Fun Ways to Practice Executive Leadership Development at Work
Leadership isn’t just about having a title or running the show. It’s also about how we show up every day, make decisions, and help guide people through all the tasks and challenges that come with work. The truth is, executive leadership development doesn’t have to feel heavy or formal. Sometimes, it actually works better when it’s woven into our daily routines and feels more enjoyable than stressful.
Since we spend so much time at work, building leadership habits in natural ways just makes sense. By bringing some fun into the mix, people can step into leadership roles without feeling extra pressure. When things feel approachable and friendly, people take part more easily. Whether we’re running a meeting or helping during a project, there are creative ways we can build leadership skills right inside the workday.
Make Meetings More Playful
It’s easy for meetings to feel routine or rushed, but they’re actually one of the best places to build leadership skills quickly. Bringing in a little creativity helps people open up faster and feel comfortable sharing their thoughts.
• Rotate who runs the meeting. This lets people practice leading group conversations and introduces new voices to the group.
• Use short, made-up scenarios to let everyone practice how they’d react to tricky situations. It helps the team think together, but since the problem isn’t real, there’s no risk.
• Include a quick brainstorming game. Share a problem and give the team five minutes to pitch creative or even wild ideas. This activity builds creative muscles and gets everyone comfortable with thinking outside the box.
These small changes don’t take much extra time, but they help meetings feel lively and productive. People will feel meetings are learning moments, not just times to check tasks off a list.
Use Everyday Projects as Leadership Practice
Leadership isn’t only about big roles or major projects. Most of the time, strong leaders are built in small moments during everyday work. This is why using day-to-day projects as leadership practice works so well.
• Give short-term ownership. Allow someone to lead a one-day task, organize a small event, or guide a quick team review. This isn’t about how big the job is, it’s about practicing how to guide others.
• Break down big team goals into smaller parts. Give each person a chunk to lead and practice seeing their piece through. Smaller leadership tasks help people gain trust and learn faster.
• After a project is finished, hold a reflection talk. Ask what went well, what changed along the way, and what could be done better next time. These talks help everyone start thinking like a leader and focus on improvement instead of just moving on.
With a bit of intention, the regular work we do every day turns into an ongoing chance to practice leadership, making the team stronger over time.
Build Connection Through Casual Leadership
Leadership doesn’t always have to be formal or serious. We’ve found that casual moments, like quick chats, feedback on the spot, and check-ins during the day, can have just as much power as defined roles or big meetings.
• Try quick “walk and talk” check-ins. A short conversation while walking across the office or campus takes away some pressure and helps people communicate openly.
• Swap roles for a short period. Let teammates shadow each other for an hour or even guide a task together. Seeing things from another angle helps build empathy and makes leadership feel more open to everyone.
• Create lighthearted activities, like “leadership bingo” or giving peer shout-outs. These help people notice leadership in action and share feedback in real time.
Simple tools like these build trust and a team rhythm. They remind everyone that leadership is not limited to the people with the highest positions.
Make Room for Quick Wins
We all have packed calendars, especially as fall turns into winter and work speeds up. This is when short and steady activities usually work far better than trying to fit in long, formal sessions. Little moments fit into the day and don’t take time away from important tasks.
• Keep learning moments short. Five to ten minutes can bring fresh ideas between tasks.
• Use practice scenarios drawn from real topics. Quick feedback or working through a conflict in an easy setting lets everyone build skills without pressure.
• Ask the team what they want to improve. Let them shape the focus. When people help decide what to work on, they are more likely to stick with it and feel comfortable being honest.
The goal isn’t to add more work to already busy days. Instead, it’s about making the best use of what’s already happening, so leadership becomes part of the normal routine. This style keeps everyone moving forward without adding stress.
Lead by Learning Together
At Pivot in 60, our executive leadership development solutions are built around 60-minute micro-learning sessions that focus on practical skills you can use immediately. Our workshops integrate neuroscience-backed activities with real-world examples, so your team experiences interactive learning instead of theory-heavy lectures. This approach works for leaders at every level and is already making a difference in organizations across higher education, nonprofit, and public and private sectors.
When executive leadership development is worked into daily routines, it feels less like a special event and more like a natural way of working and growing together. This makes it easier for everyone to join in, reflect, and improve, especially when there’s room for a little humor, creativity, and honest questions along the way.
With leadership as an everyday habit, people are more likely to try new things and open up about what they want to get better at. Real learning starts when the pressure is lower and teams can laugh, talk things out, and try again. Over time, the energy from regular learning builds up, and that’s how great leaders begin to grow across any group.
Keep Leadership Skills Growing Every Day
We’ve seen that learning leadership this way helps the whole team feel more connected and supported. When people aren’t worried about failing or being perfect, they’re ready to learn new things. Over time, this kind of energy helps a group of supportive leaders start to take shape, with every person learning from one another.
Bringing leadership habits into regular work moments gives everyone more chances to practice and grow. That means leadership development isn’t just something to do now and then, it can be part of every season and stage, helping teams and organizations stay strong all year long.
At Pivot in 60, we believe leadership growth thrives when integrated into everyday work habits. Whether you’re guiding your team through new projects or encouraging creative problem-solving in meetings, consistent small steps drive meaningful progress. To help make leadership development part of your routine, our resources offer simple, effective ideas around executive leadership development. Let’s work together to move leadership from theory into action, contact us to get started.