Leadership Tools Pillar Activation Guide

Your pillar activation guide keeps you connected beyond your Groops sessions with key group connection concepts to review, discussion questions to continue to reflect on or talk about, and takeaways or things to try to apply new skills and knowledge together.

Groop 1: Self as Instrument: Self, Other, and the Space in Between

Group Connection Concept

Key Aspects of Self as Instrument

  • Authenticity and Genuineness - transparent about own reactions.

  • Use of Personal Reactions - share feelings in the moment.

  • Modeling Strong Working Relationships - empathy, respect, and collaboration.

  • Challenging and Supporting - challenge what might be getting in the employee’s way while providing space to explore, learn, and grow.

  • Cultural Curiosity - be curious about what you and the employee are bringing to the working relationship from your unique perspectives.

  • Self-reflection - leaders must regularly self-reflect and get consultation from peers / supervisors about what they are bringing to management.

Group Discussion Questions

Continue the Conversation

  • How do you imagine using “Self as Instrument” in your leadership?

  • What would be challenging about this?

  • What would the benefit be?

Takeaways or Things to Try

Take Action Together

  • Notice your habits of thinking when you are with your employee.

  • Notice how you often feel when you are with your employee.

  • Practice sharing your honest feelings / thoughts in the moment when you are meeting your employee / team while creating a supportive environment to process and explore the impact on the individual / team.

Groop 2: Effective Communication

Group Connection Concept

Key Aspects of Effective Communication 

  • Clarity and Precision: Clearly articulate the goals of the team (mission / purpose), meeting, and 1:1s.

  • Active Listening:

    • Ask open-ended questions (what / how / sometimes why).

    • Empathize and validate (“I can see how you might have gotten there”).

    • Reflect back what you think you hear (“It sounds like ____.” Say back what you heard).

    • Summarize the conversation before ending to increase clarity.

    • Ask two questions (what / how / sometimes why) before making a statement.

  • Consistency:

    • Regularly communicate at an expected cadence (meetings / emails / feedback).

    • Follow through on what you say.

  • Transparency: Share information with the team including the good news and challenges.

  • Radical Candor: Be direct with respect and empathy for the human in the conversation.

  • Conflict: Discuss how the team wants to handle conflict ahead of time.

Group Discussion Questions

Continue the Conversation

  • How do you generally convey expectations and goals to your team?

  • How do you handle conflicts and misunderstandings?

  • What type of feedback do you most often give (positive or critical) and how do you deliver it?

  • How open are you to receiving feedback from others (0-10)?

  • What common non-verbal cues do you use and how are they received by others?

Takeaways or Things to Try

Take Action Together

  • Articulate the mission / vision / shared goals of the team.

  • Say what you need / what from the exchange at the beginning of the conversation.

  • Practice active listening by asking two questions before making a statement.

  • Discuss with your team how they want to handle conflict when it arises.

Groop 3: Active Listening

Group Connection Concept

Key Aspects of Active Listening   

Active listening is crucial for leaders because it fosters effective communication, builds trust, and enhances team collaboration, leading to better decision-making and organizational success.

Organizations with leaders who practice active listening can see up to a 25% improvement in team performance and collaboration.

While many organizations recognize the importance of listening, less than 2% of the global population has received formal training in listening skills. Training managers and leaders in active listening can significantly impact overall organizational health.

Source: Harvard Business Review.

Group Discussion Questions

Continue the Conversation

  • How was that for you?

  • What did you notice?

  • Could you imagine doing this with your team?

Takeaways or Things to Try

Take Action Together

One participant volunteers as a story sharer. The rest of the Groop practices active listening.

Start:

  • One participant: Share a short leadership challenge.

  • A Groop member asks an open ended question (What, How, sometimes Why) or empathizes / validates the person’s experience.

  • A Groop member reflects back what you think you heard (“It sounds like …..”).

  • A Groop member summarizes the whole story.

Groop 4: Divergent Voices

Group Connection Concept

Key Aspects of Divergent Voices

A divergent voice is a perspective that challenges consensus and offers an alternative viewpoint.

This often evokes defensiveness in a group (systems seek homeostasis and resist change).

