The Leadership Exercise That Went Completely Off the Rails

Every now and then, a professional development activity takes on a life of its own.

This was one of those times.

I decided to run a leadership exercise with my team. Everyone would rotate between playing a supervisor and a soldier who had made a mistake requiring a formal discussion. The goal was simple.

I wanted people to understand that leadership involves much more than giving orders. It means having uncomfortable conversations, maintaining standards, and helping people improve.

The first round went well, people were nervous, but engaged. Then we ran the exercise a second time.

Before we started, I quietly pulled aside the people playing the role of the member receiving the formal discussion and gave them some additional instructions.

"You're defensive."

"You're emotional."

"You don't think you've done anything wrong."

"Challenge everything the supervisor says."

What happened next was absolute chaos.

Apparently, I had unknowingly assembled a room full of aspiring actors. Within minutes, professional development had transformed into what felt like community theatre or Canadian Forces meets Jerry Springer and the cast of Jersey Shore.

One junior member jumped out of their chair as if they were ready to flip the conference table. Across the room, another dramatically shouted, "YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH!" in their best Jack Nicholson impression. Others interrupted, argued, folded their arms, or acted completely unreasonable.

Eventually, I had to step in. "Okay... okay... bring it back a bit." The room erupted in laughter.

Everyone realized they had embraced their roles just a little too enthusiastically. But once the laughter settled, the real learning began. We debriefed the exercise, and the biggest lesson wasn't about saying the perfect words - It was about empathy.

Everyone had improved.

Not because they listened to a lecture.

Because they experienced the challenge for themselves.

They learned what it feels like to remain calm when someone is emotional.

They learned how difficult leadership conversations can be.

Most importantly, they gained empathy for the responsibilities leaders carry every day.

Growth rarely happens inside our comfort zones.

Sometimes the best learning experiences are the messy ones.

— Jason Alderson