MASTER Risk Model - Learning Resources - Abilities

Leadership

Ask your leadership team: “What’s one thing I could do this week to better support your growth role?”

Write a one-sentence leadership mantra that reflects how you want to lead during scaling—repeat it before each key moment.

Thank a scaling leader publicly for their contribution—recognition strengthens culture at scale.

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

Share a personal scaling challenge with your team—model openness and build trust.

Observe one leadership meeting quietly without speaking—practice active presence and let others lead.

Reflect on a leader who shaped your growth mindset—what consistent behaviors stood out?

Journal about a tough leadership moment at scale—what did it reveal about your influence?

Write down three leadership strengths you use when scaling—how often do you apply them well?

Reflect on how your leadership evolved during scaling—what experiences shaped the shift?

Reflect on a moment you struggled to lead during scaling—what did you learn about clarity?

Reflect on your leadership “default mode” in scale—directive, coaching, or supportive? When is it effective?

Share a stretch vision publicly with your scaling team—invite pushback and commit to shaping the path forward.

Delegate a scaling decision you usually hold—coach your team to deliver instead of stepping in.

Have the tough scaling conversation you’ve avoided—prepare well and lead with clarity.

Ask each direct report: “What’s one scaling barrier you’d remove if you were in charge?”

Volunteer to lead an initiative outside your comfort zone—expand your leadership influence.

In your next exec meeting, pause and ask: “What am I missing here?”—model open leadership.

Ask your leadership team: “When do I add clarity, and when do I unintentionally create bottlenecks?”

Request 360 feedback focused only on your leadership during scaling—listen fully before you explain.

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

Invite a senior hire to share how they perceive your scaling style—look for gaps between intent and impact.

Ask someone who leads differently to describe their scaling approach—what could you adapt for your context?

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

Reframe “I need to set all direction” as “I need to ask sharper questions to guide the team.”

Turn “Being decisive means being rigid” into “Real strength is adapting when scale reveals new needs.”

Recast “My job is to decide everything” as “My job is to create conditions for smart scaling choices.”

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

Shift “I need to fix scaling issues” to “How can I enable the team to solve them together?”

View vulnerability during scaling not as weakness but as credibility—it builds trust in leadership.

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 leadership meeting by inviting another leader to open—shift ownership early to build trust.

Send a quick thank-you to a team member who handled a scaling challenge—reinforce appreciation.

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

Offer to co-create a scaling solution rather than finalize one alone—invite collaboration upfront.

Suggest a working session instead of long email threads—use time together to solve scaling issues.

Add a “Collaboration Wins” slide to your next deck—highlight one cross-team success.

Reflect on your scaling collaboration style—are you directive, supportive, adaptive, or hands-off?

Journal about a scaling collaboration that went smoothly—what made it efficient and productive?

Reflect on a time scaling collaboration broke down—what assumptions or gaps drove failure?

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

Think of a scaling team you loved—what shared practices made them strong?

Reflect on when you last sought input early in scaling—what shifted in the outcome?

Let a team lead own part of a scaling project—step back and support their direction instead of taking over.

Proactively connect two teams facing similar scaling challenges—encourage cross-team problem solving.

Start a shared doc for scaling ideas—invite your team to co-create in real time.

Take a suggestion from your team and apply it immediately—share how it improved the scaling outcome.

Step into a cross-team scaling project—act as the bridge across perspectives and departments.

Start your next brainstorming session with: “Let’s build on each idea before we critique.”

Ask a senior hire: “What’s something I do that helps or hinders collaboration as we grow?”—listen carefully.

Share your experience of cross-team scaling—invite others to share theirs and compare approaches.

Request feedback on how you share space in leadership meetings—do you enable or dominate?

Ask a colleague how you handle disagreement—do they see openness or defensiveness as you grow?

Debrief your last cross-team scaling effort—what helped or blocked collaboration, and what would you change?

Ask a leader who excels at scaling collaboration: “What do you intentionally do to make it easier for others?”

Reframe “It’s quicker if I decide” as “Scaling works best when we build decisions together.”

Shift “It’s hard to get input” to “Maybe I haven’t built easy ways to engage feedback.”

Instead of “They don’t get it,” ask “What do they see from their scaling perspective that I don’t?”

Recast conflict as creative tension—what scaling improvements can emerge from the clash?

Reframe ownership as shared momentum—how do we turn this scaling step into a collective win?

View resistance not as opposition but as a signal of misaligned 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 investor or team update, write down your core message in one sentence—practice saying it clearly.

Ask a colleague if your last scaling update was clear—revise based on their honest input today.

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

In your next scaling email, use bullet points instead of paragraphs—make the message easy to scan.

Record yourself explaining a complex scaling plan—replay and refine how clearly you deliver it.

Replace filler phrases with one precise word—edit your scaling update for direct language.

Reflect on a time your scaling update was unclear—what caused the gap, and how could you improve it?

Journal about your scaling communication—do you over-explain, oversimplify, or adapt to your audience?

Reflect on a communicator who handles scale well—what practices make them easy to follow?

Reflect on how often you listen to understand during scale—what do you gain or miss each time?

Reflect on your default style when stressed by scale—assertive, cautious, or unclear? When is it useful?

Write down three words others might use for your scaling communication—do they match your intent?

Summarize your scaling strategy in 60 seconds—share it verbally with a new hire or advisor for clarity.

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

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

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

Use a medium you rarely choose for updates—try a short video instead of text, or visuals instead of words.

Send one appreciation message with specifics—praise clear, scaling-related behaviors.

Ask a team member: “How do you experience my scaling updates—clear, rushed, or confusing?”

Request feedback on a scaling update—was the structure clear, and did the tone match the urgency?

Share one scaling message with a peer—ask them to flag when it gets too vague or complex.

Ask a peer how your tone comes across in scaling updates—assertive, rushed, cautious, or inspiring?

Debrief a miscommunication from a scaling update—what signals or assumptions made it harder to land?

Invite an external advisor to explain how they interpret your company’s scaling story—seek clarity.

Reframe “I’ve told them once” as “Have I framed it in a way my scaling team can absorb?”

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

Turn “I’m not a natural communicator” into “I’m learning to share scaling updates more clearly.”

Recast a communication miss as insight—what gap in alignment did it highlight for scaling?

Shift “It’s faster if I do it” to “If I explain well, others can scale this too.”

See listening in scaling updates as co-ownership, not a pause—engagement is a shared duty.

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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