Who's the Leader?
Group stands in a circle with one member in the middle. The group silently chooses a leader whose movements they mimic. The center person tries to identify the leader.
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Related Exercises
Follow the Follower
Follow the Follower is an applied improv exercise in which a group sits in a circle and simultaneously makes sounds and movements while attempting to mimic everyone else -- with no designated leader and no pre-assigned role of follower. Because everyone is following everyone at once, leadership emerges organically from small initiations that the group collectively amplifies. The exercise makes visible how group behavior self-organizes without authority, and how individual actions propagate through a collective system.
Three in the Middle
Three participants stand in the center of a circle and collectively respond to prompts or create scenes, requiring ensemble coordination and spontaneity.
Assassins
Assassins is a group awareness exercise in which each player secretly watches one specific person in the space. When the facilitator gives a signal, every player simultaneously points to the person they have been watching. The exercise reveals the web of attention in the room and is used to discuss group dynamics, observation, and the experience of being seen.
Confusion and Not
Confusion and Not is an applied improvisation exercise in which one person stands at the center of a circle while three to five people simultaneously initiate intense, distinct conversations with them. The center player must attempt to maintain all conversations at once, accepting the confusion while continuing to reach toward each person. The exercise develops multi-channel listening, attention management under pressure, and the ability to remain present and engaged despite cognitive overload.
Follow the Leader
Follow the Leader is a classic exercise in which one player leads the group through a series of movements that everyone copies. The exercise builds observation skills and comfort with matching another player's energy and style. It can be extended by having the leader change without announcement, forcing the group to identify the new source of movement.
Out of the Box
Partners lead each other around the room pointing to objects; the other must name each object as anything other than what it actually is.
How to Reference This Page
The Improv Archive. (2026). Who's the Leader?. Retrieved March 17, 2026, from https://improvarchive.org/exercises/whos-the-leader
The Improv Archive. "Who's the Leader?." The Improv Archive, 2026. https://improvarchive.org/exercises/whos-the-leader.
The Improv Archive. "Who's the Leader?." The Improv Archive, 2026, https://improvarchive.org/exercises/whos-the-leader. Accessed March 17, 2026.
The Improv Archive is a systemically maintained repository. The archive itself acts as the corporate author.