MASTER Risk Model - Learning Resources - Abilities

Leadership

Ask your team: “What one adjustment from me would help you perform better right now?”

Write a one-sentence leadership anchor that reflects how you manage up and down—repeat it before meetings.

Thank one team member publicly for a contribution—make recognition visible and tied to results.

Schedule 15 minutes today to connect with a direct report informally—listen without steering the talk.

Share one personal learning or challenge with your team—model openness and strengthen trust.

Sit in one meeting as an observer only—practice presence and active listening instead of leading.

Reflect on a senior leader who shaped your growth—what consistent behaviors can you model with your team?

Journal about a recent difficult leadership choice—what did you learn about your influence on results?

Write down three leadership strengths you rely on most—where do they serve you, and where do they limit you?

List ways your leadership style has shifted as your team grew—what experiences pushed those changes?

Write about a time you felt unprepared to lead—what did it teach you about clarity, influence, or resilience?

Think about your leadership “default mode”—is it coaching, directing, or supporting, and when is it effective?

Share your department’s vision publicly with your team—invite feedback and show how it ties to company direction.

Delegate a project you usually keep—coach someone through delivery instead of taking it back yourself.

Have the difficult performance conversation you’ve delayed—focus on clarity and fairness over comfort.

Ask each direct report: “What’s one thing we could change in our department if you were in charge?”

Volunteer to lead a project outside your core department—practice influencing beyond your scope.

Pause in your next leadership meeting and ask: “What am I missing?”—invite alternative perspectives.

Ask your direct reports: “When do I support your work best, and when do I create bottlenecks?”—note patterns.

Request 360-style feedback from your team only on your leadership presence—listen fully before replying.

Share your leadership growth goals with a peer leader—ask them to hold you accountable for progress.

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

Ask a peer leader with a different style how they approach influence—compare and adapt techniques.

Discuss with a trusted colleague how each of you builds credibility with senior leadership—share stories.

Reframe “I must solve everything myself” as “I need to ask sharper questions and guide others’ answers.”

Turn “Strong leaders never waver” into “Strong leaders adapt when conditions change.”

Recast “My job is to decide” as “My job is to enable smart decisions at multiple levels.”

Instead of “I should’ve led better,” say “That challenge gave me insight for the next time.”

Shift from “I need to fix this issue” to “How can I empower the team to solve it collectively?”

View vulnerability not as weakness but as credibility—showing it builds trust upward and down.

Watch your tone in team updates—do you project confidence, curiosity, or pressure? What culture does it set?

Observe how peers react to your presence—do they see you as approachable, directive, or distant?

Track who dominates meetings—what power dynamics do you reinforce unintentionally?

Notice your posture under pressure—are you signaling composure, urgency, or defensiveness?

Monitor when you revert to fixing details instead of coaching—what drives that default?

Pay attention to how deputies lead when you’re absent—what culture carries forward without you?

Collaboration

Begin your next cross-team meeting by letting another manager frame the context—observe the dynamic shift.

Send a quick thank-you to a peer or stakeholder who backed your team this week—reinforce trust visibly.

Ask a teammate: “What task could I take off your plate today to ease workload?”—model shared ownership.

Offer to co-create a draft with another manager instead of finalizing alone—share ownership early.

Suggest a short working session with peers instead of long emails—build solutions in real time.

Add a “Collaboration Wins” slide to your next team deck—show one thing achieved better together.

Reflect on your collaboration style across departments—are you directive, facilitative, or adaptive in approach?

Journal about a recent cross-team project that worked well—what behaviors created alignment and smooth delivery?

Write about a collaboration that failed across departments—what assumptions or silos blocked success?

List three collaboration strengths you bring to cross-functional work—how do they consistently show up in practice?

Write about a team you loved leading—what specific norms or behaviors made collaboration so effective?

Think about the last time you asked for input early—what changed in the quality of the final outcome?

Assign a team member to lead part of a joint task—step back and support their approach to build confidence.

Connect two colleagues from different teams working on related issues—facilitate their collaboration.

Replace a long draft with a shared doc—invite peers to co-create in real time instead of refining alone.

Take a colleague’s suggestion and apply it immediately—report back on how it improved the outcome.

Offer to act as the connector between two functions—own cross-department communication flow.

