MASTER Risk Model - Learning Resources - Abilities

Leadership

Ask your staff: “What’s one thing I could do this week to make your service role easier?”

Write a one-sentence leadership mantra that reflects how you want to serve—repeat it before each client interaction.

Thank a staff member publicly for their contribution—recognition is a core leadership behavior.

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

Share one personal service story to model openness and build trust with your team.

Observe one client meeting quietly without speaking unless necessary—practice active presence as a leadership move.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Delegate a service task you usually hold onto—trust a colleague to deliver and coach instead of doing.

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

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

Volunteer to lead a project outside your usual service 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 service best—and when do I unintentionally hold us back?”

Request staff 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 staff 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 peer how each of you builds staff 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 data comes.”

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

Instead of “I should’ve handled that client 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 team huddle by asking someone else to open—share early ownership to create shared space.

Send a quick thank-you to a team member who supported a client this week—build appreciation through recognition.

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

Offer to co-create a client solution rather than finalize something alone—invite collaboration from the start.

Suggest a working session instead of back-and-forth emails—use time together to create, not just coordinate.

Add a “Collaboration Wins” slide to your next deck—highlight one client solution built better together.

Reflect on your collaboration style—do you tend to direct, support, share, or adapt with partners?

Journal about a service collaboration that went well—what made it productive and smooth for everyone?

Explore a time when teamwork failed—what misalignments or assumptions blocked a better outcome?

Write down your top three collaboration strengths—how do they show up in client-facing work?

Think of a client project you loved—what team habits made it effective and enjoyable?

Reflect on when you last asked for client or team input early—what changed in the outcome?

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

Proactively connect two people working with the same client—facilitate collaboration beyond your own role.

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

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

Offer to be the bridge in a cross-team project—own communication across different service 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 teamwork with clients?”—listen without interrupting.

Share your experience of serving a client—then invite a colleague to share theirs and compare for learning.

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

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

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

Ask someone skilled at teamwork: “What do you intentionally do to make it easier for others?”

Reframe “It’s faster if I handle this” as “It’s stronger if we build it together.”

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

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

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

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

View resistance not as opposition but as a sign of missing context or client 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 client call, write down your core message in one sentence—practice saying it clearly and warmly.

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

Use a pause after making a point—let others respond instead of rushing to fill silence.

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

Record yourself explaining a service process—replay and refine how clearly you deliver the message.

Replace filler phrases with one clear word—edit your client email or proposal for direct, focused language.

Reflect on a recent time your message confused a client—what caused the gap, and how could it improve?

Journal about your communication with clients—do you over-explain, under-clarify, or adapt effectively?

Think about a colleague who communicates well with clients—what makes their style effective and clear?

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

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

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

Summarize a complex service idea in under 60 seconds—share it verbally or in writing with a client.

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 client’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 a client: “How do you experience my communication—clear, rushed, or confusing?”

Request feedback on a recent client email—was the structure effective, and did the tone match expectations?

Share your goal to improve clarity—invite a peer to flag when your client messages get lost or vague.

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

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

Invite a trusted peer to explain how they interpret your client messages—seek insight.

Reframe “I’ve already explained it” as “Have I explained it in a way the client 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 a clear and thoughtful one.”

Recast a service error as insight—what did it reveal about the gap between intent and delivery?

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

See listening as part of service communication, not a pause—engagement is a two-way exchange.

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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