Resilience: Emotional resilience is essential for leaders facing the stresses of organizational transitions. Coaching provides leaders with tools to manage stress effectively, maintain a positive outlook, and lead with empathy and understanding .
• Improved Communication Skills: Effective communication is vital during change. Coaching enhances leaders’ ability to communicate clearly and persuasively, ensuring that all team members are aligned and motivated towards common goals.
• Strengthened Team Dynamics: As leaders improve their interpersonal skills through coaching, they are better equipped to manage team dynamics . This leads to increased collaboration and reduced conflict, even during disruptive times.
• Higher Employee Engagement and Retention: Leaders who are adept at managing change can keep their teams engaged and committed. Coaching fosters leadership approaches that value and motivate employees, leading to higher satisfaction and retention rates .
• Strategic Alignment and Execution: Coaching helps leaders align their personal goals with organizational objectives , improving execution and accelerating the achievement of strategic targets.
• Cultural Reinforcement: Coaching supports the development of a learning culture within the organization , encouraging continuous improvement and adaptability among all employees.

These benefits culminate in a more agile, resilient, and effective organization, capable of not only withstanding the challenges of change but thriving through them. Leadership coaching is not just an investment in individual leaders but in the future of the entire organization.

Implementing a successful coaching program can significantly enhance leadership capabilities. Here’s how we at CoachHub can guide organizations through each step of the process:

• Assess Organizational Needs: We start by helping you understand the specific leadership challenges and opportunities within your organization. This crucial first step ensures that the coaching program is tailored to address your most critical development areas.
• Define Clear Objectives and Metrics: With our platform, you can set precise, measurable objectives for your coaching program. Whether it’s enhancing leadership effectiveness, improving communication skills, or boosting employee engagement, our tools enable you to track progress and measure impact effectively .
• Select the Right Coaches: Our access to a diverse pool of top-tier coaches with expertise in various aspects of leadership development allows organizations to match leaders with coaches who best fit their style and the organizational culture, ensuring effective and personalized coaching experiences.
• Customize Coaching to Individual Needs: At CoachHub, we excel in personalizing coaching to meet the unique challenges and goals of each leader. By using our digital platform, coaching sessions are tailored , making them more relevant, engaging, and impactful for every participant.
• Integrate Coaching with Overall Talent Strategy: Our platform integrates seamlessly with your existing talent development strategies. This ensures that coaching is a complementary component of your broader HR efforts, reinforcing overall organizational objectives and enhancing the learning experience.
• Promote a Coaching Culture: We help foster a culture that values continuous learning and proactive development. By embedding coaching into the daily operations of your organization, we make it easier to cultivate an environment where all employees are encouraged to grow and develop their potential.
• Review and Adapt the Program: Our detailed analytics and feedback tools allow you to review the effectiveness of your coaching program regularly. These insights help you fine-tune the program, adapting to new challenges and ensuring it continues to meet the evolving needs of your leaders and the organization.

By partnering with us at CoachHub, organizations can ensure their coaching programs are not only implemented efficiently but are also sustainable and aligned with their strategic goals.

Enable organizational transformation

Empower your organization to become more agile

As we’ve explored throughout this article, the role of coaching in leadership development, especially during times of significant change, cannot be overstated. Leadership coaching provides the skills, insights, and adaptability leaders need to guide their organizations through uncertain times with confidence and strategic foresight. The success stories and benefits discussed, including those demonstrated by Booking.com, underline the transformative power of effective coaching.

For organizations looking to thrive in an ever-evolving business landscape, investing in a comprehensive coaching program isn’t just an option—it’s a necessity. Coaching equips leaders not only to manage the challenges of today but also to anticipate and prepare for the demands of tomorrow.

We at CoachHub are ready to partner with you to implement a coaching program that aligns with your strategic goals and addresses your specific organizational needs. Whether you’re looking to enhance leadership skills, improve communication, or foster a culture of continuous learning, our platform provides the tools and expertise necessary to achieve these objectives.

Take the first step towards transforming your organization. Contact us today to learn how our tailored coaching solutions can empower your leaders and drive your business forward. Because when your leaders grow, your whole organization moves forward.

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Building Resilience: Coaching Strategies for Effective Change Management

• Navigating Organizational Change: The Critical Role of Coaching
• The Dark Side of Organizational Change: How to Spot Signs of Failure and Take Action
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32 Powerful leadership activities & games for your team

Don’t let the word “game” and “activities” in the title put you off; they’re serious business when it comes to developing leadership skills. They offer a hands-on approach to learning by giving participants the chance to practice their skills, or improve their skills, in real-world scenarios. Who knows, you might just discover a natural-born leader among your team members.

What are the benefits of a leadership activity?

Try to see leadership games and activities as an opportunity for your employees to flex their leadership muscles and develop critical skills that will benefit your company in the long run. Think of it like a group workout session, but instead of building physical strength, your team builds essential leadership skills like communication, delegation, and problem-solving. 

Not only are they beneficial for your team, they’re also an excellent chance to show that you’re not the scary, stereotypical boss that has been etched into the minds of many employees for decades. By taking part in these types of games and activities, you show that you are a dedicated part of the squad. 

Let us take you on a journey through 32 of the best leadership games and activities . We hope to inspire you! ‍

1. Marshmallow Challenge

Instructions:

• Gather your team in a designated workspace with a flat surface.
• Distribute spaghetti, tape, and a marshmallow to each team.
• Explain the objective: Build the tallest freestanding structure using the materials, with the marshmallow on top.
• Set a time limit and encourage planning before construction.
• Emphasize collaboration, effective communication, and leveraging strengths.
• Encourage creativity and experimentation with different construction techniques.
• Measure the height of each tower once the time is up. Tallest wins! ‍

Forget about eating marshmallows - now it's all about constructing with them! This game encourages your team to think outside the box , unleash their creativity, and work collaboratively. Balancing the weight of the marshmallow requires strategic planning and efficient teamwork. Plus, it's a chance to see if your tower can withstand the "sticky" situations that leadership often entails. ‍

2. Leadership TED Talks

Instructions: Watch inspiring TED Talks on leadership and engage in discussions about the insights and lessons shared.

TED Talks are like nuggets of wisdom served on a silver platter. This game brings leaders face-to-face with captivating speakers who share their leadership journeys, insights, and lessons learned. It sparks thought-provoking conversations, broadens perspectives, and ignites inspiration. By exploring diverse voices and ideas, leaders gain fresh perspectives and unlock new possibilities on their own leadership path. ‍

3. Leadership Quotes

• Share inspiring leadership quotes and allow people to individually reflect on their meaning.
• Make sure you are the one to lead a lively group discussion around the quotes and their relevance to leadership.
• Encourage people to share personal experiences related to the themes expressed in the quotes.
• Foster an inclusive environment for exploring different perspectives and insights.
• Summarize key takeaways and encourage people to apply the wisdom gained to their leadership journey.
• Provide resources for further exploration of leadership quotes and their authors. ‍

Who says leadership can't be profound and thought-provoking? This game sparks intellectual conversations and encourages your team to explore different perspectives. By diving into the wisdom of great minds, they'll gain new insights, expand their horizons, and ignite their leadership spark. ‍

4. The Meeting (Game)

• Choose a leader and participants for the meeting.
• Assign roles to each participant: a presenter, a skeptic, a supporter, and a neutral observer.
• The presenter will give a presentation on a topic related to the company, while the skeptic will challenge their arguments and the supporter will defend them. The neutral observer will take notes and provide feedback after the meeting.
• The leader will moderate the discussion and ensure that all participants have equal opportunities to speak.
• The goal of the meeting is to reach a consensus or agreement on the topic presented by the presenter.
• After the meeting, the neutral observer will provide feedback to the presenter and the group on their performance and the effectiveness of the discussion.  ‍

