Leading using Reflective Practices
In our fast-paced world, it can be hard to find time for reflection.
Why be reflective when the world seems to lean towards action?
“The seeds of transformational leadership lie in honest, regular personal reflection by leaders.” – Judy Brown
How can different kinds of reflective practices help you be a better leader?
The goal of a reflective practice is to maximize your capacity for learning from experience AND to create a personal leadership practice that accesses your inner knowledge.
Watch & listen to Fire. Read by author, Judy Brown
What do you do to create space between the logs?
Where our journey begins…
Almost every leadership resource will refer you back to the journey of leadership starting with self…self-awareness, self-development, and/or inner-journey.
Most times we think of leadership as a way to get things done. Through servant leadership, the path of doing also includes being. Being a leader who works on self to create the conditions that serve others and the greater good of community.
“The instrument of leadership is the self, and the mastery of the art of leadership comes from the mastery of self. Self-development is not stuffing in a whole bunch of new information or trying out the latest technique. It’s about liberating the whole leader within you.” – The Leadership Challenge, Kouzes & Posner (pg. 344)
Leadership can never be mastered. Rather, it is a journey. Therefore, we are constantly “practicing” ways to get better from the inside out.
The journey of self-reflection can help you:
- Be more effective and emotionally intelligent.
- Increase capacity to “be the leader we want to be on our best day.”
- See and shift your mindset to connect the outer world with the inner world.
Tools & resources to support your leadership journey
Judy Brown says in her book, The Leader’s Guide to Reflective Practice, that most people are predisposed to certain forms of reflective practice; journaling, art, meditation, etc.
She challenges us to use a variety of strategies that strengthen our intuitive abilities. Trying new ways of reflection can positively impact the outcome.
If you need a new idea, try one of the methods below!
Find Learning Partners
Who are your trusted learning partners? They could be a leadership coach or mentor. Someone you can talk to openly and be your authentic self.
Then, be willing to take it one step further: Are you willing to engage with people who think differently or challenge your beliefs?
360 Feedback: Reflected Best Self Exercise
Born from empirical research from University of Michigan’s Center for Positive Organizations, the Reflected Best Self Exercise™ uses stories collected from people in all contexts of your life to help you understand and articulate who you are and how you contribute when you are at your best.
Creating the Best Self Portrait
- Identify 15-20 potential respondents whom you will ask to write stories about you at your best.
- Request stories from selected respondents.
- Write your own story by reflecting about times when you believe you were at your best.
- Analyze all stories.
- Compose the reflected best self portrait/story.
Bringing Reflected Best Self to Life
- Analyze context by listing enablers and blockers.
- Create an action plan!
In a world where adaptability and resilience are paramount, the combination of self-reflection and 360 feedback provides a path to growth and success that benefits individuals, teams, and organizations as a whole.
Silence & Solitude
Make time to think and get away, even 5 minutes a day.
Find a safe space to focus on meditation or mindfulness or prayer.
Journaling Prompts
Maybe there’s so much going on in your head that you need to get it all out. Taking time for daily journaling or visual exploration are ways to “see” your thoughts written down.
Thought-Starters
- What I am noticing is…
- What surprises me is…
- What is hardest for me is…
- What I think is going on is…
- If the opposite were true then…
- The story I am telling myself is…
- If I were 10 times bolder, or 100 times bolder, then…
- The part of me that is my best self wants me to…
- What is the worst that can happen?
- What is the best that can happen?
The 5-3-1 Practice from the Center for Healthy Minds is a set of informal tips aimed at cultivating personal well-being.
5…Meditate 5 minutes per day. For many people, focusing on the breath or taking a break from your to-do list helps de-stress and calm the mind.
3…Write down 3 good things that happened today. Previous research in individuals suggests a positive relationship between gratitude and higher levels of well-being.
1…Do 1 act of kindness. Whether it’s holding the door for the person behind you or paying someone a heartfelt compliment, generous behavior is not only good for the person receiving it, but also for the giver.
Check-in with yourself:
What gets in the way of withdrawal, for you?
“Reflective practice is a core transformational leadership skill. It helps us see, and then shift, the deep thought processes and mind-sets that shape transformation in the outer world.” – Judy Brown
For further reflection, consider the following questions:
- How is YOUR FIRE?
- Do you have balance between the number of your logs and the health of YOUR FIRE?
- Are you putting the right kind of logs on YOUR FIRE?
- Do the logs you currently have fuel YOUR FIRE or smolder it out?
In your leadership journey, we hope that by using reflective practices you can gain insight, awareness, and understanding of yourself and others; that’s where real transformation can begin.
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What have you learned from this blog? Let us know!
Don’t miss your opportunity to join our next conversation! Community of Practice sessions are amazing opportunities for any and all leaders to gather and learn from one another in a supportive, comfortable environment, right from your computer. March’s topic is “Leading with Trust.”
Additional Resources:
- The Servant as Leader – Robert Greenleaf
- Judy Brown’s Books, Poem “Fire,” and Other Resources
- Reflective Practices for Transformational Leaders
- Center for Healthy Minds
- Download the Healthy Minds Program App
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This blog post wraps up February 2024’s Community of Practice conversation. To join us during the live discussion for future months, register at https://www.sophiapartners.org/events/. This program occurs the fourth Tuesday of each month from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. CT via Zoom.
