MASTER Risk Model - Learning Resources - Abilities

Leadership

Ask a mentor: “What’s one thing I could do this week to show stronger founder leadership?”

Write a one-sentence founder mantra that reflects how you want to lead—repeat it before each tough call.

Thank a collaborator publicly for their contribution—recognition is a key leadership behavior.

Schedule 15 minutes today to check in with a peer founder—no agenda, just open listening.

Share one founder struggle to model openness and build trust with your support network.

Observe one meeting silently without adding input—practice presence and notice team dynamics.

Reflect on a founder you admire—what leadership traits did they consistently demonstrate in building trust?

Journal about a tough founder moment—what did you learn about influence and decision-making under stress?

Write down three leadership strengths you bring as a founder—how often do you apply them fully?

Explore how your leadership style has shifted—what start-up experiences pushed that evolution?

Reflect on a time you struggled as a founder—what did it teach you about clarity and confidence?

Think about your leadership “default mode”—directive, coaching, supportive, or adaptive? When is it effective?

Share a vision for your start-up publicly—invite feedback and commit to supporting the chosen direction.

Delegate a task you usually hold tightly—coach a teammate to deliver instead of doing it yourself.

Have a difficult founder conversation you’ve been avoiding—prepare carefully and choose clarity.

Ask a peer founder this week: “What’s one thing you’d change if you were in my place?”

Volunteer to lead a small project outside your comfort zone—practice influence in a new context.

During your next meeting, pause and ask: “What am I missing?”—model openness and inclusive leadership.

Ask your early team: “When do I lead at my best—and when do I unintentionally hold us back?”

Request focused feedback on your leadership impact—listen fully before you explain or justify.

Share your leadership goals with a peer—ask them to hold you accountable for one behavior shift.

Invite a peer founder to share how they see your leadership—spot gaps between intent and effect.

Ask a founder who leads differently how they approach challenges—what can you borrow or adapt?

Discuss with a peer how each of you builds trust—compare approaches and stories.

Reframe “I need to impress with all the answers” as “I need to ask the right customer questions.”

Turn “Being strong means being certain” into “Real strength is adjusting when data changes.”

Recast “My job is to decide” as “My job is to create conditions for smarter choices to emerge.”

Instead of “I failed in that meeting,” say “That gave me data for a stronger next time.”

Shift from “I need to fix this” to “How can I enable the team to solve this together?”

View vulnerability not as weakness but as leadership capital—it builds trust and credibility.

Watch your language in pitches—do you lead with certainty, curiosity, or doubt? What tone does it set?

Observe how your team responds to you—do they lean in, hold back, or wait for guidance?

Track who speaks and who stays quiet in team talks—what patterns are you reinforcing?

Notice your body language under pressure—are you modeling calm, clarity, or stress?

Monitor when you default to “doing” instead of “guiding”—what beliefs drive that?

Pay attention to how others lead when you step out—what culture does your leadership leave behind?

Collaboration

Start your next brainstorming by asking someone else to open—give ownership early to spark shared ideas.

Send a quick thank-you to an advisor or peer who supported you this week—show appreciation for help.

Ask a teammate: “Is there anything I can take off your plate today?”—model shared responsibility.

Offer to co-create a solution with someone rather than finalizing it alone—invite collaboration early.

Suggest a working session instead of endless back-and-forth emails—use the time to create together.

Add a “Collaboration Wins” slide to your next pitch deck—showcase something created better together.

Reflect on your collaboration style—are you more directive, co-creative, supportive, or adaptive in teams?

Journal about a collaboration that worked smoothly—what founder behaviors made it productive?

Explore a time when teamwork broke down—what wrong assumptions or gaps caused the misalignment?

Write down your top three collaboration strengths—how do they show up consistently in your projects?

Think of a team you loved working with—what shared norms or energy made it so effective?

Reflect on when you last asked for feedback early, not late—what changed in the outcome of the work?

Let a co-founder or peer lead part of a task—trust their approach and support their decisions.

Proactively connect two peers working on similar ideas—encourage collaboration beyond your own venture.

Start a shared document instead of sending a draft—invite collaborators to co-create in real time.

Take a mentor’s suggestion and apply it immediately—share what improved as a result.

Offer to bridge communication in a joint project—own updates across different perspectives.