This role-playing game is the perfect opportunity show your team’s leadership skills in a fun and engaging way. With the help of their team-mates, they will learn how to moderate discussions, manage conflicting opinions, and reach a consensus. Plus, with the feedback from the neutral observer, they will receive valuable insights on how to improve their performance. So, grab that gavel, and let's get down to business! ‍

5. Trust Fall

• Gather your team in an open space, free from obstacles.
• Explain the objective: to build trust and reliance on each other.
• Form pairs: one person as the "faller" and the other as the "catcher."
• Instruct fallers to stand tall with eyes closed and arms crossed, while catchers position themselves behind them.
• Emphasize trust and encourage fallers to let go, fall backwards, and trust their catchers. ‍

Just like a daring leader, this game builds trust and shows that you're willing to rely on your team. By taking the plunge and falling back, you demonstrate vulnerability and foster a sense of security within your group. ‍

6. Blindfolded Obstacle Course

• Choose a team member to be blindfolded.
• Set up an obstacle course with various obstacles such as chairs, cones, and ropes.
• The team members who are not blindfolded should stand around the obstacle course and guide the blindfolded member through it using only verbal instructions.
• The blindfolded member must rely on the instructions given by their teammates and navigate through the course.
• If the blindfolded member touches an obstacle, they must start over from the beginning.
• Switch roles so that each team member has a chance to be blindfolded. ‍

Blindfolded leadership? Sounds like a metaphor, but it's an actual game! By relying on effective communication and trust, team members learn to guide their team members through the dark and unpredictable paths of life. This game highlights the importance of clear instructions, active listening, and building trust within a team.

If you enjoyed this team communication game, make sure to check out our blog on 33 of the best team communication games for more inspiration! ‍

7. Egg Drop

• Divide into teams and provide each team with materials such as newspaper, tape, straws, and plastic bags. 
• Provide each team with an egg that they will need to protect from breaking when dropped from a height. 
• Set a time limit for teams to build their contraptions. 
• Once the contraptions are built, take turns dropping each team's egg from a predetermined height. 
• If the egg breaks, the team is eliminated. 
• The team with the egg that survives the longest drop without breaking is the winner. ‍

This game challenges to think critically, innovate, and find unconventional solutions. Just like protecting an egg requires careful planning and ingenuity, leading a team through difficult situations demands resourcefulness and the ability to adapt. It's a game that cracks open your problem-solving skills and brings out the leader who can handle even the most delicate situations. ‍

8. Dotmocracy 

Dotmocracy is a decision-making task that involves participants placing dots or stickers on options or ideas to indicate their preferences. It is also referred to as dot voting or sticker voting.

• Clearly define the decision or topic that requires input from the participants. It could be anything from choosing a new office layout to selecting a team-building activity.
• Compile a list of options or ideas related to the decision. Make sure each option is concise and clearly understandable. Write them down on a large display, whiteboard, or chart paper.
• Provide each participant with a predetermined number of dot stickers. 
• Briefly explain the voting guidelines. Let participants know they can distribute their dots among the options in any way they prefer. They can place multiple dots on a single option or spread them across different options, depending on their preferences.
• Give participants time to place their dots on the options. Encourage them to think critically and consider their own perspectives.
• Once the voting phase is complete identify the options with the highest number of dots as the most favored choices.
• Engage the participants in a discussion based on the results. Encourage them to share their thoughts, perspectives, and reasons for their choices.  ‍

Dotmocracy is the game that's more than just sticking dots, It's a powerhouse for developing leadership skills in the office. Giving everyone a voice and a handful of stickers transforms quiet cubicle dwellers into confident decision-makers. Employees will also learn to assert their preferences, negotiate, and strategize; factors that are necessary for improving leadership skills. ‍

9. Tower Building

Instructions: 

• Divide players into teams.
• Provide each team with a set of materials such as blocks, cards, straws, cups, and tape.
• Set a time limit of 10-15 minutes for the teams to build the tallest tower.
• Ensure that each team follows the same rules and uses the same materials.
• Once the time is up, measure the height of each tower and declare the winner.
• Discuss the strategies used by each team and how they could improve in future rounds.
• Repeat the game with different materials or variations to continue challenging the players' leadership skills. ‍

This game unleashes potential leaders' creativity, teamwork, and strategic thinking. Just like a tower, leadership requires a solid foundation, balance, and the ability to reach new heights. It challenges leaders to allocate resources efficiently, communicate effectively, and inspire their team to elevate their performance.  ‍

10. Leadership Styles Quiz

Instructions:  

• Begin by researching and finding a leadership style quiz on the internet.
• Allow your team to read through the questions and ask them to choose the answer that best reflects their leadership approach.
• Once they have completed the quiz, review their results and take note of their leadership style.
• Engage in a group discussion about the different leadership styles and how they can be applied in various situations.
• Share insights on how to adapt leadership style to different scenarios.
• Encourage open communication and active listening during the discussion. ‍

Who doesn't love personality quizzes? This activity helps team members to understand their unique leadership style and explore different approaches. By delving into the nuances of leadership styles, you'll gain self-awareness and learn how to adapt your style to different situations. It's like discovering your leadership superpower and unleashing it to save the day! ‍

11. Scavenger Hunt

• Divide people into teams of 4-6 people.
• Provide each team with a list of clues and challenges related to leadership.
• Each team must work together to solve the clues and complete the challenges.
• The clues may lead to different locations or objects that the teams must find.
• Some challenges may require physical tasks, while others may require problem-solving or critical thinking.
• The first team to complete all the challenges and return to the starting point wins. ‍

This game combines adventure, teamwork, and strategic thinking. You and your team embark on an exciting journey to uncover clues, solve riddles, and complete challenges. It fosters collaboration, communication, and quick thinking—all crucial elements of effective leadership.  ‍

12. Leadership Guest Speaker

Invite a guest speaker with leadership experience to share insights and engage in a Q&A session.

Sometimes, wisdom comes in the form of a guest speaker. This activity brings potential leaders face-to-face with experienced professionals who can share valuable insights and inspire greatness. The guest speaker's stories, advice, and lessons learned provide a fresh perspective on leadership. It's an opportunity to learn from the best, ask burning questions, and gain wisdom that can shape your team’s leadership journey. ‍

13. Leadership Case Studies

• Gather your team.
• Choose real-life leadership case studies to present.
• Start discussions on how the leadership challenges could have been handled differently.
• Encourage critical thinking and analyze different perspectives.
• Refine your team's problem-solving skills by dissecting the scenarios presented. ‍

3 Real-life leadership examples:

• Elon Musk and Tesla: Analyze Musk's leadership at Tesla, focusing on his visionary style, innovation in the electric vehicle industry, and overcoming challenges to motivate the team.
• Indra Nooyi and PepsiCo: Examine Nooyi's leadership at PepsiCo, emphasizing sustainability, diversity, brand diversification, and her ability to navigate a multinational corporation.
• Jacinda Ardern and COVID-19: Analyze Ardern's leadership during the pandemic, evaluating her communication, empathy, and decisive actions in effectively leading New Zealand through the crisis. ‍

This game immerses your squad in compelling case studies that delve into complex leadership challenges. By dissecting these scenarios, your team members develop critical thinking, analyze different perspectives, and refine their problem-solving skills. It's like stepping into the shoes of renowned leaders and unraveling the mysteries of effective leadership.  ‍

14. Networking Activity

Instructions: Arrange a networking session where people practice their networking skills and build connections with others.

Networking is a vital skill for any working team, and this game provides the perfect platform to sharpen it. Engage in meaningful conversations, exchange ideas, and establish valuable connections. It cultivates communication, relationship-building, and the art of influencing—a trifecta of leadership prowess.  ‍

15. Conflict Resolution Simulation

Instructions: Assign people different roles in a simulated conflict and guide them through the resolution process.

