Life Skills & Leadership: Unit 4, Session 3: My Leadership Role (Optional) | Page 38 of 91
- Divide the participants into two teams and designate one as the green team and the other the yellow
team. If this will result in teams that have more than five people, then make two green teams and two
yellow teams. Green and yellow teams will then work in conjunction. Say:
“In your team, take a minute for each person to tell the rest of your group the leadership action they
will try to practice during the rest of this activity.”
- After a minute, give the rest of the instructions. Say:
“I am going to give the green team(s) a task. While they are working on it, the yellow team(s) will
silently watch them, looking for examples of leadership actions and qualities that helped the green
team(s) to include all members and be successful.
“This is the task for the green team: Make a tower as tall as you can using only index cards (or small
pieces of heavy paper). You may fold or tear papers as you wish, but you may not use any other
materials. Remember to practice your leadership actions and qualities! You will have 10 minutes.”
- Distribute materials and start the clock. After 10 minutes, stop the action, lead everyone in a
congratulatory round of applause, and lead a short discussion. Say:
a. “I’d like to get some reactions from the green team that built the tower.
1 - How do you feel about your success? (Pause after this question and each of the following
questions for responses.)
2 - How well do you think you included all your team members?
3 - What are some examples when you used a leadership action?”
b. “Now I’d like to hear from the yellow team that observed the green team building the tower.
1 - What are some examples of leadership actions or qualities that you saw as the green team
built its tower?” (Pause for responses.)
- Reverse the action and observation tasks between the yellow and green teams.
“OK, now it’s the yellow team’s turn to complete a task while the green team watches silently for
examples of leadership actions and qualities.
“The challenge for the yellow team is to build a bridge or archway large enough for one of your team
members to crawl under. You may fold or tear papers as you wish and you may use tape (or the paper
clips, as noted n the Facilitator preparation) but you may not use any other materials. Remember to
practice your leadership actions and qualities! You will have 10 minutes.”
- Distribute materials and start the clock. After 10 minutes, stop the action, lead everyone in a
congratulatory round of applause, and lead a short discussion. Say:
