Discover the LEADER
Activity Toolbox.

Our toolbox includes a wide variety of interactive activities designed to develop key leadership skills.

Each activity delivers powerful learning experiences in both @ school and @ work environments. Whether you are looking to enhance your team’s cohesion in a corporate setting or boost student engagement in a classroom, our toolbox has the activities for you. Filters also help with selecting the right activity to meet your needs. From team-building exercises to creative brainstorming, our Activity Toolbox has it all!

This space allows educators and trainers to gain insights, while the activities in the toolbox stimulate discussions on citizenship and soft skills. Our platform is designed to actively engage learners and encourage self-directed learning. Whether you are preparing for internships or exploring entrepreneurship, the toolbox offers flexible activities that can be tailored to your pace and needs.

Discover how our innovative resources can empower you to lead with confidence. Click on the relevant button below to access the resources available for you!

Select if you're @ work.

Select if you're a Trainee.

Select if you're @ school.

Regularly
asked
questions.

What are leadership skills?

Leadership skills are a set of essential abilities that enable an individual to guide, motivate, and manage a team effectively. These skills are crucial for fostering a positive and productive work environment, ensuring that team goals are met, and helping individuals within the team to develop and perform to their best potential:

Digital Competence Development
In today’s digital age, leaders need to be proficient with digital tools and technologies to stay competitive and innovative. Digital competence helps leaders manage digital transformation, streamline processes, and improve communication within their teams.

European Languages
Multilingual skills enhance a leader’s ability to communicate with a diverse team and foster cross-cultural understanding. This is especially important in global organisations and in fostering inclusive work environments, which is commonplace in today’s multicultural world.

Social Entrepreneurship
Social entrepreneurship involves creating sustainable business models that address social issues. Leaders in this field need to be innovative, empathetic, and able to inspire others to work towards social change.

Training of Trainers/Teachers
Equipping trainers and teachers with effective teaching skills translates to better leadership in educational and corporate settings. Good leaders often play the role of a mentor or coach, helping others to develop their skills and knowledge.

Business Skills Development
Core business skills such as strategic planning, financial management, and marketing are essential for effective leadership. These skills enable leaders to make informed decisions, manage resources efficiently, and drive business success.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Understanding and implementing practices that contribute to the UN SDGs demonstrates a commitment to ethical leadership and corporate social responsibility. Leaders who align their strategies with the SDGs are often seen as visionaries who prioritise long-term, sustainable growth (https://sdgs.un.org/goals).

Soft Skills Development
Soft skills are the more transferable skills of a person, such as communication, decision-making, collaboration, teamwork, time management, creativity etc. which are fundamental to effective leadership. They are all very necessary for cultural fit and can be very good predictors of future job performance. Soft skills are a combination of people skills, social skills, communication skills, character or personality traits, attitudes, career attributes, social intelligence and emotional intelligence, among others, that enable people to navigate their environment, work well with others, perform well, and achieve their goals with complementing hard skills. These skills enable leaders to build strong relationships, solve problems efficiently, and inspire their teams.

Citizenship Skills
Developing citizenship skills involves understanding social and civic responsibilities. Leaders with strong citizenship skills can foster a sense of community, encourage civic engagement, and lead by example in promoting ethical behavior.

What is the difference between soft and hard skills?

Hard skills are teachable and measurable abilities, such as writing, reading, or proficiency in using computer programmes. By contrast, soft skills encompass traits such as etiquette, communication and listening, and cooperating with other people. In fact, successful leadership relies on a number of soft skills! The main differences between hard and soft skills lie in how they are acquired and utilised in the workplace. Hard skills are typically learned through education or specialised training. Essentially, hard skills represent your technical knowledge, while soft skills reflect your general workplace behaviours.

Why is it important to be aware of leadership skills?

Employers and hiring managers typically seek candidates who possess both technical skills and leadership abilities, as leadership skills are crucial for the overall success of an organisation. Effective leadership is essential for guiding teams, making strategic decisions, and fostering a positive work environment. Before entering the job market or taking on leadership roles, one needs to have an understanding of leadership skills. This includes knowing how to lead by example, integrate into the work environment, and inspire and manage colleagues.

Once familiar with leadership skills, one must assess their own proficiency in these areas. Understanding personal strengths and weaknesses allows for the identification of areas for improvement. It is important to consider which leadership skills are particularly relevant for the desired role and to work on enhancing those skills. One may even be unaware of the existence or importance of certain leadership skills.

The process begins with general knowledge and awareness of leadership skills, followed by targeted improvement efforts. To make a positive impression on future employers, it is key to be aware of the current level of skills, including attitude, communication abilities, adaptability, teamwork, and decision-making skills. By developing these areas, one can better prepare for future leadership opportunities and career advancement.

How can serious gaming help develop leadership skills?

There are 4 main benefits to applying serious gaming for leadership skill training:

Serious gaming helps with the initial motivational ‘hurdle’, by providing a fun and engaging activity regardless of the end goal. To a student and/or trainee, leadership skills might appear as a distant secondary goal. The intention is to draw them in with fun gaming goals and challenges such as competition, badges, and narratives (external motivation). While playing the game, LEADER intends to change their perception of leadership skills, creating a sense of urgency to train these skills (internal motivation).