Conflict can be as thrilling as an action movie—minus the explosions, of course. This game plunges your team members into the heart of the conflict, challenging them to navigate through choppy waters. It develops crucial skills such as empathy, active listening, negotiation, and finding win-win solutions. Team members emerge stronger, with the ability to transform conflicts into opportunities for growth.  ‍

16. Cinematic Leadership Video Analysis

Instructions: Watch movie scenes showcasing different leadership styles and analyze the strengths and weaknesses of each approach.

Movie scenes showcasing great leadership skills:

• "Braveheart" (1995), Scene: The Battle Speech - William Wallace (played by Mel Gibson) delivers a rousing speech to his army, inspiring courage, unity, and purpose. He rallies his troops, showcasing strong leadership skills.
• "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" (2003), Scene: Aragorn's Coronation - Aragorn (played by Viggo Mortensen) accepts his destiny as the rightful king, demonstrating humility, wisdom, and selflessness. He inspires hope and unites the people against evil.
• "Remember the Titans" (2000), Scene: Team Integration - Coach Herman Boone (played by Denzel Washington) takes charge of a racially divided football team. He demands respect, breaks down barriers, and fosters unity, displaying strong leadership skills. ‍

This activity takes your team on a cinematic journey, exploring various leadership styles through video analysis. It fosters critical thinking, observation, and the ability to identify effective leadership behaviors. By studying on-screen leaders, you'll expand your team’s leadership repertoire and discover new strategies.  ‍

17. Personal Leadership Vision

Instructions: Have people create and present their personal leadership vision statements, outlining their values and goals.

This game invites your team to introspect, reflect, and articulate their personal leadership vision. It helps define the leader they aspire to be, clarifies their values, and sets a course for their leadership journey. With a compelling vision statement, you'll inspire others, align actions with purpose, and navigate the leadership landscape with clarity.  ‍

18. Escape Rooms

Escape room games in the office are essentially leadership boot camps by promoting must-have leadership skills. They will challenge your staff to make quick decisions, delegate tasks and communicate effectively under pressure.

They’re easy to convert from the traditional ‘escape rooms’ to the office setting too! Instructions:

• Create a compelling theme or storyline for the office-based escape room. It could revolve around a corporate mystery, a time-sensitive task, or a workplace-related challenge that needs to be solved.
• Identify a specific area or multiple rooms within the office that can be transformed into the escape room setting. Decorate the space(s) accordingly to match the theme and storyline, incorporating puzzles, clues, and props.
• Divide employees into teams, ensuring a mix of skills and departments. Encourage cross-functional collaboration and diversity within each group.
• Establish a time limit for each team to escape or solve the challenge. Clearly communicate the rules, including any limitations or restrictions, to ensure a fair and consistent experience for all participants.
• Design a series of puzzles, riddles, codes, or tasks that teams must solve within the designated time. Incorporate office-related elements to make the challenges relevant and engaging. Consider using technology, hidden compartments, or interactive elements to enhance the experience.
• Offer teams a limited number of clues or hints they can use when they encounter difficulty. This ensures they don't get stuck for too long and maintains the momentum of the game.
• After the game, gather all teams for a debriefing session. Encourage participants to share their experiences, lessons learned, and insights gained during the escape room challenge. Discuss teamwork strategies, problem-solving approaches, and any innovative solutions that emerged. ‍

For more inspiring team building games or ideas. make sure to check out our 50 awesome team building activities , They might just give you the inspiration for your next amazing team building day . ‍

19. Feedback and Reflection

Instructions: Engage in feedback sessions where leaders give and receive constructive feedback on their leadership behaviors and actions.

This activity emphasizes the importance of feedback in leadership growth. Your team members learn to give and receive feedback gracefully, cultivating a culture of continuous improvement. Constructive feedback helps your team to identify blind spots, recognize their strengths, and refine their leadership style. ‍

20. Team Bonding Activities

Instructions: Engage in activities like team lunches, outdoor adventures, or team-building games to foster connections among team members . 

A cohesive team is the secret sauce of outstanding leadership. Team bonding activities create a sense of belonging, strengthen relationships, and boost team morale. They allow leaders to create a positive and inclusive team culture , where individuals feel valued and supported. Whether you're sharing a meal, conquering an obstacle course, or laughing through team games, these activities create bonds that propel your team to achieve greatness.

For more ideas and inspiration, head over to our blog that contains a whopping 25 team bonding activity ideas ! ‍

21. Human Knot

• Gather your team in a circle, ensuring everyone can hold hands with two others.
• Explain the objective: to untangle the human knot without letting go of hands.
• Instruct people to hold hands with two different people across the circle, avoiding those beside them.
• Challenge them to communicate, work together, and find pathways to untangle the knot while maintaining hand contact.
• Celebrate success or set a time limit for added challenge. Debrief on communication, teamwork, and problem-solving. ‍

This game ties you up in knots, quite literally! It challenges your team to communicate effectively, think creatively, and solve problems collaboratively. Leading your team towards success requires untangling complexities, and this game helps develop those skills while providing a few laughs. ‍

22. Values Alignment Exercise

Instructions: Have leaders identify and articulate their core values and engage in discussions on aligning their values with their leadership actions.

Values are the compass that guides leaders on their journey. This game allows your team to delve deep into their core values, identify what matters most, and align their leadership actions accordingly. It creates self-awareness, strengthens authenticity, and fosters integrity in leadership.  ‍

23. Leadership Book Club

Instructions: Read and discuss leadership books together, sharing insights and key takeaways from the readings.

A leadership book club provides an opportunity to dive into the wisdom of renowned authors, explore different leadership philosophies, and learn from the experiences of others. It sparks intellectual discussions, expands knowledge, and ignites inspiration. By delving into these books together, leaders cultivate a culture of continuous learning and feed their hunger for leadership excellence. ‍

24. Leadership Panel Discussion

Instructions: Organize a panel discussion with leaders from various backgrounds and industries, addressing leadership topics and answering questions.

Ready to enter the leadership spotlight? A panel discussion gathers leaders with diverse experiences, expertise, and perspectives to share their wisdom. It's a platform for thought-provoking discussions, dynamic exchanges, and gaining insights from successful leaders. By participating in the panel and asking burning questions, your team can expand their horizons, challenge their assumptions, and elevate their leadership acumen. ‍

25. Leadership Role Models

Instructions: Have leaders research and present on their chosen leadership role models, highlighting their qualities and impact.

Role models inspire and guide leaders on their journey. This game encourages leaders to explore the lives and accomplishments of influential leaders. By studying their role models, leaders gain insights into exemplary leadership traits and behaviors. It fosters inspiration, sets a benchmark for excellence, and allows leaders to learn from the best. Dive into the world of leadership icons, discover the secrets of their success, and let their legacies shape your own leadership path. ‍

26. Mind Mapping Challenge

• Gather your team and divide into groups 
• Provide people with blank paper and colored markers.
• Introduce the goal or challenge and set a time limit.
• Encourage people to share ideas and connect them using branches or lines.
• Use colors, codes, and symbols to emphasize key concepts or action steps.
• Have the group collaborate to create a comprehensive map.
• Discuss and analyze the different strategies and identify common themes or priorities.
• Present and explain individual or group mind maps.
• Summarize insights gained, decisions made, and next steps to implement ideas. ‍

Minds, maps, and leadership magic! Mind mapping exercises stimulate creativity, strategic thinking, and clarity of vision. Your team members unleash their imagination, connecting ideas, goals, and action steps in a visual format. It helps organize thoughts, identify priorities, and communicate plans effectively.  ‍

27. Appreciation Circle

Instructions: Create a space for leaders to express appreciation for each other's contributions and strengths.