Open a brainstorming session by saying: “Let’s build on each idea before critiquing”—set the tone.

Ask a peer manager: “What’s one thing I do that strengthens or weakens collaboration between our teams?”

Share your experience of a cross-team project—invite the other lead to share theirs and compare lessons.

Ask for feedback on how much airtime you take in cross-functional meetings—do you leave room for others?

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

Debrief a cross-team project—what strengthened collaboration, and what got in the way?

Ask a peer who collaborates well: “What do you intentionally do to make teamwork smoother?”

Reframe “I can push this faster alone” as “We’ll deliver better if we align across departments.”

Shift “It’s hard to get buy-in” to “Maybe I need to engage earlier or more clearly.”

Instead of “They don’t get it,” ask “What might senior leaders see that I’ve missed?”

Recast tension with peers as creative friction—how can it sharpen the outcome?

Reframe ownership as shared momentum—how do we ensure this is a team win, not a solo win?

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

Observe who contributes most and least in cross-team meetings—how balanced is the participation?

Watch how peers build on each other’s input—what does effective collaboration sound like in your context?

Track your instinct to cut in or finish others’ thoughts—what does that reveal about your style?

Notice how trust builds across teams—what behaviors or rituals strengthen shared confidence?

Observe how teams handle conflict—do they avoid, escalate, or turn it into progress?

Pay attention to how credit is distributed—what does it reveal about recognition norms in your team?

Communication

Draft your next update in one crisp sentence—practice saying it aloud until it lands without confusion.

Ask a colleague to rate if your last update was clear—revise today based on their honest perspective.

Pause after your next point—let silence create space for others to respond before moving forward.

Use bullet points instead of paragraphs in your next message—make intent scannable and actionable.

Record yourself explaining a complex topic—play it back and refine for clarity and confidence.

Edit one of your emails today—replace filler with precise words that deliver focus and intent.

Reflect on a recent time your update to senior leaders fell flat—what caused the gap, and how could it improve?

Journal about your communication habits with executives—do you over-explain, under-summarize, or adapt clearly?

Write about someone who communicates with authority upward—what techniques make them effective and clear?

List how often you listen to understand versus listen to respond—what patterns do you notice in yourself?

Write about your communication style in high pressure—assertive, vague, direct? When did it help or hinder?

Think about three words others might use to describe your communication—do they align with your intent?

Summarize a complex update in under 60 seconds—deliver it verbally or in writing to a senior stakeholder.

Follow up with one peer leader today—be intentional, concise, and clear in your outreach.

Close your next team meeting with: “Here’s what we decided, who owns it, and when it’s due.”

Reframe your viewpoint by first restating another leader’s perspective—show understanding before adding yours.

Use a communication format you rarely choose—present with visuals instead of text, or voice instead of slides.

Send an appreciation message with specifics—praise a peer or report for behavior, not just outcome.

Ask a colleague: “How clear is my communication upward—do I over-explain, or miss key points?”

Request feedback on your last presentation—was it structured, clear, and tailored to the audience?

Share your intent to improve clarity—ask a peer to flag if your messages drift or get too vague.

Ask a colleague to describe how your tone comes across in senior updates—assertive, rushed, or hesitant?

Debrief a miscommunication with a colleague—what signals or assumptions caused confusion?

Invite a peer from another function to explain how they interpret your department’s messages—note insights.

Reframe “I already shared it” as “Have I framed it in a way senior leaders can absorb?”

Change “I don’t want to disturb executives” to “Clarity helps them decide faster—I’ll check in.”

Turn “I’m not clear enough” into “I’m learning to simplify and make key points stick.”

Recast a misstep in communication as insight—what gap between intent and perception did it show?

Shift “It’s quicker to do it myself” to “If I explain well, others can grow while helping.”

See listening not as pausing but as active engagement—understanding is part of influence.

Watch how your team responds during briefings—do they nod, question, or stay quiet? What do you miss?

Track how many clarifications follow your message—do people leave clear or confused about next steps?

Observe when attention fades in discussions—was the message too abstract, rushed, or misaligned?

Pay attention to your delivery speed—does it change with senior presence, authority, or resistance?

Notice which formats land best with leadership—slide decks, summaries, or detailed reports?

Watch one skilled communicator—what tone, timing, or structure makes them consistently clear?

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