MASTER Risk Model - Learning Resources - Abilities

Leadership

Ask your direct reports: “What’s one shift I could make this week that would help you deliver better?”

Draft a one-sentence leadership mantra that reflects how you want to be remembered—read it before calls.

Thank a senior colleague publicly for a contribution—use recognition to reinforce collective standards.

Call one leader outside your team for a 15-minute check-in—listen without agenda or immediate asks.

Share one leadership story that shaped your values—use it to model openness with your team.

Sit silently for one executive meeting unless necessary—practice presence and observation as power.

Journal about a senior leader you admire—what consistent actions built their long-term influence?

Reflect on a difficult leadership moment—what did it teach you about power, trust, and influence?

Write down three leadership strengths you rely on—how often do you use them, and where are gaps?

Reflect on how your leadership style has evolved—what inflection points forced adaptation?

Journal about a time you failed to lead strongly—what did you learn about clarity and conviction?

Reflect on your leadership “default mode”—directive, coaching, or visionary—when does it serve best?

Share a bold vision with your board or executives—invite scrutiny and commit to addressing concerns.

Delegate a high-visibility task you usually keep—coach a direct report instead of doing it yourself.

Hold the difficult conversation you’ve avoided—prioritize candor, fairness, and organizational trust.

Ask direct reports: “What’s one strategic shift you’d make if you held my role?”

Volunteer to lead a transformation initiative outside your usual domain—expand influence.

In your next exec meeting, pause to ask: “What am I not seeing?”—model reflective leadership.

Ask your executive team: “When am I most effective—and when do I unintentionally hold us back?”

Request board-level 360 feedback on your leadership impact—listen fully before offering explanations.

Share your leadership commitments with a fellow CEO—ask them to hold you accountable for one visible shift.

Invite a direct report to share their perception of your leadership style—where does intent diverge from impact?

Ask a fellow senior leader to describe their approach to influence—what could you adapt for yourself?

Compare with a fellow executive how each of you builds trust with teams—share methods and stories.

Reframe “I need to decide everything” as “I need to frame the right questions for others to solve.”

Turn “Strength means certainty” into “Real strength is adapting when evidence shifts.”

Recast “My role is to provide answers” as “My role is to create conditions for sound enterprise decisions.”

Instead of “I mishandled that board discussion,” say “That moment gave me data to refine my approach.”

Shift from “I must fix this” to “How can I empower the executive team to solve this collectively?”

View vulnerability not as weakness but as executive capital—authenticity builds long-term trust.

Watch your language in board or leadership forums—do you project certainty, inquiry, or caution?

Observe how peers respond to your presence—do they lean in for clarity, hedge, or hold back?

Track who speaks freely and who hesitates in exec sessions—what culture are you reinforcing?

Notice your body language under scrutiny—are you modeling steadiness, urgency, or defensiveness?

Monitor when you default to solving yourself versus enabling others—what beliefs drive that shift?

Pay attention to how culture operates when you’re absent—what legacy does your leadership leave behind?

Collaboration

Open your next leadership meeting by inviting another executive to set the tone—model shared space.

Send a personal note of thanks to a peer who backed your initiative this week—recognize it immediately.

Ask a peer CEO or senior leader: “What can I take off your plate today?”—model cross-executive support.

Suggest starting a co-creation session instead of waiting for finalized plans—invite senior peers early.

Suggest one high-stakes working session instead of long threads—create together, not in fragments.

Add a “Collaboration Wins” slide to your next deck—spotlight one example of joint achievement.

Reflect on how you manage collaboration across functions—do you direct, empower, or strategically adapt?

Journal about a collaboration with peers that excelled—what made it smooth and strategically aligned?

Journal about a failed collaboration—what hidden misalignments or power dynamics derailed it?

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

Write about a team you loved working with—what culture and norms made it extraordinary?

Reflect on when you last asked peers for input early—what shifted in the outcome because of timing?

Let a peer executive lead a segment of discussion—trust their approach and reinforce their authority.

Connect two leaders across silos who face similar challenges—broker their collaboration.

Replace sending a deck with convening a live workshop—invite peers to co-create strategy.

Take a peer’s suggestion and implement it visibly—share how it shaped enterprise outcomes.

Position yourself as bridge in a cross-unit project—own integration and communication flow.

Open a brainstorming round by saying: “Let’s expand ideas before critiquing early.”

