leadership development through play

Leadership can be messy. We make it make sense — through play.

Your team’s growing, and you want to up your leadership game. We help you build real capability with immersive stories, practical tools, and thoughtful reflection.

No jargon. No cookie-cutter models. Just leadership that fits real humans — bold founders, stretched execs, and curious leaders alike.

what we do (besides having an absurd amount of fun)

At Leadership Treehouse, we build leaders through experience — not lectures.

Here’s how we do it:

🎭 Immersive role-play – lead through high-stakes (and occasionally ridiculous) scenarios.
🤹 Play-based learning – gamified, hands-on, and actually useful.
🧘‍♀️ Reflective sessions – insights from the unexpected, pirates included.
🏗️ Built for all humans – introverts, overthinkers, chaos-lovers — there’s room for all people here.


A person seated at a table with various game pieces, maps, pens, and a name card that reads 'Kelly'. They are holding some photographs and looking at game materials, with colorful markers in a cup nearby and a small lit candle on the table.

What leaders are saying

  • “This is the most unique, wild, engaging and fun workshop I have ever been to. The experience and the learning will stay with me for a long time.”

    Cordula Plassmann | Coach & Facilitator

  • "I think this is an awesome way to bring leadership teams together. Role playing removes the natural inhibitions from the participants and lets you learn new aspects and perspectives, ultimately bringing you a better understanding of the team you work with as well as yourself. "

    Ed Letifov | TechTime

  • “The game creates a safe and engaging environment to explore leadership strengths and areas for growth. The debrief sessions were especially powerful, offering insights that conventional leadership courses often overlook.”

    Annelies Griemink | Thankyou Payroll

  • "Most people have done at least some of the stock-standard professional development that's out there, so why not try something new? The worst case is *just* having a whole lot of fun, and the best case is that fun sparking deep insights and reflections that help you to be a better leader. It's a win win, I reckon."

    Nicole Skews-Poole | Anchordown

  • “I was super sceptical, having never done anything like this before and it being VERY out of my comfort zone! BUT by the end of session one, I had one of those "ah ha" moments, and I then understood what it was all about! I learned so much about myself that I never knew or realised before.”

    Beckie Coe | Thankyou Payroll

  • "A Quest Within" was incredibly fun and engaging. I gained valuable insights into myself and the leadership skills I want to develop. It also inspired me to take action!

    Wenjing Xie | Snapper

  • "It was very enjoyable to partake in a Quest Within and immensely beneficial to learn and reflect on applying leadership skills in an adventure with my co-workers."

    Participant | Snapper

  • "This is the kind of workshop to attend whether or not you have been to other leadership trainings. It will bring up new ideas and experiences that you wouldn't have been able to tap into before. I thoroughly enjoyed this new take on a leadership workshop that I know I will be referencing to others for months and years to come."

    Victoria Young | Zealandia

  • "I haven't been able to stop thinking about my day on the Leadership Side Quest, I discovered unexpected things about myself, learnt a lot from my fellow adventurers, and it has sparked an interest in and joy for incorporating gameplay into my leadership, but also my day to day life - including parenting!"

    Kelly Hudson | Five and Dime

  • "The journey showed me parts of myself that I'd like to focus on, as well as some comparitive strengths through the reflection process. I highly recommend!"

    Angela Wei | Wētā FX

  • "Seeing how your team members react in a situation free of judgement teaches you a lot about them. It's worth doing for any team."

    Patrick Peters | TechTime

  • "It's refreshed my love of giving specific feedback. Receiving feedback on my gameplay was really helpful for reflection."

    Julie Reddish | Catapult NZ

  • "It's a practical, on the court, safe way to enhance leadership skills"

    Rachel Collingridge | Totara

for leaders and teams who want more from leadership development

Who’s The Treehouse for?

Leaders who want to grow without losing themselves.

Founders building culture that’s bold, not beige.

Teams that are smart and capable — but know they could be braver, sharper, more in sync.

If you’ve ever thought:

“The team isn’t working well, and the usual fixes aren’t cutting it.”
“I want to lead with confidence, not just copy what I’ve seen.”
“Couldn’t this be more fun… and maybe involve dragons?”

Welcome to the Treehouse.

A space for curious minds, rebellious hearts, and leaders who’d rather play than posture.

Available Quests

  • A group of people sitting around a wooden table in a dimly lit forest setting. They appear to be engaged in discussion or storytelling, with some holding books or papers. Hanging light bulbs illuminate the scene. The atmosphere is rustic and mysterious.

    Custom Leadership Adventures

    Dungeons & Dragons meets serious leadership development.

    Sounds cool right? We’ll customise it for your leaders and help them find deep insights that will change their leadership trajectory.

  • A medieval wizard and knight sitting by a campfire in a forest

    1:1 Leadership role play coaching

    What if levelling up your leadership was as fun as an epic role-playing game?

    Our leadership role playing experience is a custom designed 3-session coaching journey where you’ll step into an immersive role-playing adventure, guided by an expert play coach.

  • A crow perched on a rolled parchment with a red wax seal, resting on a moss-covered tree stump in a misty forest.

    Leadership side quest - a 1 day leadership adventure

    Part leadership workshop, part playful quest — for founders & leaders ready to try something refreshingly different.

    Enquire for upcoming dates .

    We can also run this custom for your team.

What kind of leader would you be in a fantasy quest?

Take our 3-minute quiz to discover if you're a Bard, Mage, Soldier, Priest, Druid or Thief.

A woman dressed as a wizard, with long rainbow-colored hair, wearing a purple hooded cloak, holding a glowing staff.

what you’ll gain

stronger decision making

Faster, better decision making. Less second-guessing, more clarity.

authentic leadership style

For individuals and teams that want to lead in a way that feels real.

conflict resolution skills

You’ll practice skills like conflict resolution in a safe container, ready to put into play in your day to day life.

creative problem solving

Creative collaboration and problem solving. Unlock fresh ideas and ways of working together, especially in messy, complex spaces.

Stronger team dynamics

Inspire and align your team with confidence (and fewer emergency meetings).

a memorable experience

One that genuinely shifts how your leadership team works together and one you’ll remember for a long time.

watch this

Our founder, Tamara Buckland, talks at Disrupt HR about role playing. Go on a short 5 minute adventure in this video to learn more about the benefits of role play and experience a little taste of it for yourself.

join a quest

join a quest ⚔

what the research says

You might be thinking: “This all sounds fun, but is it actually effective?”

Excellent question, wise wanderer. As it turns out, play isn’t just fun - it’s one of the most powerful tools we have for real leadership growth.

FAQs

  • Exactly. This is why you come. Our programmes are designed for high-performing leaders who are outgrowing their old ways of leading. You’ll get focused space to reset, rewire, and return clearer - not just for your team, but for yourself. Some focused and playful time away from your desk will do wonders for your leadership - something that will have benefits for years to come.

  • Nope. You just need a willingness to trust in our tested process and give things a go. We make it safe, silly, and low-stakes.
    It’s also nothing like the types of role playing you’re thinking about from your corporate training - we create characters that play in fictional environments which means the role playing is fun rather than scary.
    No-one is put on the spot to choose or say the right thing. We learn the most when we can play with our environment and our characters and that’s exactly what we set you up to do.

  • Of course! You can talk to our founder Tamara at any stage to chat about anything that’s on your mind. No sales pitch involved.
    Click on the ‘Contact Us’ page to get in touch.

  • While we do love a well-timed cape or a cardboard crown, every element is rooted in serious leadership development research and experience. We use immersive play because it unlocks deeper insight, faster learning, and real behaviour change. It’s a sandbox, not a spotlight.