Begin your next brainstorm by saying: “Let’s build on ideas instead of critiquing early.”

Ask a collaborator: “What’s something I do that helps or hinders teamwork?”—listen fully before replying.

Share your experience of working with someone—invite them to share theirs and compare learning.

Ask a collaborator for feedback on how you share space—do you open room or dominate flow?

Ask a peer how you respond in disagreements—do they notice openness or defensiveness?

Debrief a project with your team—what helped or blocked collaboration, and what would you do differently?

Ask someone who collaborates well: “What do you intentionally do to make teamwork easier?”

Reframe “I could push this faster alone” as “We’ll grow stronger if we build this together.”

Shift “It’s hard to get input” to “Maybe I haven’t made it easy enough for feedback.”

Instead of “They don’t get it,” ask “What might they see in the market that I don’t yet?”

Recast conflict as creative tension—how can it produce a better product or solution?

Reframe ownership as momentum—how do we make this win shared, not solo?

View resistance not as opposition but as a signal of missing context or unmet needs.

Observe who dominates in brainstorms—how balanced is input, and how do you encourage quieter voices?

Watch how peers build on each other’s ideas—what does constructive collaboration sound like in start-ups?

Track your impulse to interrupt or push—what does that reveal about your founder style?

Notice when trust builds in your team—what moments or actions spark confidence?

Observe how your team handles conflict—do they avoid, confront, or use it productively?

Pay attention to how credit is shared—what does it reveal about your team’s culture?

Communication

Before your next pitch, write down your key message in one sentence—practice saying it clearly and concisely.

Ask a trusted peer if your last investor email was clear—revise it today based on their honest feedback.

Use a pause after pitching your idea—let others respond instead of rushing to fill the silence.

In your next message, use bullet points instead of long paragraphs—make your intent easy to scan.

Record yourself explaining your business idea—replay it and refine how clearly you deliver the pitch.

Replace filler words in your next pitch with one precise phrase—practice direct, focused delivery.

Reflect on a pitch that missed the mark—what caused confusion, and how could you improve next time?

Journal about your pitch style—do you over-explain, under-clarify, or adapt to the investor’s context?

Think about a communicator you admire—what habits make them easy to follow and convincing?

Reflect on how often you listen to investors versus listen to understand—what do you miss by each style?

Explore your default communication style when under pressure—assertive, vague, or unclear? When is it useful?

Write down three words others might use to describe your pitch—do they align with your intended impact?

Summarize your business idea in under 60 seconds—share it verbally or in writing with a non-expert.

Choose one potential investor or customer to follow up with today—be clear and concise in your outreach.

Facilitate a short meeting and close with: “Here’s what we decided, what’s next, and who owns it.”

Reframe your opinion today by restating the other person’s view first—show you truly understood.

Use a medium you rarely pick for pitches—try visuals instead of text, or voice instead of slides.

Send a thank-you message with specifics—practice giving clear, authentic, behavior-based praise.

Ask an investor or advisor: “How do you experience my pitch—clear, rushed, or unclear?”

Request feedback on your last investor update—did the message structure and tone fit the audience?

Share your clarity goal with a peer—invite them to flag when your pitch becomes vague.

Ask a peer how your tone comes across in pitches—assertive, rushed, friendly, or passive?

Debrief a pitch miscommunication—what signals or assumptions made it harder to connect?

Invite a peer from another sector to explain how they read your pitch—seek insight on clarity.

Reframe “I’ve already pitched this” as “Have I framed it in a way investors or customers can absorb?”

Change “I don’t want to bother them” to “Clarity speeds progress—I’ll check in.”

Turn “I’m not a natural communicator” into “I’m learning to pitch clearly and thoughtfully.”

Recast a pitch misunderstanding as insight—what gap did it reveal between intent and perception?

Shift “I’ll do it myself” to “If I explain well, others can help and grow too.”

See listening as an active part of pitching—engagement is a two-way responsibility.

Watch how investors or peers react—confusion, nodding, silence—what signals do you often miss?

Track how many questions follow your pitch—do people need clarity or take action confidently?

Observe when people lose attention—was your message too long, vague, or misaligned?

Pay attention to tone and pacing in pitches—do they shift with stress or audience type?

Notice which pitch formats land best—deck, story, demo? Adapt to what resonates.

Watch someone who pitches clearly—what words, timing, and structure do they always use?

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