‘Playing’ naturally includes a lot of leadership skills. Gaming techniques such as competition, collaboration, time pressure, strategic decision making, etc., are great examples and practical applications of the leadership skills that the students and/or trainees find important. This allows us to implement the training of these skills on two levels: the practical assignment they will have to do (educational content), and the mechanics surrounding that assignment (gamification/serious gaming).

Serious gaming and digital applications in general can provide greater replayability than traditional methods. This is important, as every student and/or trainee learns at a different pace. As a mobile app is available 24/7, this allows for flexibility and the option to practice as much as they need.

Serious games can offer personalised training courses. By providing students and/or trainees with fun challenges and a safe learning environment, they feel empowered to achieve small steps in their big goals. As the game recognises the progress, it provides progressively tougher challenges. The goal is to make every student and/or trainee feel like they are capable of achieving the end goal, by keeping their short-term goals realistic and manageable.

What is gamification and how can I apply this for training?

Gamification involves incorporating game elements and techniques into non-gaming contexts to enhance engagement. Its goal is to make activities more enjoyable by using elements that make playing games fun. Gamification can take many forms, depending on the activity’s objective, the target audience, and available resources.

A game typically consists of 3 essential components: an end goal, an obstacle, and a method for overcoming that obstacle. In a training context, gamification can help motivate and engage learners by applying game mechanics such as competition, rewards, and challenges. Here are some strategies to gamify learning:

Adjust the End Goal: If achieving high grades isn’t motivating, introduce competition. Make each activity a competition, rewarding not only top performers but also those who show significant effort.

Reward: Implement a reward system similar to gaming achievements.

Level-Based Challenges: Break down large learning goals into smaller, manageable levels and foster a sense of progress and accomplishment.

Difficulty Levels: Use tools like the LEADER board game, which offers two levels of difficulty to cater to different learning stages and provide appropriate challenges.

Effective gamification ensures that the end goal is appealing, the obstacles are challenging yet surmountable, and the learners feel empowered to overcome these obstacles. By incorporating these elements, gamification can significantly enhance engagement and motivation in both @ work and @ school environments.

How can activities help me as a teacher/trainer compared to other teaching methods?

Teachers and/or trainers should consider offline and online activities within their broader pedagogical model. The LEADER activities can be integrated with traditional learning methods to enhance the learning process by:

Making risk-taking and failing part of the learning process.
Allowing learners to actively engage and “do” things.
Encouraging prompt thinking and problem-solving.
Increasing motivation through levels, badges, and leaderboards.
Sparking curiosity and challenging learners.
Retaining learner interest.
Encouraging teamwork, especially in multiplayer activities.
Feedback loops and challenges in activities align well with learning theories like constructivism and flow.

Activities can kickstart learning, but students and/or trainees need to apply these skills in real-world contexts.

Is the LEADER project suitable for other target groups besides VET students?

The LEADER activities and games appeal to a wide audience, most especially to educators, trainers, and learners who want to enhance leadership skills.

The project aims to help individuals and organisations in educational institutions, corporate environments, and community groups at large to develop a versatile skillset in their respective fields.

Tips and tricks on using the LEADER game in @ work and @ school environment

In addition to a concise and easy-to-follow guide, there are instruction videos available for teachers and/or trainers.
It is recommended that teachers and/or trainers familiarise themselves with the activities by practising before training others.
Adopt a coaching mindset rather than a teaching one to better motivate participants.
Use humour to make the activities more approachable and enjoyable.
Start with simple activities and gradually increase the difficulty level.
Delegate roles to students and/or trainees to boost their interest and involvement in the activities.

VET soft
skills
program.

After thorough research, including desk research and company interviews, LEADER project partners have crafted a soft skills curriculum for Vocational Education and Training (VET) students.

This curriculum emphasizes the increasing importance of soft skills in today’s workforce, addressing the need for effective communication and collaboration alongside technical expertise.

It provides comprehensive insights into why soft skills matter, covering the Top 10 Soft Skills for the Future of Work, including Communication, Listening, Leadership, Adaptability, Empathy, Decision-making, Time management, Collaboration, Creativity, and Problem-solving.

View program

Discover the LEADER
Activity Toolbox.

Activities
for Business.

Soft Skills
for Trainees.

Activities
for Schools.

Regularly
asked
questions.

VET soft
skills
program.

Get in touch.

Leader Project.

Useful links.

Discover the LEADER Activity Toolbox.

Activitiesfor Business.

Soft Skills for Trainees.

Activitiesfor Schools.

Regularly asked questions.

VET soft skills program.

Get in touch.

Leader Project.

Useful links.

Discover the LEADER
Activity Toolbox.

Activities
for Business.

Soft Skills
for Trainees.

Activities
for Schools.

Regularly
asked
questions.

VET soft
skills
program.