Gratitude is the secret ingredient of exceptional leadership. The appreciation circle allows your team to acknowledge and celebrate the strengths and achievements of their coworkers. It creates a positive and uplifting environment, fostering a culture of appreciation and recognition. By expressing gratitude , leaders build stronger relationships, boost team morale , and inspire their team to give their best. Gather in a circle, shower each other with praise, and watch your leadership bonds grow stronger. ‍

28. Reverse Mentoring

Instructions: Pair people with different levels of experience in a reverse mentoring relationship. The less experienced individuals mentor the more experienced ones, sharing fresh perspectives and knowledge.

It's like flipping the leadership script and giving the underdogs a chance to teach the old dogs some new tricks. By pairing less experienced individuals with seasoned leaders, reverse mentoring unleashes a whirlwind of fresh perspectives, innovative ideas, and the wisdom of youth. It's a leadership shake-up that challenges status quo and ignites mutual learning, making it a win-win for all involved. Perhaps consider involving yourself in this activity and allowing a newbie to mentor you. You never know, you could be mentored by the rising stars of tomorrow! ‍

29. Leadership Cultural Exchange

• Divide people into small groups representing different cultures or countries.
• Encourage each group to share their cultural values, leadership practices, and challenges. Emphasize the importance of open-mindedness, respect, and active listening.
• Allow time for each group to ask questions and learn from one another.
• Encourage people to take note of key insights and learnings. ‍

By diving into diverse cultures and sharing insights, this game unearths hidden gems of wisdom from around the world. Discover unique leadership practices, tackle cross-cultural challenges, and become a culturally savvy leader. Buckle up for a leadership journey that transcends borders and unlocks a treasure trove of intercultural leadership know-how.  ‍

30. Leadership Legacy Project

• Explain that people will be creating a fictional project that leaves a positive impact on their community or organization.
• Set a timeframe for the project and establish any rules or guidelines people need to follow.
• Encourage people to brainstorm ideas for their project, and to think about what skills and resources they have to work with.
• Once people have settled on a project idea, have them plan their approach, including tasks, timelines, and resources needed.
• people should work on executing their project, while keeping track of progress and making adjustments as needed.
• When the project is complete, have people take time to reflect on what they learned and how their leadership skills developed throughout the project. ‍

This activity isn't just about leaving a lasting legacy, it's about building one too. By working on a project that benefits their community or organization, people learn how to lead with purpose and impact. It's a chance to test their leadership skills in the real world, get their hands dirty, and make a difference. Plus, reflecting on the journey helps them grow as leaders and creates a ripple effect of positive change. It's leadership that pays it forward! ‍

31. Lead the way

‍ Instructions:

• Divide participants into small groups of 4-6 people.
• Explain the game's purpose: Explore leadership qualities and promote collaboration .
• Set the scenario: Stranded on a deserted island, reach a designated rescue point within a time limit.
• Provide teams with whiteboards, markers, and roles (Leader, Communicator, Problem Solver, Timekeeper, Recorder).
• Present challenges related to survival, discuss strategies, and have teams present solutions. ‍

This game is an awesome Icebreaker that encourages leadership skills to be developed. It throws participants into a stranded island scenario where they must navigate challenges and reach rescue. By assigning specific roles and promoting collaboration, it unveils individuals' leadership qualities. Teams strategize, communicate, problem-solve, and make decisions under pressure. Conflicts may arise, but they're resolved through teamwork. It's a crash course in leadership, where participants learn and grow while having a thrilling time. 

If you enjoyed this particular ice-breaker, make sure to check out our blog on large group ice-breaking activities ! ‍

32. The Leadership Jigsaw Puzzle

• Divide participants into teams of 4-6 with puzzles and workspace.
• Teams solve the puzzle within a specified time, demonstrating leadership skills.
• Assign the role of ‘team leader’ and allow them to oversee progress.
• Set a time limit for completion, emphasizing collaboration and effective communication.
• Debrief and discuss team approaches, leadership qualities, challenges, and strategies.
• Reflect on individual and collective leadership skills, share insights and lessons. ‍

This game is no ordinary puzzle-solving extravaganza. It challenges teams to collaborate, communicate, and showcase their leadership prowess. By assigning team leaders, setting time limits, and emphasizing effective problem-solving, this game hones their ability to guide and bring out the best in your team. So grab your puzzle pieces and get ready to unlock your team’s inner leadership maestro in a fun and engaging way.

So there we have it, 32 of the best games and activities that promote and grow leadership qualities.

But you may be asking yourself, “In what setting can I carry out these games and activities?”, and this would be a great question to ask!  ‍

What’s the best setting for leadership activities?   

Of course, the vast majority of these games are designed for the office setting, no matter how small or big your office is! However, if you really want to experience the best from your team, we couldn’t recommend getting away from the office enough. Break the monotony of the 9-5 and watch the results pour in. Let us explain.

Take this scenario as an example: We’re in the UK, a dreary morning greets your team as they trickle into the office, late due to vile weather outside. You've planned a leadership activity to kick off the day, but the tired groans seem to indicate that they aren’t all that thrilled with your idea.

What if you change the setting, though? Picture your team basking in the Miami sun, sharing a seaside breakfast before embarking on a game of Blindfold Obstacle Course. The difference is night and day, and the results will speak for themselves.

At Surf Office, we specialize in providing team-building retreats in stunning locales worldwide. Whether it's next to the beach in Miami or in the heart of snowy Prague, we can help you transform your team's performance like never before.

‍ Contact us now for more information.

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In early 1915, polar explorer Ernest Shackleton’s ship became trapped in ice, north of Antarctica. For almost two years, he and his crew braved those frozen expanses. Then, in December 1916, Shackleton led them all to safety.

Not a single life was lost, and Shackleton’s leadership has become one of the most famous case studies of all time.

In this episode, Harvard Business School professor and historian Nancy Koehn analyzes Shackleton’s leadership during those two fateful years that he and his men struggled to survive.

She explains how Shackleton carefully assembled a team capable of weathering a crisis and the important role empathy played in his day-to-day leadership. Koehn also shares the survival lessons that Shackleton learned from weak leaders he encountered early in his own career.

Key episode topics include: leadership, crisis management, motivating people, managing people.

HBR On Leadership curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock the best in those around you. New episodes every week.

• Listen to the original HBR IdeaCast episode: Real Leaders: Ernest Shackleton Leads a Harrowing Expedition (2020)
• Find more episodes of HBR IdeaCast
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HANNAH BATES: Welcome to HBR on Leadership , case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, hand-selected to help you unlock the best in those around you.

In early 1915, polar explorer Ernest Shackleton’s ship became trapped in ice, north of Antarctica. For almost two years, he and his crew braved those frozen expanses until Shackleton led them to safety in December 1916. Not a single life was lost, and Shackleton’s leadership has become one of the most famous case studies of all time.

In this episode, Harvard Business School professor and historian Nancy Koehn analyzes Shackleton’s leadership during those two fateful  years that he and his men struggled to survive.

You’ll learn how to assemble a team capable of weathering  a crisis, the lessons that Shackleton learned from bad leaders in his early career, and the important role empathy played in his own, leadership.  

This episode originally aired on HBR IdeaCast in March 2020. Here it is.

ADI IGNATIUS: Welcome to the HBR IdeaCast from Harvard Business Review. I’m Adi Ignatius. This is Real Leaders , a special series that examines the lives of some of the world’s most compelling and effective leaders, past and present and offers lessons to all of us today.

NANCY KOEHN: Wanted, men for hazardous journey, small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger, safe return doubtful, honor and recognition in case of success.

