Personal and professional development

7 Chapters Interactive Playbook

The Executive Playbook

A 7-chapter workbook of practical activities, reflection and small next steps. Work at your own pace, revisit observations and choose what to share with your coach.

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Playbook Structure & Focus

An interactive digital playbook structured into digestible sequential chapters with multimedia modules and reflection prompts.

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Full workbook

Read every chapter and explore the exercises below. This is a read-only template preview. Use this workbook in your account to personalize it and collect your clients' responses.

Chapter 1 of 7

Chapter 1: Choose a leadership focus

Choose a leadership focus.

Objective

Choose a leadership focus.

Use recent examples and brief notes. All activities are optional; you can skip a question or return later. Choose what you share. These activities support coaching reflection, not diagnosis or treatment.

Choose a leadership focus

Complete one row at a time using a real example. Mark unknown information as unknown rather than guessing.

Row label	Responsibility	Expected outcome	Evidence today	Gap to address
Team delivery	Responsibility —	Expected outcome —	Evidence today —	Gap to address —
People development	Responsibility —	Expected outcome —	Evidence today —	Gap to address —
Cross-team alignment	Responsibility —	Expected outcome —	Evidence today —	Gap to address —

What do you notice from this activity?

Name one useful pattern, one uncertainty and what they mean for your next choice. Refer to the examples above.

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Choose your next step

Agree one leadership outcome with a relevant colleague.

1. The action I choose

Agree one leadership outcome with a relevant colleague.

2. When and where

Name a realistic occasion or date.

3. Support, consent or fallback

What is needed, and what will I do if capacity changes?

4. Evidence and review date

What will I notice, and when will I decide whether to keep, adapt or stop?

Next: Agree one leadership outcome with a relevant colleague. Bring what you notice into the next chapter.

Back to chapter contents

Chapter 2 of 7

Chapter 2: Make delegation an agreement

Make delegation an agreement.

Objective

Make delegation an agreement.

Make delegation an agreement

Place brief notes in each labeled area. Separate observations from assumptions and leave unknown areas open.

1. Keep: only I can decide

Use a brief example from your situation.

2. Delegate: ready with support

Use a brief example from your situation.

3. Develop: coach toward ownership

Use a brief example from your situation.

4. Stop or renegotiate

Use a brief example from your situation.

What do you notice from this activity?

Name one useful pattern, one uncertainty and what they mean for your next choice. Refer to the examples above.

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Choose your next step

Prepare a delegation conversation around one outcome and a check-in.

1. The action I choose

Prepare a delegation conversation around one outcome and a check-in.

2. When and where

Name a realistic occasion or date.

3. Support, consent or fallback

What is needed, and what will I do if capacity changes?

4. Evidence and review date

What will I notice, and when will I decide whether to keep, adapt or stop?

Next: Prepare a delegation conversation around one outcome and a check-in. Bring what you notice into the next chapter.

Back to chapter contents

Chapter 3 of 7

Chapter 3: Prepare a useful feedback conversation

Prepare useful feedback.

Objective

Prepare useful feedback.

Prepare useful feedback

Complete both sides using the same situation. Notice where evidence, needs or perspectives differ.

1. Observed behavior and effect

Use a brief example from your situation.

2. Their perspective and context

Use a brief example from your situation.

3. Request for a change

Use a brief example from your situation.

4. Support and follow-up

Use a brief example from your situation.

What do you notice from this activity?

Name one useful pattern, one uncertainty and what they mean for your next choice. Refer to the examples above.

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Choose your next step

Ask for the other person's perspective before agreeing a next step.

1. The action I choose

Ask for the other person's perspective before agreeing a next step.

2. When and where

Name a realistic occasion or date.

3. Support, consent or fallback

What is needed, and what will I do if capacity changes?

4. Evidence and review date

What will I notice, and when will I decide whether to keep, adapt or stop?

Next: Ask for the other person's perspective before agreeing a next step. Bring what you notice into the next chapter.

Back to chapter contents

Chapter 4 of 7

Chapter 4: Make a decision transparently

Make a decision transparently.

Objective

Make a decision transparently.

Make a decision transparently

Complete one row at a time using a real example. Mark unknown information as unknown rather than guessing.

Row label	Option	Evidence of benefit	Cost and risk	Reversibility	Missing information
Option A	Option —	Evidence of benefit —	Cost and risk —	Reversibility —	Missing information —
Option B	Option —	Evidence of benefit —	Cost and risk —	Reversibility —	Missing information —
Keep current approach	Option —	Evidence of benefit —	Cost and risk —	Reversibility —	Missing information —

What do you notice from this activity?

Name one useful pattern, one uncertainty and what they mean for your next choice. Refer to the examples above.

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Choose your next step

Record your decision and the condition that would trigger a review.

1. The action I choose

Record your decision and the condition that would trigger a review.

2. When and where

Name a realistic occasion or date.

3. Support, consent or fallback

What is needed, and what will I do if capacity changes?

