LEGO® Serious Play® in Action: Transforming Leadership Through Hands-On Engagement
Leadership in today’s rapidly evolving business environment demands more than just the ability to delegate and manage. It requires the capacity to think creatively, foster alignment, and inspire strategic vision across teams.
One innovative approach that has gained traction in this space is the LEGO® Serious Play® method.
This powerful tool enables leaders to engage teams in strategic thinking, drive alignment, and solve complex issues through a hands-on, experiential process.
In this article, we will explore the LEGO® Serious Play® Method in Action, focusing on how leaders are utilizing this method to foster team development, team building and drive business performance.
The Background of LEGO® Serious Play®: Understanding the Method
Before diving into real-world applications, it is important to understand the research and theory behind the LEGO® Serious Play® method.
Developed in the mid-1990s by the LEGO® Group, the method is based on the idea of learning through play.
The approach is deeply rooted in constructivist learning theories, particularly the work of Jean Piaget and Seymour Papert. They posited that individuals construct their own understanding of the world through hands-on experiences.
The core premise of the LEGO® Serious Play® method is that building physical models helps participants unlock deeper insights and engage in more creative thinking.
By using 3D models as metaphors, participants can represent complex issues and abstract concepts as well as complex concepts in a tangible way.
This experiential process allows for greater engagement, clearer communication, and more innovative solutions in leadership and organizational contexts. It also helps teams to find creative solutions to challenges that just talking and discussing cannot do.
One of the foundational theories behind the LEGO® Serious Play® process is Papert’s concept of “constructionism,” which suggests that individuals learn best when they are actively involved in the process of creating something.
This hands-on approach to achieving learning outcomes encourages participants to express complex ideas they might not otherwise articulate in a traditional setting.
As a result, leaders and teams can achieve a deep understanding of challenges. They explore potential solutions, and develop strategies that are more aligned and actionable.
And what’s really exciting is that they use of box thinking!
How Leaders Use the LEGO® Serious Play® process for Team Alignment
Leadership is not just about directing teams. It’s about creating an environment where team members feel empowered to contribute their unique perspectives to real issues.
The LEGO® Serious Play® process is a powerful tool for achieving this. By engaging teams in building 3D models in practical applications, leaders can facilitate discussions that align teams around a common vision, strategy, or challenge.
In one real-world case, a multinational technology company used the LEGO® Serious Play® method to align its leadership team after a major merger.
The integration of two distinct corporate cultures presented significant challenges in terms of organizational development. The leadership team used LEGO bricks to build models that represented the merged entity’s goals, values, and challenges.
Through this facilitation process, the leaders were able to visualize their collective vision for the new organization and discuss how best to align their teams under a shared strategy.
This hands-on engagement enabled the group to break down communication barriers and fostered a sense of unity. Is that not the hallmark of a sustainable business?
The LEGO® Serious Play® method is especially effective in fostering open dialogue.
The method is the starting point for effective communication. By leveling the playing field, it encourages all participants—regardless of their role or seniority—to contribute to the conversation.
Leaders can gain invaluable insights from their teams during this immersive experience. This helps to foster team development and strengthen trust within the organization. T
This participatory style of leadership development is vital for business performance, as it promotes a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement.
Who would have thought that these individual models would lead to such a deep level of team communication! And yet, this is the magical start of true and authentic team collaboration.
It creates a whole new understanding of team dynamics. It’s the perfect tool for team visioning sessions and also for any team building event.
The LEGO® Serious Play® Method in Action for Strategic Thinking
LEGO® Serious Play® in Action is particularly powerful when applied to strategic thinking.
Traditional methods of strategic planning often involve lengthy meetings, presentations, and discussions that fail to engage all team members equally.
In contrast, the LEGO® Serious Play® method engages participants in an active and experiential process, allowing them to visualize and co-create strategic and possibly unconventional solutions.
It’s a way of approaching abstract challenges or complex challenges to identify potential outcomes and improved solutions.
For example, a global retail brand used the LEGO® Serious Play® process during a strategy workshop aimed at expanding into new markets.
Leadership wanted to ensure that the entire team understood the potential challenges and opportunities of the expansion.
By building 3D models that represented key market dynamics, competitive landscapes, and internal capabilities, the team was able to visualize different strategic scenarios.
