Many high school classroom activities can enhance leadership skills. An effective leader should be capable of making responsible decisions, thinking critically and acting as a positive role model. Leadership skills are acquired from a young age. Teachers can aid in harnessing them while at high school through different games and activities. All of which can prepare students for future challenges.

Brainstorming For Change

This activity involves the teacher dividing the classroom into groups of four or five people. The aim will be to find solutions to political, economic or social problems. The students work together and brainstorm large and small scale solutions to the given problem topic. After each group has completed a list of detailed solutions, they are to engage in discussion involving the rest of the class and discuss which of the solutions they see as viable options.

Leadership Characteristics

This activity helps students identify the characteristics of a good leader. To perform this exercise, the teacher divides the students into groups of two or three people each. Each person in the group must recount a story of someone they feel is an influential leader. After each story, students should point out what characteristics they feel made the person in the story a good leader. At the end of the activity, the students draw up a list of all the characteristics of a good leader and stick them up on the walls around the classroom.

Blind Fold Leader Game

To start the game, position all students in a single line, create a starting point and a finishing point. Blindfold all the students apart from the student at the front of the line. Instruct each student to place their left hand on the left shoulder of the person in front of them. The teacher must say "Go" and the leader without the blindfold must walk towards the finish line and instruct the students that are blindfolded behind. To add an extra challenge to this activity, position obstacles along the path so that the leader will have to give instructions to the followers in terms of how to get around the obstacles. Once the finish line is reached successfully, another student can take the turn to lead.


Games such as this can force one or more people to reveal their leadership capabilities. Divide the group into two teams and position them on either side of the room. Give the students instructions such as "Line up according to birth dates," or "Arrange yourselves into alphabetical order according to last names." The students must complete the activity without speaking. They can make hand motions or write instructions down on paper, however your only instruction to them is that they cannot speak. The first team to complete the task wins the game.