MASTER Risk Model - Learning Resources - Abilities

Leadership

Ask your lab group: “What’s one thing I could do this week to make collaboration easier?”

Write a one-sentence leadership mantra about how you want to contribute in group work—repeat it before key discussions.

Thank someone publicly in your cohort for their effort—recognition builds academic community.

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

Share one personal challenge in class or lab to model openness and build trust with peers.

Observe one seminar silently without contributing—practice active presence as a leadership move.

Reflect on a professor who positively shaped your studies—what behaviors did they consistently demonstrate?

Journal about a recent leadership moment in class—what did you learn about your influence and decision-making?

Write down three leadership strengths you bring to study groups—how often do you use them, and where can you improve?

Explore how your leadership style has changed during your studies—what experiences shaped that evolution?

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

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

Share a study or career goal publicly with your cohort—invite feedback and commit to the next step.

Delegate one responsibility in group work that you usually hold—coach and support instead of doing it all.

Have a difficult academic conversation you’ve been avoiding—prepare carefully and prioritize clarity.

Ask a peer this week: “What’s one thing you’d change in this course if you could?”

Volunteer to lead a project outside your usual scope—practice influence in a different academic domain.

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

Ask your study group: “When do I lead best—and when do I unintentionally hold us back?”

Request feedback focused only on your leadership in group work—listen fully before explaining.

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

Invite a classmate to share how they see your leadership style—look for gaps between intent and impact.

Ask someone who leads differently to describe their approach—what could you adapt to your own studies?

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

Reframe “I need all the answers” as “I need to ask stronger research questions.”

Turn “Being strong means being certain” into “Real strength is adapting when new data arrives.”

Recast “My job is to decide” as “My role is to create conditions for smart group choices.”

Instead of “I should’ve done better,” say “That moment gave me data for next time.”

Shift from “I need to fix this” to “How can we solve this together as a group?”

View vulnerability not as weakness but as leadership capital—it builds trust in academia.

Watch your language in group work—do you lead with certainty, curiosity, or hesitation? What tone does it set?

Observe how peers respond to your presence—do they lean in, hold back, or look for guidance?

Track who speaks and who doesn’t in seminars—what dynamics are reinforced?

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

Monitor when you default to “doing” instead of “guiding”—what belief drives that?

Pay attention to how peers lead when you’re absent—what culture does your presence leave behind?

Collaboration

Start your next seminar by inviting a peer to share first—shift the tone toward shared contribution.

Send a quick thank-you to someone who gave feedback this week—reinforce appreciation and connection.

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

Offer to co-develop a section rather than finalizing one alone—invite collaboration from the start.

Suggest a working session instead of sending multiple emails—use time together to create, not just coordinate.

Add a “Collaboration Wins” slide to your next presentation—highlight what worked better together.

Reflect on your collaboration style in group work—are you more directive, participative, supportive, or adaptive?

Journal about a group project that went well—what behaviors made it productive and smooth?

Explore a time when collaboration failed in group work—what assumptions or misalignments played a role?

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

Think of a study group you enjoyed—what norms or communication habits made it so effective?

Reflect on when you last asked for peer input early—what changed in the final outcome?

Let a peer lead part of a group task this week—trust their approach and support their direction.

Proactively connect two classmates working on similar topics—help them share knowledge beyond your circle.

Start a shared doc instead of sending a draft—invite classmates to co-create ideas in real time.

Take a peer’s suggestion and apply it immediately—then share how it improved your outcome.

Offer to be the bridge between two student groups—own communication across perspectives.

Begin a brainstorming session with: “Let’s build on each other instead of critiquing early ideas.”

Ask a teammate: “What’s something I do that helps or hinders group work?”—listen without interrupting.

Share your experience of collaborating with someone—then invite them to share theirs and compare.

Request feedback on how well you share space in discussions—do you create space or dominate?

Ask a peer how you handle disagreement—do they see openness or defensiveness?

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

Ask a peer known for collaboration: “What do you intentionally do to make it easier for others?”

Reframe “I could do this faster alone” as “We’ll go further if we study together.”

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

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

Recast conflict as useful tension—how can it lead to a better academic solution?

Reframe ownership as shared momentum—how do we make this project a collective win?

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

Observe who speaks most and least in discussions—how balanced is input, and how do you support quieter voices?

Watch how peers build on ideas—what does constructive collaboration sound like in your group?

Track your instinct to interrupt, finish sentences, or take control—what does it reveal about your style?

Notice how peer trust builds—what specific moments or actions strengthen confidence?

Observe how peers handle disagreement—do they avoid, confront, or resolve productively?

Pay attention to how often credit is shared vs. centralized—what does that reveal about group culture?

Communication

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

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

Use a pause after making a point—let others respond instead of filling the silence too quickly.

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

Record yourself explaining a complex idea—replay and refine how clearly you communicate.

Replace filler phrases with one clear word—edit your essay or talk for direct, precise language.

Reflect on a recent time your explanation wasn’t clear—what caused confusion, and how could you improve?

Journal about your academic communication habits—do you over-explain, under-clarify, or adapt to your audience?

Think about someone who explains ideas clearly—what techniques make them easy to understand and follow?

Reflect on how often you listen to understand versus listen to respond—what do you gain or miss by each?

Explore your default communication style under stress—assertive, indirect, unclear? When is it helpful or harmful?

Write down three words peers might use to describe your communication—do they align with your intent?

Summarize a complex academic idea in under 60 seconds—share it with a non-expert friend.

Choose one peer to follow up with today—be intentional, clear, and concise in your outreach.

Facilitate a meeting and close with: “Here’s what we agreed, what’s next, and who’s doing it.”

Reframe your opinion by first restating the other person’s point—show understanding before adding yours.

Use a communication medium you rarely use—try voice instead of text, or visuals instead of words.

Send a specific appreciation message to a peer—practice giving clear, behavior-based praise.

Ask someone: “How do you experience my presentation style—clear, rushed, or unclear?”

Request feedback on a recent email or draft—was the structure effective, and did the tone fit the audience?

Share your goal to improve clarity—invite a peer to flag when your message gets vague or confusing.

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

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

Invite a peer from another discipline to explain how they interpret your research communication.

Reframe “I’ve already said it” as “Have I explained it in a way they can absorb?”

Change “I don’t want to bother them” to “Clarity helps us move faster—I’ll check in.”

Turn “I’m not a natural communicator” into “I’m learning to be clear and thoughtful.”

Recast a communication mistake as insight—what gap did it reveal between intent and impact?

Shift “I’ll just do it myself” to “If I explain it well, peers can help or grow too.”

See listening as part of communication, not just silence—engagement is two-way.

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

Track how many questions follow your explanation—do peers need clarity or act confidently?

Observe when others lose attention—was your message too long, off-topic, or unclear?

Pay attention to your tone and pacing—does it shift with stress, authority, or audience type?

Notice which formats land best—slides, speech, visuals? Adapt to what works, not just habit.

Watch someone who communicates clearly—what words, tone, or timing do they consistently use?

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