National Leadership Day on February 20th is a fantastic opportunity to pause, reflect, and
celebrate the impact of great leadership within your team. Leadership is about inspiring, empowering, and growing the people around you—and this day offers a chance to highlight those efforts while fostering connection and engagement within your business or non-profit.
Here are some ideas to celebrate National Leadership Day with your team:
1. Host a Leadership Appreciation Breakfast or Lunch
Bring your team together over food to recognize the leadership qualities present in your organization. Use this time to spotlight individuals who have demonstrated strong leadership traits—whether they’re official leaders or team members who lead by example. Sharing stories of leadership success can be both inspiring and uplifting.
2. Leadership Book Club Kickoff
Start a leadership-themed book club for your team and choose a book that resonates with your organization’s values. Consider a classic like John Maxwell’s The 17 Laws of Leadership or Simon Sinek’s Leaders Eat Last. Pair this with regular discussion sessions to share insights and practical takeaways.
3. Create a Leadership Vision Wall
Set up a space in your office where team members can share their thoughts about leadership. Provide sticky notes or a whiteboard for people to write down what leadership means to them, what kind of leader they aspire to be, or who has inspired them as a leader. This simple activity encourages reflection and dialogue about leadership. (Remember, Leadership is influence - not just a position!)
4. Leadership Development Mini-Workshop
Dedicate part of the day to a workshop focused on key leadership skills like communication, active listening, or team development. Leadership Harbor would love to assist you with this!
5. Recognize Unsung Heroes
Leadership often comes from unexpected places. Use National Leadership Day to honor the “unsung heroes” in your organization—the individuals who quietly lead through their actions, support their peers, or consistently bring a positive attitude to the team.
6. Team-Building Leadership Activities
Plan an activity that emphasizes teamwork and leadership, such as an escape room challenge, a problem-solving exercise, or a volunteer event. These activities are fun and help your team see leadership in action in a collaborative environment.
7. Distribute Leadership Gratitude Notes
Give each team member a chance to write and share a note of appreciation for a colleague who has demonstrated strong leadership. These notes can be read aloud in a meeting or shared privately. This simple gesture builds morale and strengthens relationships.
8. Create Leadership Awards
Develop fun and meaningful awards that highlight different leadership styles or traits. For example:
The Visionary Award for forward-thinking ideas
The Empathy Award for someone who always considers others
The Trailblazer Award for someone who tackles challenges head-on
9. Reflect on Organizational Goals
Take time to align as a team by revisiting your company’s vision and goals. This is a chance to discuss how leadership at every level plays a role in achieving those objectives and to set the tone for the year ahead.
10. Encourage Personal Leadership Goals
Encourage team members to reflect on their own leadership journey. Provide journals or digital templates for them to set personal leadership goals for the year, along with actionable steps to achieve them.
Final Thought
Celebrating National Leadership Day is about more than honoring leaders—it’s about recognizing and fostering leadership qualities in everyone. By using February 20th - or use another date if this is coming too fast to implement it in your business - to create meaningful experiences for your team, you’re not only celebrating leadership but also cultivating a culture of growth, connection, and collaboration.
What will your team do to celebrate National Leadership Day?
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