What are some best practices for using reflective practice to support your leadership development?

As a leader, the life within you, is it finding full expression in the meaning of what you are doing. First answer this question to start the journey om self-reflection. Your focus should be to continuously enhance your potential and your life. The focus excludes your job, title, relations etc., how you can enhance yourself into a high-powered 'engine' that can climb any hill, this should be your purpose. There are many tools, but it all starts with consciousness -most important step is to have a conscious response and not a compulsive reaction to life. We need to understand that SUCCESS IS A CONSEQUENCE, and nobody can be taught how to work on a consequence. Instead, the focus needs to be how to synergize your intensity & involvement.

One of my favourite quotes are from the eminent futurist and philosopher Alvin Toffler, who once said “the illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.” My greatest growth came from being challenged to (a) constantly introspect preconceived notions, assumptions and beliefs which created awareness (self-insight), and (b) experimenting with new/ different ways of doing things, lessons from mistakes, and feedback obtained. Needless to say, the learning, unlearning, and relearning continues … through reflective practice!

To effectively implement reflective practice for leadership development, it's essential to first determine your specific goals and outcomes. Use the SMART criteria to set well-defined objectives, such as improving communication skills, increasing influence, or building stronger team relationships. Having a clear vision of your desired outcomes will enable you to focus your reflection and pinpoint areas for improvement, ensuring that your reflective practice yields tangible results.

Always begin with the end in mind. Effective reflective practice allows you to move towards a desired direction and identify what already works. Do more of what works. Do less of what doesn't. It's relevant to set an overall goal, as well as an intention for each session of reflective practice. Making each session focused prevents rambling an unproductive thoughts. It's powerful to let goal and intentions expand beyond professional life. Consider your family relations, work relations, professional and community achievements, consider finances and values. Reflective practice allows you to enhance any aspect in your life, and leadership stems from who you are as a whole person.

Tools and frameworks can be really helpful but I'm a huge fan of not overcomplicating things, and instead just keeping it simple: Spend 10 minutes considering what you've learnt from an interaction or piece of work, along with what you'd do differently next time. Then make sure you apply those lessons learnt to future interactions/projects.

Selecting a suitable method and tool for reflective practice depends on individual preferences and goals. Journaling and seeking feedback from others are popular options, offering valuable insights into personal experiences and behaviors. The Gibbs (1988) reflective cycle provides a structured approach, guiding individuals through a series of questions to encourage deeper reflection. Coaching and mentoring can also be highly effective, offering tailored guidance and support. Ultimately, choosing a method and tool that aligns with your learning style and goals is crucial for maximizing the benefits of reflective practice in leadership development.

For specific skills and goals it's useful to iterate several times over the same tools, be them canvases, prompts or questions. Like so, it's easier to spot deviations and course-correct. One example is wanting to become better at listening actively or asking more questions. When objectives are broad, such as developing your overall leadership style, varying the tools is can be very powerful as they allow you to see your self under that context from very different angles. Coaching is absolutely key for leadership development in the modern world, where so much of a leader's power resides in their ability to adapt. An experienced coach is a sounding board and a smart companion who challenges the leader's comfort zone.

For me, the basis of strengthening leadership skills is self awareness and engaging in a personal mastery journey. By understanding our own mental models, our values systems and even love languages will help us to discover what we value in ourselves and provide a framework on how to engage with others. A self-reflective practice is a critical process that allows as as individuals, not just as leaders, to connect with others. Connect with the self first in order to drive meaningful leadership with others. Master the art of reflective questioning and ask: 1. What do I want? 2. Whom do I serve? 3. What is my Leadership Brand?

Identify a role model and glean from them their leadership journey, the ups and downs. Share your findings and personal journey with peers who can offer valuable insights and a perspective outside of self.

I highly recommend having dedicated 'Me Time'. If you do not respect yourself enough to spend time with and speak with yourself consciously, you may not relate with the person you meet in the mirror one day! Whichever tool you use, reflective practices are critical. Self awareness is the first step towards any transformation.

Consistency is key when it comes to reflective practice. Schedule dedicated time for reflection, such as daily, weekly, or monthly, and utilize triggers like meetings, projects, or feedback sessions to prompt reflection. By making reflection a habit, you'll cultivate self-awareness, critical thinking, and problem-solving abilities, ultimately enhancing your leadership capabilities.

Consistency is key, yet I believe loose approaches work best. Daily, weekly and monthly moments of reflection allow for timely reflection, as well as deeper thoughts and spotting patterns. The more you self-reflect, the more of a second nature it becomes.

At the end of every day own what you own, and let the rest go. If you screwed up--own it. If that's not what happened--let it go.

A few tools that help you to be consistent with the important practice of reflection are: - Journal regularly - Make time in nature a time to reflect - Create a vision board that's in a place where you see it regularly.

While awareness can be the catalyst for change, without action, it can also easily be wasted. Use coaching questions to convert the new awareness you gain in reflective practice into growth. Here are some examples: What new opportunities does this awareness present? What needs to change? Now that I have this awareness, what new actions am I committing to? How often? By when? What else is important to consider? Who else needs to be involved? What support or resources do I need to be successful? How will I measure my success? With intentional action, your reflective practice can propel you toward your goals and turn your vision into your reality.

Reflective practice is not just about thinking, but also about doing. It's essential to act on the insights and learnings gained from reflection and apply them to your leadership practice. Create an action plan with specific steps, resources, and timelines to achieve your goals and outcomes. Monitor and evaluate your actions and results and adjust your plan accordingly. By taking action/ acting upon, you'll demonstrate your commitment, accountability, and growth as a leader.

If you learned you should be able to apply it. Learning is not simply intellectual work to understand things. Learning only happens when behavior is adjusted accordingly. By applying whatever the reflective practice is bringing to light, you get into action. And action brings more clarity.

"Be the leader you wished you had" I often find myself leaning back on this quote whenever faced with the question of what does it take to be a leader, what examples do you want to lead with, and often times, when faced with frustration of poor leadership examples. In a way, this quote empowers us to take responsibility for our REACTION to the situation, and further challenges us to BE the better version of ourselves or a better leader.

If you are truly reflecting, becoming self aware, then you should take action and modify your practice or strategies. Helping to find the ways each person can make their new awareness transition into action. I like to use an experimentation (growth mindset) approach.

One thing I've found helpful is having two or three thought partners to guide you through particularly, a new leadership role. Whether you've been promoted from within to take on a bigger scope, new or larger geographies, additional direct reports, or you've taken a bigger role in a new organisation. Have leaders, peers or mentors who've led through various complex roles to help you navigate through your reflections. You can't know what you haven't yet experienced, so sound thought partners are a crucial part of accelerated success for a new leader.

Reflective practice doesn't have to be solo. Share your thoughts and takeaways with others for support, challenges, and mutual growth. Join or start a community of practice, engage in mentorship and networking, and swap ideas, experiences, and feedback with fellow leaders. Collaborative reflection enhances communication, teamwork, and creativity.

Reflection can be a solo endeavor or a collective one. The benefit of the solo practice is the deep introspection it allows. In a busy and agitated world, cultivating a space that is only yours can make a big difference for your personal growth and make room for slow thinking. The collective piece allows for a sense of belonging and shortcuts growth as you can learn from the lessons shared by others.

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Great article! Reflective practice is one of the most under-rated development tools. It's costs nothing, other than a little time and commitment to do something different, yet can make a huge difference to how we show up.