Here is our list of the best online leadership activities.
Online leadership activities are exercises that refine leadership skills necessary for team management. Examples include spot the difference, desert island, escape rooms, and leadership race. The purpose of these activities is to help improve team building and enhance leadership skills to make the employees more skilled in their roles.
These ideas are a subset of virtual team building activities and ways to team building with remote teams.
This list includes:
- free online leadership activities
- online leadership activities for work
- online leadership activities for students
- online leadership activities for adults
- online leadership games
Here we go!
List of online leadership activities
Online leadership activities are essential and beneficial for developing remote teammates into competent and confident leaders. These activities also help with team building by encouraging participants to bond. Here is our list of online leadership activities for work.
1. Spot the Difference
Spot the Difference is one of the most engaging online leadership games.
In this game, two participants join a Zoom video conference and spend five to seven minutes asking icebreaker questions. Once the time is over, players switch off their cameras and change the placement of five objects in their surroundings. Then they will turn their cameras back on, and both participants will have to spot the difference in their partner’s setting. This virtual activity can push both members to improve their observational and communication skills. Both of these are necessary traits in an excellent leader. In addition, since virtual leaders have limited interactions with coworkers, staying sensitive to subtle changes is a trait worth honing.
2. Leadership Race
This race has nothing to do with running!
Participants will join a Zoom meeting with a member who will help manage the activity by calling out leadership traits.
Examples are:
- passion
- curiosity
- risk-taking
- dedication
If the participants think they possess that trait, then they will reply via chat. Then, the host can call out a participant and ask them to explain why they think they have that particular leadership quality. The rest of the participants can agree or disagree with the explanation. If the group agrees, then the participant gets the point.
The process will repeat 10 to 12 traits, and the player with the most points after the final round will win.
3. Situations
Situations is one of the best free online activities for leadership and team building. In this game, you divide the participants into two groups and separate players into breakout rooms. Then, you will give all teams the same hypothetical problem with a time limit. During that time, the participants must discuss the issue and come up with possible solutions.
For example:
- The company needs to hire a new sales representative, and two candidates make the final round. To choose one final hire, what questions should we ask in the interview?
- The company gets a profitable contract with a short deadline. What should the employees do to complete it on time?
- You see that two employees are fighting. One is your friend, but you do not know the other person. What will you do?
- The boss asked you to complete an important file by the end of the day, but you forgot. How will you manage the situation and answer your boss?
Situations are best for smaller groups, preferably consisting of five participants. This arrangement will allow every group member a chance to speak and participate. Such activities are great for polishing leadership skills and allowing participants to work on their communication and problem-solving traits.
4. Personality Tests
Personality tests are great icebreakers and allow leaders to see their weaknesses and areas that need improvement. For this activity, you will have to join a Zoom call with the other participants and decide on which personality test you will take. The most well-known among free online leadership activities is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, commonly called MBTI.
Call participants can go through each question together and discuss their chosen answer. At the end of the quiz, participants can share and discuss the results. This activity will help every participant understand each other and themselves, which is an icebreaker for employees.
5. Heard, Seen, Respected
A good leader ensures that everyone on the team is heard, seen, and respected. Awareness of how others feel allows leaders to help everyone engage and play an active role. This activity is great for those leaders who want to see situations from the perspective of others and practice empathy.
Over a Zoom call, all participants will take turns talking about a time when they were not heard, seen, or respected. Everyone else will listen without giving any input. Then, players will share a story of a time when they were heard, seen, and respected and identify the factors that made them feel valued. This activity will help leaders be more empathetic and respectable, qualities required to play a significant role in a workplace. Remember, if you want to be respected by your team, then you must respect others.
6. Escape Room
There is no other game that breaks the ice, improves team building, and targets leadership traits like escape rooms! These games are fun and challenge leaders in problem-solving, effective communication, calmness under pressure, and team management.
To play a virtual escape room, you will first book an experience or find a self-guided game. For maximum engagement, keep participants to a minimum, or split larger groups into breakout rooms. Participants will join the escape room via the link provided in the email after booking.
You will have the host welcome you and walk you through the instructions. A game guide will also be physically present at the location to carry out tasks such as entering a code or looking behind a painting.
Virtual escape rooms are one of the best online leadership activities for adults.
7. Head Honcho Happy Hour
Happy Hour can be single or multiple activities during a Zoom meeting. The purpose of a leadership happy hour is to give different teammates experience in planning and running a team meeting. Since these events are just-for-fun, the stakes are low.
In this activity, the participants will take turns hosting happy hours. You can schedule happy hours once a week and have a different employee host every session. The host will prepare their activities of choice and find the best way to engage everyone else on the team while ensuring that the activity is fun.
Examples of activities are:
- painting
- truth and dare
- guess the song
- charades
This event is a fantastic activity for leaders as they must use organizational, management, and communication skills to execute a successful virtual happy hour. Also, this activity emphasizes the importance of running remote team building activities.
8. Silly Debate
This activity is sure to get a few laughs! As the name suggests, Silly Debate is about debating on a light-hearted topic.
To play this game, you will have to select two participants to debate on the topic. Then, allow the observers to come up will silly topics.
Here are some examples:
- Would you rather be able to fly or read people’s minds?
- Would you rather be a ninja or a pirate?
- Is DC better than Marvel?
- Is ice cream better than cake?
- Is Coke better than Pepsi?
The debaters must come up with arguments on the spot and make the pleas as logical as possible. Silly Debate is a fun game that will encourage the participants to think outside the box and challenge their problem-solving and persuasive skills.