Yet, divergent thinking is where innovation lives as it often leads to new ideas, critical thinking, and broader discussions within the group.

This voice may present different experiences, beliefs, or solutions that contrast with the majority opinion, thereby enhancing the group's overall understanding and decision-making process.

Promoting divergent thinking also promotes empathy and understanding.

Group Discussion Questions

Continue the Conversation

  • Think back to a recent time when you noticed divergent thinking on your team, or a time when people disagreed.

  • What was the situation?

  • What were the differing points of view?

  • How did you manage it?

  • What could have you done differently to promote divergent thinking (and empathy) while also making a decision as the leader?

Takeaways or Things to Try

Take Action Together

  • Try to play “Dissent by Obligation” with your team.

  • Notice how you respond when someone does / says something you do not agree with and practice responding with empathy and question asking.

  • Talk with your team about how to balance open conversation and decision making such as when to open up a conversation and when / how / by whom a decision is made.

Groop 5: Cutting People Off and Drawing People Out

Group Connection Concept

People both process and communicate ideas differently and it is the leader’s responsibility to create space for everyone.

Cutting people off and drawing people out are tools:

  • to manage group dynamics

  • to promote effective communication

Cutting people off helps prevent any one person from dominating the conversation, ensuring that all voices are heard and that the discussion remains focused and balanced to promote a healthy exchange of ideas.

Drawing people out encourages more introverted team members to share their thoughts and feelings, fostering inclusivity and better collaboration within the group.

Strong collaboration, deeper cohesion, and increased innovation occur when all team members have time and space to share in the way they feel most comfortable.

Managing Group Dynamics and Effective Communication

Group Discussion Questions

Continue the Conversation

  • What strategies do you use to cut someone off in a meeting without discouraging their future participation?

  • How do you encourage quieter team members to share their input, and what impact does it have on team dynamics?

  • How do you manage dominant voices while ensuring quieter ones are heard to create balanced and inclusive discussions?

Takeaways or Things to Try

Take Action Together

  • Think of who speaks the most during team discussion: Try cutting them off by saying, “(Name), you always have so many great insights. Is it okay if I share back what you are saying and hear what our teammates are thinking in response?”

  • Think of who speaks the least during team discussion: Try drawing them out by saying, “I am wondering what people who have not yet shared are thinking?”

Groop 6: Building the Action Plan

Group Connection Concept

Plan = Action.  

Planning helps ensure that the leadership tools you've developed don’t just stay conceptual—they become actionable.

Leadership toolkits are essential because they equip leaders with practical strategies to effectively navigate challenges, make informed decisions, and drive team success.

Throughout this series, we've unpacked the essential leadership tools necessary for success—mastering your Self as Instrument, developing skills in Effective Communication, Active Listening, and Embracing Divergent Voices, and knowing when to Cut People Off and Draw People Out.

Start building your toolkit today by identifying which tools you’ve mastered and which need further development and then integrate them into your leadership practice.

1. Reflect on Your Leadership Journey: Identify your core strengths, values, and leadership style. Use self-reflection to understand how you can lead with authenticity and purpose.

2. Strengthen Communication Skills: Develop clear, concise messaging. Ensure your team understands goals, expectations, and the bigger picture.

3. Hone Listening Abilities: Focus on truly understanding team input. Use listening as a tool to foster trust, collaboration, and more informed decision-making.

4. Leverage Diverse Perspectives: Embrace differing viewpoints to challenge assumptions and drive innovation. Create a culture that values and integrates all voices.

5. Master Facilitation Dynamics: Learn to balance conversations. Guide discussions by ensuring both assertive voices and quieter contributors are heard.

Group Discussion Questions

Continue the Conversation

  • Strengths: What are 3 strengths in your Leadership Toolkit?

  • Development: What are 3 areas that could use more development?

  • Takeaways: What is your biggest takeaway from this series?

Takeaways or Things to Try

Take Action Together

  • Post your Leadership Toolkit somewhere you can see it every day.

  • Share your Toolkit with your team and the people around you to keep yourself accountable.

  • Be flexible and edit your Toolkit as you go.