MASTER Risk Model - Learning Resources - Abilities

Leadership

Ask your team: “What’s one thing I could do this week to better support our joint project?”

Write a one-sentence leadership mantra for how you want to lead your startup team—repeat before group work.

Thank someone publicly for their contribution in class—recognition builds leadership credibility.

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

Share one personal struggle with your team—model openness and build trust.

Observe one meeting silently without speaking—practice presence and active listening.

Reflect on a founder who inspired you—what consistent actions made them effective leaders?

Journal about a leadership moment in your startup class—what did it teach you about decision-making?

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

Explore how your leadership style has evolved—what experiences shaped that development?

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, coaching? When is it most effective?

Share your startup vision publicly with classmates—invite feedback and commit to refining it.

Delegate something you usually hold tightly—trust a peer to deliver while you coach or advise.

Have a tough conversation you’ve been avoiding—prioritize clarity over comfort.

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

Volunteer to lead a project outside your comfort zone—practice influence in a new space.

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

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

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

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

Invite a peer to share how they perceive your leadership style—compare intent and impact.

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

Discuss with a peer how each of you builds trust—compare approaches and lessons.

Reframe “I need to know it all” as “I need to ask better questions of mentors and peers.”

Turn “Being strong means being certain” into “Strength means adjusting when new data appears.”

Recast “My job is to decide” as “My job is to create space for smart choices to emerge.”

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

Shift from “I need to fix this” to “How can I empower my team to solve it together?”

View vulnerability not as weakness but as credibility—sharing it builds trust.

Watch your tone when speaking—do you project curiosity, certainty, or doubt? How does it land?

Observe how teammates respond to your presence—do they lean in, hold back, or follow your lead?

Track who speaks most and least in team settings—what roles do you reinforce?

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

Monitor when you default to doing instead of guiding—what beliefs drive that?

Pay attention to how peers lead when you’re absent—what culture continues without you?

Collaboration

Start your next group meeting by asking a peer to open—shift early ownership to create shared space.

Send a quick thank-you to someone who gave feedback this week—build trust through acknowledgment.

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

Offer to co-create a solution instead of finalizing one alone—invite collaboration from the start.

Suggest a working session instead of more emails—use shared time to build solutions faster.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Let someone else lead part of a project this week—trust their approach and support their choices.

Proactively connect two peers working on related ideas—help collaboration grow beyond your circle.

Start a shared doc instead of emailing a draft—invite peers to co-create in real time.

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

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

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

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

Share your experience of collaborating—invite your peer to share theirs and compare for learning.

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

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

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

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

Reframe “I could finish this faster alone” as “We’ll create more if I build with others.”

Shift “It’s hard to get buy-in” to “Maybe I haven’t made it easy enough to engage others.”

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

Reframe conflict as creative tension—how can this sharpen the solution?

Reframe ownership as shared progress—how do we win as a team, not as individuals?

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

Observe who dominates group work and who stays quiet—how balanced is participation, and how can you help?

Watch how peers build on ideas—what makes collaboration flow smoothly?

Track your urge to interrupt or finish others’ thoughts—what does that reveal about your style?

Notice moments that build trust in teams—what behaviors make confidence stronger?

Observe how peers handle disagreement—avoidance, confrontation, or constructive debate?

Pay attention to how credit is shared—what does that reflect about team culture?

Communication

Before your next pitch, write your core message in one sentence—practice saying it clearly and persuasively.

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

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

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

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

Replace filler words in your draft with one precise term—edit for focus and impact.

Reflect on a time your pitch wasn’t clear—what caused the disconnect, and how could you improve?

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

Think of someone who explains clearly—what techniques make their communication easy to follow?

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

Explore your default style under stress—assertive, indirect, unclear? When does it help or hurt?

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

Summarize your concept in under 60 seconds—share it with someone outside your field.

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

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

Reframe your opinion by restating a peer’s view first—show understanding before adding yours.

Use a communication format you rarely choose—try video instead of text, or visuals instead of slides.

Send a thank-you message with specifics—practice giving clear, authentic feedback.

Ask someone: “How do you experience my pitch delivery—clear, rushed, or confusing?”

Request feedback on a draft pitch deck—was it clear, persuasive, and aligned with your intent?

Share your goal to improve clarity—ask a peer to flag when your message is unclear.

Ask a peer to describe your pitch tone—friendly, rushed, confident, or hesitant?

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

Invite someone outside your program to explain how they interpret your communication style.

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

Change “I don’t want to bother them” to “Clarity saves time—I’ll check in now.”

Reframe “I’m not a natural communicator” as “I’m learning to be clear and compelling.”

Recast a communication error as insight—what gap between intent and impact did it show?

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

See listening as active—not waiting to speak, but engaging fully.

Watch how peers react to your pitch—confusion, nodding, or silence—what signals do you miss?

Track how many clarifying questions follow your message—do people act confidently or hesitate?

Observe when classmates disengage—was the message unclear, too long, or misaligned?

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

Notice which formats land best—slides, demos, stories—what helps peers engage?

Watch someone skilled in communication—what words or structure make them clear?

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