The Power of Playfulness in Leadership Coaching
Embracing a playful mindset is perhaps the most effective way to tackle the serious pursuit of leadership development
Lightening up leadership
Leadership coaching is one of the best ways to dive into both untapped potential and patterns that may be holding a leader back. It’s a powerful tool to support leaders at every phase of their journey to show up as more authentically themselves, and more fully present for their people. Plus, leadership coaching is a phenomenal way to tackle individual goals that leaders have set for themselves. This is serious stuff, and yet…sometimes, it’s through play that coaching is most impactful.
Embracing a playful approach can increase the effectiveness of coaching by helping leaders relax into the process, think creatively about their work, and find the joy of self-discovery.
Here are some of the concrete benefits of embracing playfulness during the coaching process.
1) Creates openness and trust
Leadership coaching requires a great deal of vulnerability; real change only happens when people feel safe to let their guard down. A playful approach can set a tone of curiosity rather than judgment. When a coach invites a sense of fun into the sessions, the leader relaxes and becomes more open to self-reflection. Laughter, storytelling, and curiosity through play create an environment of psychological safety, helping leaders share and reflect openly and honestly.
2) Sparks creativity and innovation
A playful approach helps leaders see challenges through a new lens, encouraging creative problem-solving. This is key, because it’s common for individuals to become stuck in fixed ways of thinking, which can limit their capacity to respond to challenges. By introducing playful exercises like brainstorming games, metaphor explorations or visualizations, coaches can help leaders unlock their creativity and shift perspectives.
Consider a leader who’s stuck in a decision-making loop. A coach might use a game, like having them imagine how a historical figure might approach the problem or introduce props like hats to symbolize different "thinking modes." Playful exercises like these help the leader step out of their normal thinking patterns and into a more innovative mindset.
3) Builds resilience through levity
Leadership inevitably involves dealing with setbacks and disappointments. Playfulness in coaching can help leaders learn to view challenges with a sense of levity. When a coach models a lighthearted approach to mistakes or missteps, it gives leaders permission to be kinder to themselves. Learning to laugh at oneself and one’s mistakes builds resilience and a growth mindset that sees setbacks as part of the growth journey, rather than evidence of failure.
Imagine a scenario where a leader is overly self-critical about a recent misstep. Through playful reframing—like creating a humorous story or exaggerating the event to absurdity, the coach can help the leader distance themselves from the mistake and see it with fresh perspective. This enables leaders to build emotional resilience and recover more quickly from setbacks.
4) Enhances self-awareness and authenticity
While professional personas are common and can sometimes support in the workplace, they also increase the likelihood that leaders will lose their authentic selves when dealing with challenges. Playful exercises like imagining their superpowers or “super personas” can allow people to drop these workplace masks and explore their natural strengths, preferences, and values. The result is leaders who can lead with more confidence and increased integrity.
5) Makes development sustainable
Listen, leadership development is hard - sometimes downright painful - work. Playful coaching creates positive associations with growth and encourages leaders to engage more fully in the process. When leaders find joy in their personal development, they’re more likely to stay committed over time, practicing what they’ve learned and applying it to their everyday work lives. Ideally, incorporating play lets them look forward to the coaching experience.
Ready to laugh your way to professional growth?
We’ve got you. We practice what we preach, which means we embrace our own messy, authentic selves in the coaching process, allowing our clients to do the same. Reach out to learn more about our joyful coaching approach today!