ADI IGNATIUS: Legend has it that that’s the job and Ernest Shackleton used to recruit the crew for his expedition to Antarctica in 1914. If you know this story you know that Shackleton and his crew never set foot on that continent. Instead, their ship got trapped in ice. But it’s what happened when their original mission failed that has made Shackleton’s remarkable story of survival, one of the most famous case studies in leadership history. I’m Adi Ignatius, Editor in Chief of Harvard Business Review and I’m joined by historian and Harvard Business School Professor Nancy Koehn. Nancy’s case study about Ernest Shackleton is a classic and her book, Forged in Crisis , is a great account of Shackleton’s story. Nancy welcome.

NANCY KOEHN: Thank you, Adi. It’s a pleasure to be here.

ADI IGNATIUS: We’re starting this series with Ernest Shackleton, one of the great explorers in the age of polar exploration in the early 20th Century. To set the context in the U.S., Teddy Roosevelt is President. Ford Motor Company has just produced its first car and the race to discover the South Pole is on. So, to understand the context even more, Nancy, is this kind of the equivalent of the Space Race of the 1960s?

NANCY KOEHN: Absolutely. It’s a great analogy. It was a time when nations and patriotism were duking it out at some level in an international race, along exploration lines.

ADI IGNATIUS: So, Shackleton’s first expedition to Antarctica takes place in 1902. So, Nancy, what happened in that?

NANCY KOEHN: So, his first expedition which happens in the very first few years of the 20th Century, is an expedition under the command of a Naval Officer named Robert Falcon Scott. They’re trying to be the first to the Pole and that expedition goes terribly awry and Scott is forced to turn around and go back and they almost die on the way back for a number of reasons, primarily the most important of which is the temperatures and food supplies.

ADI IGNATIUS: OK. So, this fails, but Shackleton wants more. He goes back.

NANCY KOEHN: He wants more. When Scott publishes an account of the expedition that’s scathing toward Shackleton, that gets his dander up and he immediately begins planning for his own expedition. Having learned a lot of things from Scott that he thinks he won’t do.

ADI IGNATIUS: OK. So, here’s lesson number one. What do you do when you have a bad boss? I mean, to what extent does he learn lessons from an initial foray gone badly?

NANCY KOEHN: Extremely important lessons. One, make your decisions and stick with them. That’s something Scott has a lot of trouble with. And a lot of those decisions in leadership involve displeasing or not making everyone happy. That’s a second related lesson. Third lesson: make sure you have adequate food supplies and transport that you can depend on. He wasn’t a very good process engineer and planner. And so Shackleton learns from that and says I’m going to be very good about that. I’m never going to be in charge of an expedition that runs short on food supplies. Again, almost in intentional opposition to Scott. So, what’s important I think here for our time and for all of us that have worked for bad bosses or people we don’t agree with or people we feel frustrated by is what can I learn from this person about how I will not act as a manager and a leader.

ADI IGNATIUS: So Shackleton leads his own expedition to the South Pole in 1907. That fails to reach the South Pole. So, 1914 he returns to Antarctica for his third mission and this is the one that becomes so famous. So it’s interesting to think about Shackleton almost as an entrepreneur. He takes on some of the tasks that are at once both profound, but also mundane. Hiring a team, raising money. I think particularly the way in which he built his team is remarkable and weird and instructive.

NANCY KOEHN: That is exactly, that’s a great set of descriptives. So Shackleton didn’t use this language, but here’s what he did and I’ll say a word about how. He hired for attitude and trained for skill. That’s the essence of what he did. So, less about what have you got on your resume that makes you look like you’d be a good polar scientist, or a good polar navigator and more about what’s your attitude and how, what has that attitude affect your ability to deal with these very high-risk situations? So, the way he gets to attitude in the hiring process is he asks people to do things like sing a song. Do a dance. He tries to get at their underlying default kind of character, am I pessimistic, am I optimistic? How do I deal with different kinds of situations?

ADI IGNATIUS: So, was he hiring people who pleased him, or do you think he really was thinking at that high level about these attributes?

NANCY KOEHN: Absolutely the latter. Absolutely thinking about what have I got here? What have I got in this scientist? What have I got in this doctor? What have I got in this enlisted man? What kind of attitudes do I have? How are they suited to the environment that I know well in Antarctica? He’s knows it, he’s been there with good and bad and less good results. And very importantly, not just what attitudes, what collection of attitudes do I have, but how do they fit together? He was a brilliant kind of conductor if you will, of teams. Because teams aren’t just kind of set of resumes you’ve got. They’re the people and their attitudes and their experience, and how they work together. So, he was very careful about choosing his ensemble.

ADI IGNATIUS: When I interview people should I have them tell me a joke and sing a little song and just get a sense of their ability to respond to a weird request?

NANCY KOEHN: Absolutely. That’s exactly what he’s doing. That’s a very good way of characterizing it. You can also ask them, you know, when you hire people about what was their most confusing? What was their most, what was their greatest moment of self-doubt? Shackleton got that kind of thing as well. And he understood it long before we were writing about it here at places like the Harvard Business School.

ADI IGNATIUS: So, by now Shackleton has his team for the Endurance mission assembled. Now what happens first?

NANCY KOEHN: So, he sets off in August 1914 almost exactly at the time that World War I breaks out. And he has to ask the Assistant Lord of the Navy, Winston Churchill if he can go ahead and go or if they need the ship and the men for military service, and Churchill says, “Proceed.”  And Shackleton hightails it out of Dodge and gets himself down, first to South America to take on supplies and then they head south and east to a small whaling station, this is their last outpost before they get to Antarctica, the continent. And the whalers say to Shackleton, “The icebergs are very far north this year and you’re going to have trouble getting through the jigsaw puzzle ice going down there.”

ADI IGNATIUS: Remember we’re heading south.

NANCY KOEHN: We’re heading south. And Shackleton waits a month, waiting for the ice to kind of clear and it doesn’t, and he sets off. He was arguably reckless, or a little bit cavalier. Maybe a little bit more than a little, but he heads south. They make their way through these, and there’s astounding pictures of this, through this jigsaw puzzle of ice to the coast of Antarctica. And in January. So, they left in August. In January, late January, just as they see the coast of Antarctica, but as they’re still 80 miles away, icebergs lock the ship in a vice. Tons and tons and tons of ice locking it in place. No one knows where they are. The radio doesn’t work. After a month or so it’s really clear that they’re not going to break free of the ice. They have to wait for it to melt, and if the ship survives being held in a vice that long, there’s very, if it survives they may get back to the coast, but he thinks increasingly as the days becomes weeks and the weeks become months into 1915, that their expedition is over. So very interesting leadership moment. I can’t get to my original goal. What in the heck do I do? And that is a very interesting pivot moment for Shackleton.

ADI IGNATIUS: We’re talking months and months locked in the ice, freezing temperature, no light at times. I mean it’s sort of unfathomable. It doesn’t even kind of register in today’s terms.

ADI IGNATIUS: It doesn’t. So, the ship is locked in January of 1915. They will live on the ice for almost two years. About 20 months all told. Most of that time they will be living in tents because the ship sinks. The ice crushes the ship and sinks it in November, 10 months after they’re first stuck. The ship is battered into pieces and the men live for the rest of the time in tents with lifeboats on the ice. So, it’s a tremendously long, as you said, unfathomable period that they are living in this high stakes situation. But he now has another issue, and this is really important for leaders today. How do you manage the energy of yourself and your team when the stakes suddenly get high, the volatility, your uncertainty increases, and there’s suddenly a new worst case scenario that people can keep on running as a movie in their heads. That, all those things are his enemies. Right? If his men start doubting that they will survive, if they start fighting among themselves, if their anxiety becomes its own actor on the stage, other things can kill them than just the temperature and food supplies. So, what is so interesting about Shackleton in this moment is how he quickly pivots into I gotta manage their energy. I gotta create stability for them. I gotta give them the sense that they can do harder, better things together and under my command than they could do on their own. And that is what he proceeds to do.

