LEGO® Serious Play® for Leadership Development: How Leaders Build Clarity, Alignment, and Better Conversations
Leadership programs often rely on one person talking while everyone else listens. LEGO® Serious Play® turns that around. Each leader builds a model in response to a real leadership question, then explains it in their own words, so the group works from what its members actually think rather than from what the loudest voice assumes.
This guide explains what a leadership development session looks like, compares it with a talk-based program, walks through a five-stage flow, and covers what to look for in a facilitator before you commit.
LEGO® Serious Play® supports leadership development by giving every leader the same chance to build, explain, and be heard. Instead of absorbing a presentation, leaders make their own thinking visible in a model, discuss it with peers, and leave with a shared view they can act on.
- Everyone builds and everyone explains, so quieter leaders are heard alongside louder ones.
- The content of the session comes from the leaders themselves, not from a presenter.
- Skilled facilitation matters: the method requires practice and deep domain expertise, and the session has to be adapted to the group in the room.
What Is LEGO® Serious Play® Leadership Development?
Leadership development is usually framed as learning something new. In this format it is closer to thinking something through together. Leaders are given a question that matters to their work and asked to answer it by building.
How a Leadership Session Works
The sequence at the center of the method is simple. Every participant builds their own model in response to a question, then explains it to the group in their own words. Because everyone builds and everyone speaks, the session does not depend on who is most comfortable talking first.
What Leaders Gain From Building
Building gives leaders something concrete to point to when they describe a challenge. The model makes their thinking visible, which gives colleagues something specific to ask about. The practical benefits of working this way include:
- Equal voice: every leader builds and explains, so the conversation is not dominated by a few people.
- Shared meaning: each person describes their model in their own words, so the group works from what was said rather than from assumptions.
- Visible thinking: a model can be discussed, questioned, and revisited in a way that an unspoken idea cannot.
- Agreed next steps: the session ends with commitments the group has made together.
In a LEGO® Serious Play® leadership session, every leader builds and explains their own model, so the group works from shared meaning instead of the loudest assumption in the room.
Talk-Based Programs vs. a LEGO® Serious Play® Session
Both formats have a place. The difference is in where the content comes from and who does the work during the session.
| Dimension | Talk-based program | LEGO® Serious Play® session |
|---|---|---|
| Who speaks | Mostly the presenter | Every participant builds and explains |
| Where the content comes from | The presenter's material | The leaders' own models and explanations |
| How quieter voices are heard | Depends on who chooses to speak up | Built into the structure, since everyone builds and everyone speaks |
| What the group leaves with | Ideas from the session | A shared view the group has built and agreed next steps |
When Each Approach Fits
If the goal is to hand over new information, a talk-based format can do that efficiently. If the goal is for a leadership group to think together, surface differing views, and agree what to do, a building-based session puts the work in the hands of the group. Many organizations use both.
How to Run a Leadership Development Session
A leadership session works best when the question is chosen before anyone sits down. These five stages describe a sensible flow.
Frame the Leadership Question
Agree the question the group needs to answer, such as how the team leads through a change or what it needs from its leaders. A clear question keeps the session useful and keeps every model pointed in the same direction.
Warm Up with a Simple Build
Start with a short, low-stakes build so everyone practices building and explaining a model. This removes any hesitation before the real question arrives.
Build Individual Leadership Models
Pose the main question and give every leader time to build their own response at the same time. No one waits for a turn and no one is talked over.
Share Meaning, One Leader at a Time
Invite each leader to explain what their model means to them. The facilitator makes sure every voice is heard, and colleagues ask questions about the model in front of them.
Build Shared Understanding and Agree Next Steps
Bring the individual models together into a shared view of the situation and capture what the group agreed. Finish by confirming who will do what next, so the session ends with something the leadership team can act on.
A leadership session ends with a shared model and agreed next steps, so the conversation continues in the work rather than stopping at the workshop.
Choosing a Facilitator for Leadership Work
Leaders are a demanding audience, and the facilitator's skill sets the ceiling for the session. LEGO® Serious Play® requires practice and deep domain expertise. It is not enough to have read a few books or sat in a training room with the original provider.
Ask About Adaptation, Not Just Credentials
Skilled facilitation means planning and adapting to different group sizes, make-ups, and contexts, and thinking on your feet during both large and small events. Ask any prospective facilitator how they would adapt a session to your leadership team, whether that group meets in one room, online, or in a hybrid setup. Our guide to running virtual and hybrid workshops covers the remote case in more detail.
What Standing and Support Look Like
Serious Play Business has more than 18 years of experience training facilitators around the world, and has trained more than 2,000 facilitators in all types of roles. Dr. Denise Meyerson was one of only four Master Trainers of the LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® method selected by the LEGO® Group before the method went open source. She has trained facilitators for over 18 years across 25+ countries and is the author of three books on facilitation, including What the Duck.
If you want to build your own facilitation skills, see our LEGO® Serious Play® facilitator training, or read the journey of becoming a LEGO® Serious Play® facilitator. Our certification includes 40+ hours of self-paced content and individualized Q&A sessions and feedback from Dr. Meyerson.
Plan a Leadership Session That Fits Your Team
Tell us about your leadership group and the question it needs to answer, and we will help you plan a workshop that fits.
To understand the full methodology behind the workshop design described above, read our full explanation of how the LEGO® Serious Play® method works.
Frequently asked questions
What is LEGO® Serious Play® leadership development?
It is a facilitated workshop in which leaders build physical models in response to a leadership question, then explain what each model means to them. Because everyone builds and everyone speaks, the group works from shared meaning instead of assumptions.
How is LEGO® Serious Play® different from a traditional leadership training course?
A talk-based program usually puts one voice at the front of the room. In a LEGO® Serious Play® session every leader builds and explains their own model, so the content of the session comes from the leaders themselves rather than from a presenter.
Who should take part in a leadership workshop?
The method works for any group that needs to think together, from a senior leadership team to emerging leaders. Skilled facilitation means planning for different group sizes, make-ups, and contexts, so the design of the session should fit the group in the room.
Can a leadership workshop be run online?
Yes. The core of the method does not change online: each person builds a model and explains what it means to them. The facilitator plans for pacing, camera visibility, and equal voice.
Does the facilitator matter for leadership sessions?
Yes. The method requires practice and deep domain expertise, and it is not enough to have read a few books. Look for a facilitator who adapts to your group and thinks on their feet.
How can I learn to facilitate leadership sessions myself?
Serious Play Business offers facilitator training and certification, which includes 40+ hours of self-paced content and individualized Q&A sessions and feedback from Dr. Meyerson.