Activity - Leadership skills - Chairs

Overview :

This simple activity focuses on the importance of having a plan and a specific strategy for any team to achieve
any task but more importantly shows the importance of having a leader who takes charge and realizes this
strategy .

Time :

30 Minutes

Tools/Items required:

Chairs (One chair per person)

Set up :

Every attendee puts their chair round the room in a random order. All tables etc should be moved out of the way.
The chairs should be pointing in different directions with someone sat on every chair, eg:

• Ask for a Volunteer

• The volunteer will be asked to walk slowly back to their empty chair and sit down. If the chair is filled they can
then walk to and sit in the next empty chair available.

• The role of everyone else is to stop the volunteer from sitting down.

Rules :

• Only one person may stand up at once and move.

• Nobody can do two consecutive moves.
• You cannot sit in the chair you’ve just left.
• When the exercise starts you cannot talk.
• Nobody may touch the volunteer.
You have 2 mins to prepare your strategy.

• After each round review what happened.

• Seek a new volunteer for each round.
• Give two minutes planning time each round.
• Ensure you control the speed of the volunteer – slow walk.

Discussion questions:

• Do you need a leader?

• What was difficult about planning with so many participants?
• Does everyone agree with the plan?
• Does everyone think the plan will work?
• Does everyone know what the plan is?
• What would make it easier?

What's the point from this activity ? :

When doing this activity a leaders usually emerges during the planning period , participants will find out that they
need a plan and they need consensus from all members and agreement to this strategy , the presence
of the leader will help realize this plan and ensure all team members are aligned with this plan.