ADI IGNATIUS: Coming up after the break we will learn exactly how Shackleton did that.

ADI IGNATIUS: Welcome back to Real Leaders , a special series of the HBR IdeaCast. I’m Adi Ignatius with Nancy Koehn.

NANCY KOEHN: Hey there.

ADI IGNATIUS: All right, let’s get back to the story. So, Ernest Shackleton and his crew of 27 men are stranded on an ice floe near Antarctica with no idea when or how or if they will ever be able to get home. What I want to know is how in the world does Shackleton keep his crew motivated for all this time?

NANCY KOEHN: He shows up every day in terms of his mission. So, we are rarely taught as leaders, managers, parents, teachers that how you get through your day, how a leader shows up, what your body language is, are you looking at your phone as you sit down in a meeting immediately with everyone around you. If you’re doing that everyone else will be doing that. Shackleton understands that. He looks confident. He carries himself carefully. We know from his diaries that he was nervous. He didn’t always know the answer, but he is not showing up with his team saying, “Hey guys, I didn’t sleep well. Can anyone help me get right with this anxiety?”  He never does that. He has someone, his first mate Frank Wild, that he can talk to, but he is consistently showing up as a man who cares about his men and who believes that they together will get home safely. That’s the first thing. Really important lesson today as volatility, pace of change increases. Second thing he does is he understands something that all parents come to understand, which is that routine is incredibly important to creating stability and confidence and belief in self for human beings. So, he has, all the way through this story, has the men on routines. On the ship, and then when the ship goes down, is crushed by the ice in November of 1915, he has a routine for the men on the ice. He has a duty roster. Everyone has a job every day. Everyone is responsible for walking three miles around the ice so they get their exercise. They don’t have Fitbits, but he knows that exercise is good for the men. He tells them its mental medicine, is what he called it. There was forced socialization, so no one was allowed to retreat their cabins when they were on the ship after dinner, on in the case of their tents, no one was allowed to be alone in their tent after dinner. They mixed. There were games. There were presentations. There were plays. So this idea that routine and camaraderie prevents doubt and disillusionment and it’s relative despair and then discord among the team, he understands very well and he acts to prevent that. And the third thing I think that he does that’s incredibly important, just as important as these other two things, is he has this great sense of empathy. So when he sees a man’s, for example, energy flagging and this happened a number of times, over the course of the time that they were stranded, he will order up hot milk for everyone. But he does it for everyone so that the man who he sees flagging isn’t embarrassed, isn’t called out, isn’t singled out. He does it, and the idea is energy, food, feeding and watering is something that bolsters your spirits. Gives you more confidence. Can help you combat doubt or despair, or ennui. And so he does that all the time. These small things that without making a person embarrassed, give them more confidence, give them more strength, give them more resilience.

ADI IGNATIUS: So, a few points. One, you’re certainly making the case that it’s good to hire people who can sing a song and dance a jig if you have a year of nights to somehow spend together, but also delivering hot milk to everyone when there’s one person who’s flagging. I think it avoids the embarrassment. I guess it also avoids signaling to somebody that we’re worried that you’re circling the drain.

NANCY KOEHN: Exactly. Exactly. There’s a moment when the men are so miserable and he’s so worried about as he called it, morale, that he says, order up double rations for four days. Needed to improve morale. And like the men’s diaries, most of them kept diaries, say things like, “feeling much better. Full as a tick.”  So, he understands in this empathic intuitive way that my most important resource is my men’s self-belief and their belief in their group ability to get home safely.

ADI IGNATIUS: So Shackleton clearly has this enormous reservoir empathy. To what extent is that just his personality and to what extent is that calculated.

NANCY KOEHN: I think most of what he does is calculated. Once he’s on the ice and the ship goes down, and the mission of walking across the Antarctica is over, everything he does in this very high-stakes situation, when he’s talking about keeping his men alive, is calculated. That’s what’s so interesting. And I mean calculation with a great deal of admiration and pragmatism when I say that. This is someone who says, “I have to keep them alive. I’m going to be very thoughtful and serious about what I do and very aware.”  And so, it’s calculated empathy that he’s using and he’s very careful to think about how he distributes it, so no one feels left out and it’s done in the interest of what he sees now as the, you know, as an extremely important goal. I’m responsible for these people. I must bring them home alive.

ADI IGNATIUS: And is that goal, that mission selfless or selfish?

NANCY KOEHN: I think it’s got parts of both if you will. I mean he really cares about bringing them home alive. It is he in a sense rising into how service to others can make us our best selves, make us our strongest. Unlock and unleash our superpowers. So, there’s that piece. But this is a man who’s been thirsting for fame and glory for all his life in some sense, or since he first decided to join the heroic age of Antarctic exploration. So, there’s an element of not I. I’m not going to be the man who sees 27 men and myself die on the ice. So, there’s a real self-interested piece too. But I think the most important piece is what he discovers inside himself, which is, “I owe it to these men. I owe it to my command to bring them home alive.”  And I think that is primarily what powers him through his own moments of doubt.

ADI IGNATIUS: It’s this incredible flexibility of realizing OK, the mission going to the South Pole. This is long over, but we’re not retreating with our tail between our legs. And by the way, this is the hardest thing in the world to try to get us all back, but this is the greatest mission of my life.

NANCY KOEHN: Exactly. Exactly. And the ability to say, the flexibility, the adaptability, the ability to say that’s no longer our mission. I’m turning to the future, the new mission, and I’m not going to look back on stalling. So, what he doesn’t do with his men or himself is keep saying, “how did this happen? This is terrible.”  Let’s do a court and a tribunal to uncover why this thing didn’t work and why we got stuck. He doesn’t do any of that. And that’s so important for leaders in a transforming organization or a very volatile time. Howard Schultz came to my HBS classroom. He was then CEO of Starbucks, to talk about the company’s transformation and his own kind of really difficult moment when the company was about to go under in 2007 and 2008. And someone asked him about what he did with the mistakes that he made and what they were. And he said, “that’s a great question. I tried to learn quickly from them, but I couldn’t allow myself the luxury of looking backward for very long, or very often. We had too much work to do. I had to face forward.”  So, that’s a really important lesson as well. I think for lots of high achieving, highly controlling, highly successful people.

ADI IGNATIUS: But what about owning them? I mean we, I think we demand that our leaders own their mistakes. You know it was Shackleton, he disregarded advice, like maybe you shouldn’t go so far south because of the ice floes. So, I guess like today we would say well you have to own it. I’m not sure he did that. It seems like more he —

NANCY KOEHN: He didn’t own it publicly. There was no, you know, it’s my fault, or I take responsibility. There was no Johnson & Johnson kind of moment with Jim Burke the CEO –

ADI IGNATIUS: The Tylenol moment.

NANCY KOEHN: Right. This is our problem. We own it. We’ll make it right. And yet, he owned it completely. I can’t help, but think some of the resilience and the determination, and the extraordinary improvisation of this story, which just gets more and more and more and more difficult for almost two years. Some of that that he harnessed or accessed and honed it himself was partly about the guilt that he felt that under my watch with my decision making, we got into this place. I think that was part of the story too. I think Howard Schultz would tell you that was part of his motivation for using all his powers, and he worked incredibly hard to save Starbucks, because he felt responsible. So that piece, he did own it. He didn’t own it publicly, but he didn’t have the luxury because he had to keep the men’s faith in him, and a public admission, a public confession, at that moment in the naval hierarchy of early 20th Century, British seaman and scientists would not have worked.

