Hands-On Leadership Exercise: “The Tower Challenge”

Objective:
To enhance team communication, foster collaboration, and improve the leader’s ability to facilitate clear and effective dialogue within a team.

Materials Needed:

• Building blocks (e.g., Lego, Jenga blocks, or any stackable objects).
• A set of printed instructions for building a simple structure (keep one copy as the “master instructions”).

Setup:

1. Divide participants into teams of 4–6 people.
2. Provide each team with identical building materials.
3. Designate one team member as the “Leader,” who will receive the “master instructions” but will not be allowed to build the structure themselves.
4. The rest of the team will act as the “Builders,” who can only take instructions from the Leader but cannot see the master instructions.

Rules:

1. The Leader must verbally guide their team to replicate the structure based on the master instructions.
2. The Leader is prohibited from showing the instructions, pointing, or physically intervening.
3. Builders can ask clarifying questions, but the Leader must manage the communication effectively.
4. Each team has 15–20 minutes to complete the task.

Debrief and Reflection (30 Minutes):
After the exercise, facilitate a discussion around the following points:

1. Challenges: What were the key challenges the Leader faced in communicating their vision to the Builders?
2. Clarity: Did the team experience any misunderstandings? If so, what caused them, and how were they resolved?
3. Feedback: How did the Leader respond to questions or confusion from team members?
4. Improvements: What strategies could the Leader and team use to enhance communication in future tasks?
5. Application: How can the lessons learned from this exercise be applied to real-world team dynamics?

Key Takeaways:

• Leaders must prioritize clarity and patience in their communication.
• Effective two-way communication requires leaders to actively listen and adapt their instructions based on team feedback.
• Team collaboration improves when roles are clearly defined, and all members are encouraged to contribute.