MASTER Risk Model - Learning Resources - Abilities

Leadership

Ask a colleague: “What’s one thing I can do this week that would make your job easier?”

Write a one-sentence leadership statement you aspire to—repeat it before taking on a stretch responsibility.

Thank a colleague publicly for their effort—model visible recognition as a professional habit.

Schedule a 15-minute check-in with a colleague today—no agenda, just connection and listening.

Share a personal story or challenge in your team chat—model openness and build connection.

Observe one meeting silently unless essential—practice active presence and focused listening.

Reflect on a leader who positively shaped your career—what behaviors did they consistently demonstrate?

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

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

Explore how your leadership style has changed over time—what experiences shaped that evolution?

Reflect on a time you struggled to lead—what did that experience teach you about clarity or confidence?

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

Share a vision or goal publicly that stretches your team—invite feedback and commit to supporting the path forward.

Delegate something important that you usually hold onto—trust someone else to deliver and coach instead of doing.

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

Ask each direct report this week: “What’s one thing you’d change if you were in charge?”

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

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

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

Request 360 feedback focused only on your leadership impact—listen fully before explaining anything.

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

Invite a team member to share how they perceive your leadership style—look for gaps between intent and impact.

Ask someone who leads differently to describe their approach—what can you borrow or adapt from it?

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

Reframe “I need to have all the answers” as “I need to ask the right questions.”

Turn “Being strong means being certain” into “Real strength is adjusting when new information comes.”

Recast “My job is to decide” as “My job is to create conditions for smart decisions to emerge.”

Instead of “I should’ve handled that better,” say “That moment gave me data for 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—showing it builds credibility and trust.

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

Observe how others respond to your presence—do they lean in, hold back, or seek guidance?

Track who speaks and who doesn’t in meetings—what dynamics do you unintentionally reinforce?

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

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

Pay attention to how others lead when you're not present—what culture does your leadership leave behind?

Collaboration

Start your next meeting by letting a teammate open—practice sharing space and visibility early.

Send a quick thank-you message to someone who helped you this week—show appreciation with specifics.

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

Offer to co-create a draft with a teammate rather than finalizing it alone—build shared input early.

Suggest a working session instead of another email chain—solve something together live.

Add a “Team Wins” slide to your next deck—showcase something achieved together.

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

Journal about a recent collaboration that went well—what behaviors made it productive and smooth?

Explore a time when collaboration failed—what misalignments or assumptions played a role in the outcome?

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

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

Reflect on when you last asked for input early, not just at the end—what changed in the outcome?

Let someone else lead part of a shared task this week—trust their approach and support their direction.

Proactively connect two people working on similar issues—facilitate collaboration beyond your own circle.

Start a shared doc instead of sending a draft—invite others to co-create the idea in real time.

Take a colleague’s suggestion and apply it immediately—then share how it improved the final outcome.

Offer to be the bridge in a cross-team project—own communication across different perspectives.

Begin a brainstorming session by saying: “Let’s build off each other instead of critiquing early ideas.”

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

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

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

Ask a colleague how you respond to disagreement—do they experience openness or defensiveness?

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

Ask someone who collaborates well: “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 build this together.”

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

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

Recast conflict as creative tension—how can you use the difference to reach a better solution?

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

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

Observe who speaks most and least in meetings—how balanced is contribution, and how do you support others to engage?

Watch how others build on ideas—what does constructive collaboration sound like in your context?

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

Notice how trust builds in teams—what moments or behaviors contribute to shared confidence?

Observe how teams handle disagreement—do they avoid, confront, or use it productively?

Pay attention to how often credit is shared vs. centralized—what does that reflect about the team culture?

Communication

Before your next meeting, write down your main point in one sentence—practice saying it clearly and directly.

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

Pause for three seconds after making a point—let others respond instead of filling the silence.

Use bullet points in your next email instead of long text—make your intent easy to act on.

Record yourself explaining a task or idea—play it back and refine how clearly you express it.

Replace one filler phrase in an email with a stronger word—send it clearer and sharper.

Reflect on a recent time your message wasn’t received as intended—what caused the disconnect, and how could it improve?

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

Think about someone who communicates effectively—what techniques make them easy to understand and follow?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Send an appreciation message with specifics—practice giving clear, authentic, behavior-based praise.

Ask someone: “How do you experience my communication in meetings—clear, rushed, or unclear?”

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

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

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

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

Invite someone from another department to explain how they interpret your function’s messages—seek insight.

Reframe “I’ve already said it” as “Have I said it in a way they can absorb?”—adapt instead of repeat.

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 a clear and thoughtful one.”

Recast a communication error as insight—what did the misunderstanding reveal about the gap between intent and impact?

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

See listening as part of communication, not a pause between talking—engagement is a two-way responsibility.

Watch how your audience reacts—confusion, nodding, silence—what signals do you often miss or ignore?

Track how many questions follow your explanation—do people need clarification or take action confidently?

Observe when others lose interest—was the message too long, off-topic, or misaligned with needs?

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

Notice which formats work best for your team—written, spoken, visual? Adapt to what lands, not just what’s easiest.

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

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