ADI IGNATIUS: Better to just hand out some warm milk.

NANCY KOEHN: Hand out warm milk and show the men that you are, you are on it.

ADI IGNATIUS: I guess what’s remarkable is that the group didn’t turn on him. It’s hard to imagine, I don’t know a parallel situation. A company, let’s say, that isn’t succeeding, it isn’t producing for month after month after month and just trying to survive and at some point people saying, “This isn’t working. Let’s try plan B.”

ADI IGNATIUS: They do, and there’s one moment, one real moment when mutiny becomes a possibility. And Shackleton quells it. One of the important things he does is say, in violation of Maritime Law, to the troublemaker, the person who wants to mutiny, he says, “Look, I know the ship went down and my Maritime Law you’re not allowed to be paid. I don’t have to pay you from the moment the ship goes down.”  He says, “I’m going to pay you out of my own pocket. You’ll get paid when we pull in to the, you know, into London on the Thames.”  So that quells a lot. That does a lot to appease the doubting Thomas’s because it says something about what he cares for and what he’s willing to do for his men. But in any event, here’s the secret sauce on the mutiny. Years after this expedition the BBC went back in the early 30s and interviewed, the radio interviewed all the survivors. And they asked them, “How did you do this?”  And all of them, all the men, two or one said, “the boss,” which was their nickname for Shackleton, “made us believe that we could each do it.”  So, there was something incredibly sustaining about that definition of leaders from David Foster Wallace, that leaders help us do things. Better, more important things. Harder, better things than we can get ourselves to do on our own, that Shackleton tapped into which each of those men. That 20 years after this happened they would say, “he, his faith in me made me believe I could do it. And that was the most important thing.”

ADI IGNATIUS: And what do we know about how he did that? I mean part of it was his own posture and continence, but how did he connect with the people that they believed that about themselves?

NANCY KOEHN: A combination, I think of again, frequent Town Hall meetings with the group. That he talked to them as a group every other day or so about what was happening, what he thought was happening, weather, navigate, longitude, latitude. Partly as important through this individual one on one stuff. Now he had 27 men, so it was a lot easier to do than if you’re in a company of 100s or thousands of people. But he made a point with each person on a regular basis to connect with them, in a very intimate way. Sometimes he talked about poetry. Sometimes we talked about stamp collecting. Sometimes we just talked about the seal meat that cook just made. But that combination of we can do this. I got your back, and “Oh, Chris, or oh, Randolph, or [Thomas] Orde-Lees, we got it right.”  So that was incredibly important. The personal and the large-scale leadership that he evidenced over and over again. And, as you just said. He’s showing up. They believe, he believes. And that was incredibly important.

ADI IGNATIUS: That to me is one of the biggest takeaways for anytime that, you know, there’re plenty of people who rise to the top, get the top job and then they’re not present. They can’t sustain it. And really that’s a great contrast that Shackleton was present. He was a leader every single day, whether it was giving orders or more kind of soft power things, but just being present. You don’t walk into the office and sit at your computer and —

NANCY KOEHN: Shut your door.

ADI IGNATIUS: Shut your door.

NANCY KOEHN: Absolutely. And I think the personal piece is important as well. It was personal. I think all great leaders have a big element of what they do that’s very personal to them. It’s part of who they are. And it’s part of their identity and that’s part of what fuels them.

ADI IGNATIUS: The rest of the story is like something out of an adventure movie. Shackleton and his crew drift on the ice for almost two years. Finally, they spot an island in the distance. They have three lifeboats that they’d taken off the ship before it sank. So, they decide to set off and try to sail to that island.

NANCY KOEHN: And it is a hellacious journey. The seas are really rough. The boats risk getting lost from each other, so they have to anchor them together. The men get terrible diarrhea. Shackleton worries by the end of the third day that some of his men are going to die en route.

ADI IGNATIUS: But they make it to Elephant Island. They’re on dry land again. But they’re not going to be rescued there. Way too remote. So, Shackleton decides to make an even more dangerous journey by boat. To head back to the whaling station where they had warned Shackleton about the ice being too thick. This is South Georgia Island. It is 800 miles away. So Shackleton and five men head out in a lifeboat that they have sort of converted into sailboat. Everybody else stays behind on Elephant Island.

NANCY KOEHN: And this is as dreadful as the open boat journey was to get to Elephant Island. This is worse. They’re going to try and traverse these incredibly difficult seas. Seas that even the most experienced mariner would tell you are almost impossible to sail through. At one point, close to the end of the journey a huge storm erupts in that part of the South Atlantic. It’s such a big storm that it sinks a ship with over 500 people on it in nearby waters, although the expedition doesn’t know that. So they’re going to face these huge weather obstacles. Everything seems stacked against their success. But somehow, they make it to South Georgia Island. The other side of the island from the whaling station and because the boat is damaged they can’t sail around. They have to dock there.

ADI IGNATIUS: So, they make it. I mean these guys never get to do the victory dance. They have to walk across the entire island. It’s uncharted territory. Mountains, rough terrain, but they do finally get to the whaling station. But even now it’s not exactly story over.

NANCY KOEHN: No, it’s not. Shackleton now has to get a ship capable of getting back across those 800 miles of difficult ocean to pick up the 22 remaining men on Elephant Island. He gets a boat pretty quickly after they arrive at South Georgia, but the boat goes only a certain distance before again, those terrible icebergs threaten to grab it and lock it in the ice, so he has to turn back. That happens not once, not twice, but thrice in the coming months. So, May becomes June. June becomes July. July becomes August, and Shackleton still doesn’t have a boat. He is worried. He is going grey. He is starting to drink. On August 31st, 1916, in a Chilean tugboat he finally makes it. And the men who see the ship on the island come pouring out of this little overturned lifeboat, in which they were having lunch. That is what they were living in. And he starts counting them as the run to the shore, and he sees that all 22 are alive. And the man with, him Tom Crean, one of the crew members who stayed with him, said the years just fell off his face and he looked so incredibly happy.

ADI IGNATIUS: So, they all make it.

NANCY KOEHN: They all make it. They all make it home, where they are met by a world completely different than the one they left. You know, millions have been killed. Because the war’s still going on. It’s 1916. Tragically two of the men on the expedition die within months of getting home on the battlefields of Europe. And the war ends and Shackleton is heavily in debt from the expedition, and he travels to America and gets on the speaking circuit, where he has some acclaim and interest by virtue of the story. And then comes back to England and starts hatching plans to go again. Of all the interesting pieces of the story, this part is just as interesting. I think we’ll go again. You know it was such a great experience this last time.

ADI IGNATIUS: That was so fun.

NANCY KOEHN: We had such a success. It was so enjoyable, let’s go again. And beginning in 1920, he puts the call out to his old crew, and they’re scattered. They’re in four corners. Some of them are in Asia and whatnot. One’s in Russia. And he puts the call out and says, you know, “My lads, let’s go again.”  And amazingly about 12 come right back to London to join the boss. I mean talk about the power of leadership and individual lives. Like, the boss calls, we’re there.

ADI IGNATIUS: Amazing. So, what point then does, so you said Shackleton wrote a book and it was something. But at a certain point his story really becomes a big deal. That people realized that this was an expedition that failed miserably and yet is one of the greatest examples of leadership that we know. And how does that happen?

NANCY KOEHN: So, beginning in the 1980s, there’s this kind of ground swell of interest, not just in England but around the world, in Shackleton. There’s Shackleton societies. There are Shackleton conventions. There have been a spate of movies, documentaries, books, cases. I mean this is by far and away the most — I’m a Historian. People don’t buy Harvard Business School cases to sell you history. But of all the cases I’ve ever written in a long time at the school, this is the most popular. He’s incredibly interesting to people today and I think a lot of it has to do with who he became in a very turbulent situation. The way he made himself better in very dire circumstances and how that self-making. Right? Great leaders are made, not born. How that self-making affected all these other people. Those are tremendously important issues today. And he, in the stark white surroundings of that story in Antarctica, teaches us, you know, with great clarity their importance and how they can be used and accessed.