As each team member explained their model, the group gained new insights into potential risks and growth opportunities. This collective understanding enabled the leadership team to align on a clear strategy and confidently move forward with their expansion plans. All in all – a better business outcome!
The Method is Collaborative!
The hands-on, innovative process of the LEGO® Serious Play® method encourages strategic planning that is both participatory and innovative.
Instead of relying on hierarchical decision-making, leaders can use this method to foster team alignment and create strategies that are more robust and well-rounded.
The LEGO® Serious Play® method is particularly effective in exploring complex issues, as it allows participants to break down abstract ideas into smaller, more manageable components.
It’s in fact a great approach to interaction – and if that is all the team achieves, it is still worthwhile. You can definitely anticipate idea generation at a high level and the the workshop experience certainly generates fresh ideas and approaches to deeper issues
Leadership Development Through the LEGO® Serious Play® Process
One of the most profound impacts of the LEGO® Serious Play® method is its ability to transform leadership potential through hands-on engagement.
Leadership development is often focused on building the skills needed to inspire teams, make strategic decisions, and foster innovation.
This is a unique way for leaders to develop these skills through hands-on creativity.
it is in fact an essential ingredient in any leadership program or leadership development session.
In another example, a financial services firm used LEGO® Serious Play® to enhance leadership skills within their senior management team.
Leaders were tasked with building models that represented their leadership styles and their vision for the future of the company. The group reflected on their own three-dimensional models and listened to the perspectives of others. They gained valuable insights into how they could adapt their leadership styles to meet the evolving needs of the organization.
This hands-on, reflective process used the tangible models as a fire-starter for deep conversations. It helped leaders identify areas for personal growth and created a shared commitment to driving the company forward.
The LEGO® Serious Play® process also encourages leaders to think beyond traditional approaches to problem-solving.
By engaging in creative thinking and using metaphorical models, leaders can explore new ways to address challenges and create innovative solutions. This experiential process helps leaders develop a more holistic view of their role within the organization and enables them to lead with greater empathy and vision.
Real-World Case Studies of the LEGO® Serious Play® Process in Action
The application of LEGO® Serious Play® in Action extends beyond strategic planning and leadership development.
The core principles of the method has been used in industries ranging from healthcare to education to foster collaboration, solve complex problems, and drive innovation.
In a case from the healthcare sector, a hospital’s leadership team used the LEGO® Serious Play® method to improve patient care.
The hospital had been struggling with inefficiencies in its patient discharge process, leading to longer-than-necessary hospital stays and increased costs.
Using 3-D LEGO bricks, the leadership team built models that represented the patient discharge journey from different perspectives—nurses, doctors, patients, and administrative staff.
By visualizing the process through these 3D models, the team was able to identify bottlenecks and come up with innovative solutions to streamline the discharge process. The result was a more efficient system that improved patient outcomes and reduced costs.
Similarly, in the education sector, university leaders used the LEGO® Serious Play® process to align their strategy for a new digital learning initiative.
The leaders built models that represented the challenges of implementing technology in the classroom, including student engagement, faculty training, and infrastructure requirements.
Through this facilitation process, the team was able to map out a clear strategy for integrating digital tools into the curriculum while ensuring that both students and faculty had the support they needed.
These case studies illustrate how actionable outcomes can be achieved. It’s all about building a better business using the LEGO Serious Play method!
The Transformative Power of LEGO® Serious Play® in Action
The LEGO® Serious Play® method is more than just a fun activity—it’s a powerful tool for leadership and strategic thinking.
By engaging teams in a hands-on experiential process, leaders can foster alignment, solve complex issues, and develop innovative solutions that drive their organizations forward.
Whether it’s used in team development, strategic planning, or leadership development, the LEGO® Serious Play® process offers a creative and pragmatic approach to decision making that leads to deeper understanding and more effective outcomes.
It sets up a truly inspiring environment to look at the biggest business issues confronting any type of organization.
By incorporating this method into their leadership toolkit, organizations can unlock the full potential of their teams. Instead of keeping people in meetings that lead to poor outcomes, these application techniques have a multitude of benefits.
It’s more than just individual benefits! By following the fundamental principles of the method you are assured of active participation by everyone in the room – and of course, there is an element of fun.
How can Serious Play Business help you?
Explore our online learning options to gain facilitator certification.
Follow the links below to learn more about our Foundational and Advanced Learning options:
We also offer specialist courses that boost your use and application of the method beyond just the basic elements:
