(And why it works better than you’d expect.)
Most adults treat play like a childhood relic.
Something we were meant to grow out of.
Like nap time. Or glitter.
But at The Playfulness Lab, we see something different—especially when it comes to leadership.
We see playfulness not as an escape from work, but as a way of working.
A way of leading.
A way of being that creates space for energy, connection, and perspective when things get tight.
That’s why in the Playful Leaders Course, one of the first exercises we introduce is deceptively simple:
Write down three playful things each day.
Not a performance.
Not a task to win.
Just a quiet daily check-in.
It might be a joke someone made in a meeting.
Or a decision you made from curiosity instead of control.
Or a moment you let yourself mess with an idea before locking it down.
Small things.
Light things.
But they matter.
The Science Behind It
This isn’t fluff. It’s backed by evidence.
In one recent study, researchers gave adults a daily “playfulness mission.”
The prompts were simple:
- Count playful moments
- Use play in a new way
- Reflect on playful interactions
Each took around five minutes a day. That’s all.
And the results?
Participants felt measurably more playful by the end of the week.
Not just happier—but more resilient.
More energised.
And for some, those effects lasted for months.
There was also a subtle but statistically significant drop in depressive symptoms.
No therapy. No app. Just five minutes of daily intentional play.
Why This Matters in Leadership
In the Playful Leaders Course, we work with people under pressure.
Founders. Executives. Managers of big teams.
They’re dealing with complexity, ambiguity, and decision fatigue—every day.
What we’ve found again and again is this:
When leaders reconnect with playfulness, their wellbeing improves.
Their teams get braver.
And their decision-making becomes more human—and more effective.
But here’s the catch:
Playfulness won’t just show up when you need it.
You have to practice it.
Just like you would a muscle.
That’s why we start small.
With daily moments of noticing.
Because when you learn to spot the playful, you start to become it.
And when you become it, others feel permission to follow.
Try It: Your Playful Three
So here’s your mission, if you’re willing:
For the next five days, jot down three playful things you experienced, created, or noticed.
That’s it.
Not to prove anything.
But to shift your lens.
To remind yourself that playfulness at work isn’t the opposite of productivity—it’s what makes it sustainable.
Start small.
Stay curious.
Let it ripple.