ADI IGNATIUS: I don’t want to blow by that. Great leaders are made, not born. And I know you believe that and I know you —

NANCY KOEHN: I don’t believe it. I know it because I’ve been studying it for 25 years.

HANNAH BATES: That was Harvard Business School historian Nancy Koehn – in conversation with HBR editor-in-chief Adi Ignatius on the HBR IdeaCast. Koehn is the author of the book, Forged in Crisis: The Making of Five Courageous Leaders .

We’ll be back next Wednesday with another hand-picked conversation about leadership from Harvard Business Review. If you found this episode helpful, share it with your friends and colleagues, and follow our show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. While you’re there, be sure to leave us a review.

When you’re ready for more podcasts, articles, case studies, books, and videos with the world’s top business and management experts, find it all at HBR dot org.

This episode was produced by Curt Nickisch, Anne Saini, and me, Hannah Bates. Ian Fox is our editor. Music by Coma Media. Special thanks to Maureen Hoch, Erica Truxler, Nicole Smith, Ramsey Khabbaz, Anne Bartholomew, and you – our listener. See you next week.

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Kate Forbes tells Sky News she is considering running to replace Humza Yousaf as SNP leader, as John Swinney - another potential candidate - says the SNP must "come together".

Tuesday 30 April 2024 23:00, UK

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• Kate Forbes confirms she is considering standing to replace Humza Yousaf as SNP leader
• John Swinney - another potential candidate - issues call of unity in Sky News interview
• What you need to know about Forbes and Swinney
• The contest explained  | Why Yousaf resigned
• Number 10 responds after Irish PM says UK must respect arrangement to take back asylum seekers
• Local elections: Everything you need to know about this week's votes
• Live reporting by Faith Ridler and (earlier)  Samuel Osborne

We'll be back from 6am with all the latest from Westminster.

But until then, here are the headlines:

Ireland's prime minister has insisted the UK must respect an existing arrangement between the two countries to take back asylum seekers.

Simon Harris told Sky News the UK must honour a deal that has been in place since 2020 as a row escalates over the Irish government's new plans to return to the UK asylum seekers who cross the border into the Republic from Northern Ireland.

Irish justice minister Helen McEntee told a parliamentary committee last week that more than 80% of recent arrivals in Ireland came via the land border with Northern Ireland.

The UK government has said it will not take back asylum seekers who cross the border into Ireland "until the EU accepts that we can send them back to France".

You can read more from Sky News below:

Scotland's First Minister Humza Yousaf has resigned – days after he cut the SNP's powersharing deal with the Scottish Greens.

It followed a bitter row over the SNP's climbdown on climate targets as he said the agreement between the parties had "served its purpose".

As a result, his former Green allies teamed up with the Conservatives, Labour and Liberal Democrats to get behind two no-confidence motions, one in himself as leader of Scotland and another regarding the entire Scottish government.

Now attention turns to another SNP leadership contest and what the divisions in Scottish politics could mean for the future of the independence campaign.  

On the Sky News Daily , Matt Barbet speaks to Paul Hutcheon, political editor of the Daily Record, and Shona Craven, from The National, about how the SNP can move on after Mr Yousaf's resignation.

Plus, Connor Gillies , our Scotland correspondent , explains how the leadership election will unfold.  

The Sky News live poll tracker - collated and updated by our Data and Forensics team - aggregates various surveys to indicate how voters feel about the different political parties.

With the local election campaign well under way, Labour is still sitting comfortably ahead, with the Tories trailing behind.

See the latest update below - and you can read more about the methodology behind the tracker  here .

The UK has sent the first failed asylum seeker to Rwanda - under a voluntary scheme.

The scheme is for those who have gone through the asylum process and had permission rejected, rather than for migrants who have illegally entered Britain by crossing the Channel on small boats.

The migrant was sent on a commercial flight and handed a fee from the British taxpayer to help relocate under the terms of a deal with Rwanda.

According to The Sun, the man of African origin claimed asylum in the UK but was rejected at the end of last year. He then accepted the offer to go to Rwanda.

He left the UK on Monday.

You can read more from Sky News here: 

By Sam Coates , deputy political editor

More than 2,600 seats are up for election in 107 English councils on Thursday.

Now, YouGov has made its final calls for some key contests using the MRP polling method after interviewing almost 9,000 people over two weeks.

Here, exclusively on Sky News, are the headlines...

Scotland's First Minister Humza Yousaf resigned yesterday in the face of two confidence votes after he dramatically brought the power-sharing deal with the Scottish Greens to an end last week.

How did we get here?

The Bute House Agreement - signed back in 2021 and named after the first minister's official residence in Edinburgh - brought the Green Party into government for the first time in the UK.

It gave the SNP a majority at Holyrood when the votes of its MSPs were combined with those of the seven Green members, and also made Green co-leaders Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater junior ministers.

Without it, the SNP would need to have operated as a minority administration at Holyrood.

What caused the relationship to sour?

There had been mounting tensions between the largest party at Holyrood and their junior partners in government.

The Greens were angered at the SNP-led administration's recent decision to ditch a key climate change target.

That, combined with the decision to pause the prescription of new puberty blockers to under-18s at Scotland's only gender clinic, resulted in the Greens announcing they would have a vote on the future of the power-sharing deal. 

What brought things to a head?

Mr Yousaf decided to pull the plug on the agreement last Thursday - arguing it had "served its purpose" - prompting a major fallout with his former allies, who vowed to back a no-confidence motion in his leadership proposed by Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross.

Scottish Labour also submitted a motion of no confidence in the Scottish government as a whole.

In the face of the two votes, Mr Yousaf announced he would stand down yesterday, but said he would stay on to allow a successor to be chosen.

Scotland's health secretary has been told the NHS is "not coping, GPs are struggling, and primary care is on its knees".

Neil Gray came under questioning at the Scottish parliament on Tuesday amid reports that the number of private GP clinics in Scotland has more than tripled since the COVID pandemic as patients have struggled to get appointments on the NHS.

Scottish Labour MSP Carol Mochan asked: "Does the cabinet secretary accept that by not adequately funding GP services, this government have overseen the development of a two-tier health system where the worst off go without and even those on lower incomes are forced to pay for them or their loved ones just to see a GP?"

In response, Mr Gray said  COVID  was the "biggest shock in the history of the NHS and its effects are still felt".

Nominations have now opened in the SNP leadership contest to find a replacement for First Minister Humza Yousaf after he announced he was stepping down yesterday.

Senior figures have backed former deputy first minister John Swinney for the top job, while a smaller number of the party's parliamentarians have backed former finance secretary Kate Forbes.

Mr Yousaf has said he will stay on to allow a successor to be chosen.

How does the contest work?

The SNP's national secretary announced nominations had opened yesterday at 11.59pm.

They will close next Monday.

Prospective candidates will need to gain the support of 100 members from 20 different SNP branches in order to qualify for the contest.

What happens next?

Whoever wins the contest will then need to be able to win enough votes in Holyrood to be elected first minister.

The SNP needs just two votes to secure an overall majority.

The most likely backers for the SNP would be the Greens, given both parties are pro-independence.

However, the Greens announced last week they would not support the first minister in a confidence vote after Mr Yousaf scrapped the powersharing agreement between the party and the SNP, which eventually led to his political downfall.

By Daniel Dunford , senior data journalist

There might not be a general election just yet, but there are important votes that will define how the areas around us are run for the next four years. 

See what's happening where you are here:

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