Hackathon as a Leadership Experience: When Entrepreneurship Meets Team Psychology

A hackathon is often viewed as an intensive creative format in which teams seek solutions to a specific brief within a limited timeframe. In business, start-up, innovation, and educational settings, it is used precisely because it combines analysis, creativity, teamwork, decision-making, and the ability to deliver a concrete output under conditions that are far from comfortable. From the perspective of the Programme Guarantor for Entrepreneurship and Leadership Development, however, a hackathon is something more. It is a powerful experiential environment where the psychology of leadership naturally comes to light.

It’s Not Just About the Idea, But the Way of Working

The essence of a hackathon is not merely whether students can generate an interesting proposal. It is equally important to observe how they think under pressure, manage uncertainty, communicate within a team, allocate roles, respond to differing opinions, and sustain energy, focus, and accountability over a 24-hour period.

Thus, a hackathon is not just a format for developing entrepreneurship. It is also a space for fostering personal leadership, mental resilience, and perceived entrepreneurial self-efficacy—the conviction that one can actively take initiative, seek solutions, and influence outcomes. This experience is exceptionally valuable for students because leadership is not learned solely from definitions. It is learned primarily through situations that demand genuine action.

Higher Education in 2036

Within the Business Leadership specialization, we approached the hackathon as a pilot experiential format. First-year students experienced 24 hours at the university, working in a single team with one main brief and the necessity of delivering a tangible final output. The topic was 'Higher Education in 2036'. The task itself offered vast scope for strategic thinking, information processing, imagination, as well as the capacity to anticipate the needs of future students in a rapidly changing world.

It was fascinating to observe how different teams approached the theme. Students researched global universities, engaging with concepts such as vision, mission, student needs, digitalisation, learning environments, and the future of higher education. They considered both Generation Z and the emerging Generation Alpha, who are growing up in a world where digital environments are an unquestioned part of daily life.

This highlighted that the university of the future cannot merely be a place for transmitting information. It must be an environment that motivates and energises students, creating space for their personal growth, responsibility, and meaningful engagement.

Leaving the Comfort Zone at the Door

From a psychological perspective, it was essential for me to observe not only the final presentations, but also the process through which students reached them. Spending 24 hours in a single team, focusing on a single topic, and concentrating attention on a shared goal demands a form of respect—for oneself, for others, and for the task itself.

Students were placed in a situation that pulled them out of their regular academic routine. Remaining at university overnight, with access to basic amenities, food, and washrooms, still represented a clear step out of their comfort zones.

It is precisely in these circumstances that we see how individuals function without complete certainty. In real-life scenarios, we rarely work under perfect conditions, with explicit instructions and unlimited time. We must navigate pathways, make choices, adjust course, accept feedback, and sometimes embrace the principle that done is better than perfect.

This principle is crucial for leadership development. It does not foster superficiality, but rather responsible action. It teaches students that having an idea is not enough; it must be structured, tested, refined, and delivered within a deadline.

The Team as a Mirror of Leadership

Several factors supported the students: strong motivation, a clear brief, and a sense of distinction from participating in a special project. Team dynamics played a pivotal role. Students had to divide roles, coordinate progress, adapt to evolving challenges, and work towards the final presentation.

This allowed them to gain a clearer awareness of the roles they naturally assume in a team, what helps them see tasks through to completion, how they communicate, when they require support, and when they can serve as a anchor for others.

It was insightful to observe whether vulnerabilities appeared in communication—such as irritability, conflict, or tension caused by exhaustion, differing views, or uncertainty. These are natural manifestations of teamwork under pressure. That is precisely why hackathons hold such value. They demonstrate to students that leadership is not merely about standing in front of an audience and presenting a result. Leadership is also the ability to manage oneself, regulate emotions, cope with fatigue, communicate respectfully, and remain constructive even when things do not go as planned.

Real-World Practice as an Anchor

A crucial element was the presence of industry experts who provided consultations on the students' ideas and proposals. I consider this component particularly valuable, as it ensured project work was not an exercise detached from reality. Expert perspectives anchored the students, highlighting potential pitfalls, practical constraints, and opportunities that first-year students might not otherwise recognize.

At the same time, first-year students possess a unique advantage: they are not yet constrained by established theories, definitions, and fixed procedures that accumulate in later years of study. This allows them to think boldly, differently, and genuinely 'out of the box'.

The final team presentations were highly successful. Although all teams worked from the same prompt, three distinct visions of future higher education emerged. I consider this one of the most valuable outcomes. The same prompt never yields a single correct solution. How a team tackles a problem is shaped by its composition, dynamics, values, experience, mindset, and ability to harness diverse perspectives.

An expert panel comprising professionals from start-ups, business, and entrepreneurship provided valuable feedback. Students received practical recommendations, constructive critiques of weaker areas, and ideas for further development. This reinforced the psychological dimension of leadership: receiving feedback—not as a threat, but as an opportunity to learn—is a core competence for professional and personal growth.

Leadership Begins with an Attitude

As guarantor of the personal development component of Business Leadership, I was delighted by the students' commitment, energy, and sense of ownership. It was gratifying to see them self-regulate their time management, actively avoiding distractions such as social media. They clearly took the task seriously, with every member contributing meaningfully to the collective result.

I kept reminding myself that these were first-year students. Though only at the beginning of their academic journey, they demonstrated accountability, reliability, and the intrinsic drive to deliver quality work. This is fundamental for leadership development.

Leadership does not begin when one leads a team or holds a management position. It begins much earlier—in one's attitude towards a task, towards others, towards personal performance, and in taking ownership of a collective outcome.

For these students, the hackathon was not merely a one-off event. It was an experience that proved they can navigate challenges, innovate, collaborate, and take responsibility under demanding conditions. These are the experiences I view as essential in developing entrepreneurship and leadership. Because entrepreneurship is not simply about having an idea; it is the courage to step into uncertainty, take responsibility, learn from the process, and carry things through to completion.

Author: Eva Ambrozová