Using Cupcake Decorating to Teach Shared and Emerging Leadership

Shared and emergent leadership are frequently taught as theoretical concepts in management courses but with little context or application on how these considerations materialize or exist in an organization. During this in-class, 50- to 70-minute exercise, which can be completed in one to two class periods depending on the instructor’s preference, a scenario is created in which multiple levels of an organization must communicate and collaborate to build their cupcake decorating business successfully. Throughout this process, shared and emergent leadership surfaces, allowing for the application of essential work processes.