Sometimes the most meaningful leadership lessons come from the smallest observations. During a recent coaching experiment, Executive Coach Vince Araujo placed a small LEGO® Disney Pixar lamp on his desk — not as decoration, but as an invitation to reflection. Whenever someone noticed it, he asked what it made them think or feel.
Each response was different. Some saw nostalgia and memories of family movie nights; others noticed creativity, design, or balance. What began as a lighthearted question quickly revealed how one simple object could evoke a world of perspectives — each one valid, personal, and deeply human.
From Curiosity to Coaching Insight
For Vince, this small moment captured a powerful truth about leadership: everyone sees the same situation differently. What a leader perceives as clear direction may feel ambiguous to someone else. What one person calls feedback may sound like criticism to another.
The LEGO® lamp became a reminder that diversity of thought isn’t confusion — it’s strength. Leaders who listen to those differences unlock insight that can’t be accessed from a single point of view.
Later, in his coaching sessions, Vince noticed how this same principle played out when using LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY®. The act of building gives clients a way to express ideas they might not have words for. It slows the conversation down just enough for reflection — creating a bridge between thinking and feeling.
When people build what they mean, they begin to see what they couldn’t before.
The Power of Making Thinking Visible
In one recent session, a client used LEGO® models to explore his current state and his desired future. At first, his model showed him buried beneath layers of “work” — represented by a stack of bricks. In the second model, he placed himself on top of that same structure, symbolising a shift from overwhelm to perspective.
That visual difference became a turning point in their conversation. It gave the client a clear, memorable image of progress — and a tangible reminder of what he wanted to build next in his career. These are the kinds of insights that stick — because they’re seen, not just said.
Our New Research on AI & Creativity
Read our newly published article in the Springer ETHICOMP 2025 Proceedings: “How AI is Reshaping Creativity in LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY®”.
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