9. Copycat
To play Copycat, the players must split into two teams. The teams will further divide into pairs as the game goes along. The host will send each pair a link or send all players a link to a random picture generator.
The picture could be anything from a dog playing with a ball to a woman with a cup of tea. Both players will have three to five minutes to memorize the picture. Then, the players will join a room with the other participants on their team. The players will describe the picture without being direct, and the other two must draw what they understand.
The drawn pictures will then be shown to two other participants, who will write what they think the image is about. Their interpretation will be passed on to players, who must draw the image again. The final pictures will be compared, and the team with the picture closest to the actual image will win.
This challenge is one of the ideal games for leadership as it requires the members to observe, understand, and actively listen to the other participant without overlooking the details.
10. Great Leaders
In this activity, all participants on the call talk about their favorite leaders and the qualities that make them inspiring people. All members will talk about their person of choice turn by turn. Then, the audience will analyze their leadership traits. In the end, everyone will discuss what they can learn from them.
You can also watch a TED talk together and allow every person to give their input on developing leadership skills and what they can take away from the talk.
11. Something in Common
Something in Common is an icebreaker game that allows leaders to develop communication and relationship-building skills. This activity is simple and best done in pairs. You will divide the participants and have two people join a single Zoom call or a breakout room.
Players will then have to find five to ten things they have in common. You can make the game more engaging and interesting by eliminating categories such as movies, songs, and food. The participants will then discuss their findings with the rest of the group.
12. Trust and Bond
This game is an excellent activity to build bonds in the workplace and prevent distrust. Here, all participants will be told beforehand to list situations that reduce or increase their trust. Again, answers should come from personal experience.
During the call, the entire group will review everyone’s answers individually and discuss the situation. This step will allow other participants to work on their relationships with their coworkers and prevent them from making mistakes in the future.
13. Roleplaying
Roleplaying is one of the best online leadership activities for students. Playacting can simulate real-life circumstances and give leaders low-stakes practice with likely scenarios.
To do this exercise, four members will have to volunteer to roleplay. One actor will be an employee, and the other three will be leaders. The employee will play out a scenario where they make a workplace-related mistake.
All three leaders will deal with the mistake severalty using different methods. The observers will then decide which leader had the most effective way to handle the situation. The group will also discuss what qualities are necessary for a leader to react that way and how they can improve.
14. Trivia
Trivia is an icebreaker game, but leaders will also find it a productive activity that can help them improve. In this activity, all participants divide into two groups. A host will prepare 10 to 15 questions beforehand. Then, the teams will take turns playing. It is a great idea is to ask questions about leadership traits and best practices to improve the participants’ knowledge.
This game will work best and fulfill its purpose if the leaders are required to discuss the answers with their teams for a specified amount of time. The activity also boosts thinking and problem-solving skills.
Kahoot! tends to be the easiest way to facilitate an online game of trivia.
Check out more online trivia game ideas.
15. Improv
Improv is a fun activity that builds leadership skills. For this activity, the group needs to split in two, audience and performers. The audience will give a situation in which the performers must act out. Each performer will take turns acting in a new situation. Ensure the tasks are light-hearted and fun. Here are some example scenarios:
- A man who is afraid of everything
- The first day at work of a spoilt teenager
- Someone who can not laugh
This activity will boost the performers’ confidence and make them comfortable talking in front of a large group in the future.
16. 30 Seconds
30 seconds is an engaging game that takes minimal time. In this game, a host will ask the participant to describe a memorable experience. Players will then have to think of a story and shorten it to 30 seconds. Each person will talk about their best 30 seconds of life and explain why they were the best. This sort of activity is best for developing confidence and emotional intelligence. Leaders also gain experience in condensing information down into the most crucial highlights.
17. Desert Island
In Desert Island, you will give all players a time limit of five minutes. During this time, participants list five items they will bring on a deserted island. Once everyone has their list, the group will exchange the papers and re-rank the items as a group.
Desert island forces leaders to think outside the box and get creative while solving problems. This game also enhances decision-making and compromising skills, which are essential in a leader. They will rank different items and make quick decisions to develop the best strategy.
18. Best Friends
This game will only work if two employees interact with each other daily. You will ask two teammates to write down how they can help the other person and how the other person can help them. Ensure that what you are asking for is realistic and doable. For example, ask them to help your partner to help you improve in an area where you’re lacking.
Once you have both written the tasks, discuss them with each other and let the other person know if you can help them. If you can not, then give them the right reasons. You can word your sentence like this:
“I am struggling with a similar issue, so I am unsure if I am the best person to help you.”
Or
“I understand why you want this, but there is a reason, I can’t do this..”
The acts of kindness and sympathy in this game can result in a friendly relationship among employees and build trust. This exercise also encourages leaders to ask for help and rely on a support system rather than trying to manage alone.
That is why this game is called Best Friends, mainly because you share problems and gratitude with each other.
19. Take a Break
Just like the other employees, leaders need breaks to get back to work refreshed. This activity is what they need to make use of their relaxing time!
Break ideas include a meditation session, yoga class or team building games. Usually, with these activities, the participants receive care packages such as tea or scented candles. Taking online chill time can remind future leaders the importance of resting and recharging, and ensure that they take care of themselves and their teams as remote managers.
Conclusion
Leadership activities are not just for the workplace but also students. These games can play a major role in developing skills such as active listening, understanding details, and communication. Since leaders play an active part in decision-making and management, they need to have the appropriate traits to help them handle rough situations and earn the trust of their team.
Now, read leadership lessons from Eleanor of Aquitaine.