Ask a peer in another division: “What do I do that helps or hinders cross-unit collaboration?”—listen without defending.

Share your experience of partnering with another business unit—ask them to share theirs for joint learning.

Request feedback on how you shape boardroom dialogue—do you create space for others or dominate?

Ask a peer how you show up in conflict—do they see openness or defensiveness?

Debrief with your executive team after a cross-unit project—what advanced collaboration, and what held it back?

Ask a peer CEO known for collaboration: “What do you intentionally do to make it easier for others?”

Reframe “I’ll drive this alone” as “The board and team must share ownership to go further.”

Shift “It’s hard to get candid input” to “Maybe I haven’t created safe space to surface it.”

Instead of “They don’t get the vision,” ask “What vantage point might they see that I haven’t considered?”

Recast conflict at the C-suite as productive tension—how can it yield sharper outcomes?

Reframe ownership as shared momentum—how do we turn this into a cross-enterprise win?

View resistance not as rejection but as unmet context—what needs explanation or alignment?

Observe whose voices dominate in cross-functional reviews—how balanced is input across the enterprise?

Watch how executive teams build on ideas—what does constructive debate sound like at your level?

Track your instinct to interject or control—what does it reveal about your leadership default?

Notice how trust builds among senior teams—what moments strengthen or erode confidence?

Observe how C-suite peers handle disagreement—do they avoid, confront, or transform it into strategy?

Pay attention to how recognition is shared—what does that reveal about executive culture?

Communication

Before your next board prep, write your key message in one sentence—practice delivering it with impact.

Ask a trusted advisor if your last communication was crystal clear—refine it today with their input.

Pause for five seconds after your next statement—allow space for others’ reactions to surface.

In your next strategy note, use bullets instead of paragraphs—make decisions faster to act on.

Record yourself explaining strategy in two minutes—replay and refine your clarity and tone.

Replace one filler word in your next call—edit for precision and authority.

Reflect on a recent time your message fell flat—what signals did you miss, and how could clarity improve?

Reflect on your communication habits—do you simplify, over-explain, or adapt for diverse audiences?

Think of a leader who communicates crisply—what techniques make their style so effective in crises?

Reflect on how often you listen to learn versus listening to respond—what changes when you slow down?

Reflect on your default communication under stress—authoritative, vague, or adaptive? What impact?

Write down three words the board might use for your communication—do they match your intent?

Summarize a market shift in under 60 seconds—present it concisely to peers or the board.

Choose one stakeholder to follow up with today—deliver a clear, concise, high-value update.

Close a meeting by stating: “Here’s what we decided, what’s next, and who owns it.”

Reframe an opposing view by first restating it—model respect before offering your position.

Use a channel you rarely choose—try video, infographic, or briefing instead of text.

Send a note of appreciation with specifics—recognize behaviors that reinforce strategy.

Ask a trusted advisor: “How do you experience my communication with stakeholders—clear, rushed, or unclear?”

Request feedback on a shareholder communication—was it structured and framed for maximum impact?

Share your clarity goals with a peer—ask them to flag moments where your messaging could sharpen.

Ask a board member how your tone comes across—measured, rushed, persuasive, or assertive?

Debrief a misalignment with a stakeholder—what signals or assumptions created the gap?

Invite a communications advisor to critique how external audiences interpret your messaging.

Reframe “I’ve already said it” as “Have I framed it in a way that stakeholders can absorb and repeat?”

Change “I don’t want to bother them” to “Clarity accelerates progress—I’ll check in directly.”

Turn “I’m not a natural communicator” into “I’m developing clarity as a leadership advantage.”

Recast miscommunication as intelligence—what did it reveal about the gap between intent and perception?

Shift “I’ll rework it myself” to “If I brief clearly, others can scale the impact.”

See listening not as silence but as strategic presence—engagement builds confidence.

Watch how your top stakeholders react—silence, pushback, or support—what signals do you often miss?

Track how many clarifying questions follow your communication—are you leaving room for confident action?

Observe when stakeholder attention fades—too detailed, too vague, or misaligned with needs?

Pay attention to your tone under pressure—does it shift with board, media, or internal audiences?

Notice which formats land best for stakeholders—narrative, visuals, metrics? Adapt to audience, not habit.

Watch how top communicators operate—what words, timing, and framing do they consistently use?

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