Tabletops + Lessons About Leadership

Greetings from Basecamp.

I was recently reminded of one of the best questions I’ve ever been asked during a tabletop exercise. About twenty minutes in, a staff member raised her hand and in a slightly aggravated tone, said, “Why am I here?”

I’ll admit that it caught me off guard. After all, participation that day was completely voluntary. I didn’t ask her to be there, and I certainly didn’t have the authority to keep her there against her will. But as we talked, I learned something very important. In her mind, emergencies were something for the leadership team to handle, and she didn’t see herself as someone who would ever be in that position. I understood her perspective, of course, and at the time, I didn’t have much of a rebuttal. But in an effort to keep her engaged, I encouraged her to open her mind and approach it as an opportunity for personal growth. After all, she just might have to fill in for her director one day.

Well, she stuck around, and in retrospect, I think our exchange taught us both a valuable lesson: tabletop exercises aren’t just about testing plans. They’re about helping people grow into their roles. They give staff at every level a chance to see how decisions are made, to understand the bigger picture, and to recognize that leadership isn’t defined by a title. It’s developed through participation.

Furthermore, one of the most valuable outcomes of a tabletop exercise is the chance to review what worked and what didn’t. Tabletop exercises are designed to validate your plans and identify gaps, but those gaps aren’t failures. They’re opportunities for growth. Each gap reveals something about how decisions are made, how communication flows, and where teams can build greater trust and efficiency.

When camp leaders spot a weakness or limitation in a plan, they’re not just improving a document; they’re developing as leaders. By turning these “lessons learned” into action, leaders model humility, adaptability, and forward thinking. In that way, tabletop exercises strengthen more than your emergency plans; they strengthen the people behind them.

So, if you ever find yourself wondering, “Why am I here?” during a tabletop exercise, I encourage you to shift your mindset. Focus on what the discussion can offer you in the way of personal growth. Look for ways to improve in your role and embrace the opportunity to grow as a leader. After all, you might already be one.

Warm regards,
Patrick