4. Evidence and review date

What will I notice, and when will I decide whether to keep, adapt or stop?

Next: Record your decision and the condition that would trigger a review. Bring what you notice into the next chapter.

Back to chapter contents

Chapter 5 of 7

Chapter 5: Map stakeholder power and alignment

Map stakeholders and alignment.

Objective

Map stakeholders and alignment.

Map stakeholders and alignment

Complete one row at a time using a real example. Mark unknown information as unknown rather than guessing.

Row label	Stakeholder role	Interest in the decision	Influence	Current evidence of alignment	Conversation needed
Sponsor	Stakeholder role —	Interest in the decision —	Influence —	Current evidence of alignment —	Conversation needed —
Delivery partner	Stakeholder role —	Interest in the decision —	Influence —	Current evidence of alignment —	Conversation needed —
Affected team	Stakeholder role —	Interest in the decision —	Influence —	Current evidence of alignment —	Conversation needed —

What do you notice from this activity?

Name one useful pattern, one uncertainty and what they mean for your next choice. Refer to the examples above.

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Choose your next step

Check an assumption about alignment through a direct conversation.

1. The action I choose

Check an assumption about alignment through a direct conversation.

2. When and where

Name a realistic occasion or date.

3. Support, consent or fallback

What is needed, and what will I do if capacity changes?

4. Evidence and review date

What will I notice, and when will I decide whether to keep, adapt or stop?

Next: Check an assumption about alignment through a direct conversation. Bring what you notice into the next chapter.

Back to chapter contents

Chapter 6 of 7

Chapter 6: Shape executive narrative and brevity

Shape a concise executive narrative.

Objective

Shape a concise executive narrative.

Shape a concise executive narrative

Follow the steps in order. Use a specific situation and keep each step small enough to try.

1. Decision or request

Use a brief example from your situation.

2. Why it matters now

Use a brief example from your situation.

3. Evidence

Use a brief example from your situation.

4. Trade-off

Use a brief example from your situation.

5. Recommended next step

Use a brief example from your situation.

What do you notice from this activity?

Name one useful pattern, one uncertainty and what they mean for your next choice. Refer to the examples above.

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Choose your next step

Deliver the brief in one minute and ask what decision the listener heard.

1. The action I choose

Deliver the brief in one minute and ask what decision the listener heard.

2. When and where

Name a realistic occasion or date.

3. Support, consent or fallback

What is needed, and what will I do if capacity changes?

4. Evidence and review date

What will I notice, and when will I decide whether to keep, adapt or stop?

Next: Deliver the brief in one minute and ask what decision the listener heard. Bring what you notice into the next chapter.

Back to chapter contents

Chapter 7 of 7

Chapter 7: Sustain an executive operating rhythm

Sustain an operating rhythm.

Objective

Sustain an operating rhythm.

Sustain an operating rhythm

Complete one row at a time using a real example. Mark unknown information as unknown rather than guessing.

Row label	Cadence	Purpose	Participants	Evidence reviewed	Decision produced
Weekly	Cadence —	Purpose —	Participants —	Evidence reviewed —	Decision produced —
Monthly	Cadence —	Purpose —	Participants —	Evidence reviewed —	Decision produced —
Quarterly	Cadence —	Purpose —	Participants —	Evidence reviewed —	Decision produced —

What do you notice from this activity?

Name one useful pattern, one uncertainty and what they mean for your next choice. Refer to the examples above.

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Choose your next step

Remove one low-value meeting or redesign it around an explicit decision.

1. The action I choose

Remove one low-value meeting or redesign it around an explicit decision.

2. When and where

Name a realistic occasion or date.

3. Support, consent or fallback

What is needed, and what will I do if capacity changes?

4. Evidence and review date

What will I notice, and when will I decide whether to keep, adapt or stop?

Next: Remove one low-value meeting or redesign it around an explicit decision. Review your observations with your coach or on your chosen review date.

Back to chapter contents

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The Executive Playbook

Playbook Structure & Focus

Chapter 1: Choose a leadership focus

Objective

Choose a leadership focus

What do you notice from this activity?

Choose your next step

Chapter 2: Make delegation an agreement

Objective

Make delegation an agreement

What do you notice from this activity?

Choose your next step

Chapter 3: Prepare a useful feedback conversation

Objective

Prepare useful feedback

What do you notice from this activity?

Choose your next step

Chapter 4: Make a decision transparently

Objective

Make a decision transparently

What do you notice from this activity?

Choose your next step

Chapter 5: Map stakeholder power and alignment

Objective

Map stakeholders and alignment

What do you notice from this activity?

Choose your next step

Chapter 6: Shape executive narrative and brevity

Objective

Shape a concise executive narrative

What do you notice from this activity?

Choose your next step

Chapter 7: Sustain an executive operating rhythm

Objective

Sustain an operating rhythm

What do you notice from this activity?

Choose your next step

Bring this workbook into your practice

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