Play Isn’t a Perk, It’s the Future of Leadership

We believe leadership should feel light, human, and full of possibility. Play-Based Leadership was created to help people lead with courage, curiosity, and connection, no matter the setting.

Meet the Team Behind Play-Based Leadership

Dale Sidebottom and Paul Campbell are educators, coaches, and keynote speakers who have spent the last two decades helping leaders, teachers, and teams reconnect with what matters most, people, purpose, and play.

They co-founded The School of Play, a global movement dedicated to improving well-being, engagement, and leadership through play-based approaches. Together, they’ve worked with thousands of schools, businesses, and sporting organisations across Australia and around the world.

Their shared belief is simple:

“When leaders choose play, people choose to follow.”

Redefining Leadership Through Joy and Humanity

Play-Based Leadership was born from one powerful question:

What if leadership could feel lighter, more human, and more joyful, and still drive extraordinary results?

The mission is to empower leaders everywhere to:

Build cultures of trust, courage, and creativity

Model emotional safety and kindness

Create workplaces and classrooms where people want to show up

Use play as a daily leadership practice to fuel performance and connection

This isn’t just another leadership framework, it’s a movement towards more
compassionate, connected, and courageous workplaces and communities.

From Classrooms and Sports Fields to Boardrooms

It all started with two educators who noticed the same thing, whether in schools, staffrooms, or sporting clubs, people were burning out. Laughter had disappeared. Pressure had replaced purpose. Dale and Paul began experimenting with ways to bring play back, not as an icebreaker, but as a way to rebuild connection, safety, and confidence.

What started as small sessions quickly evolved into large-scale programs, keynote tours, and international research partnerships validating the power of play for leadership, performance, and well-being. Today, Play-Based Leadership is being shared across schools, organisations, and communities worldwide, proving that when leaders play, cultures change.