Why play helps us remember how to lead
You’ve probably been to a leadership session where the content was solid... but a week later, it’s all a blur. You vaguely remember some acronyms, maybe a graph or two, but nothing stuck.
That’s not about you. That’s about how the learning was delivered.
The truth is, most traditional leadership development focuses on short-term content delivery. But to actually remember something - to use it when it counts - we need more than just information. We need experience. Emotion. Relevance.
That’s why we use play.
Here’s why playful learning creates leadership memory that sticks:
1. We remember what we feel
When we’re playing, we’re not just absorbing ideas - we’re feeling them. We get emotionally invested, even if it’s light-hearted. We care about what happens to our character or our team. We feel the risk of a decision, the relief of a win, the sting of a near-miss. Emotion acts like a glue for memory. A tense moment negotiating with a forest spirit or cracking a group puzzle will last in your mind far longer than a list of leadership principles ever could.
2. Play is doing, not just hearing
Listening to a model or watching a slide can only go so far. But when we’re in a role-playing game, we’re taking action. We’re making calls, solving problems, adapting to new info. That kind of active learning forms stronger neural pathways. It’s the difference between reading about trust, and actually building it in a moment where it mattered - even if it was fictional.
3. It gives us time and space to connect ideas
Leadership learning often moves fast. There’s not always time to pause, reflect, and notice how something connects to what we already know. Play changes that. In a game, there’s room to reflect between turns, to talk it out as a group, or to feel your way through a decision. That space helps us integrate new insights with what’s already in our heads - which makes them easier to remember later.
4. Stories create strong mental anchors
Our brains are story-driven. We remember narratives far more easily than we remember abstract concepts. Role-playing turns leadership into a series of memorable stories. You don’t need to recall a list of rules - you just need to think back to the time you stood your ground at the canyon, or helped someone find their voice in a strange city. Those moments anchor learning in memory, not because you studied them, but because you lived them.
5. Failure becomes something we can learn from
In most games, failing doesn’t mean you did something wrong - it just means something interesting happened. That makes it much easier to remember the moment, without shame or defensiveness. You can learn from it, talk about it, and even laugh about it. For many of us, especially those with neurodivergent brains or long leadership histories, this shift is powerful. It makes reflection feel safe - and that safety makes memory stronger.
At Leadership Treehouse, we don’t use games just to make things fun. We use them because they help people remember what matters. They create the kinds of leadership memories that come back when you need them - in a tough meeting, in a moment of doubt, or when your team is looking to you for clarity.
If you want leadership learning that lasts - come play with us.
We promise it’ll stick.
