Does journaling help develop leadership?
Steve Mostyn
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Steve Mostyn
Associate Fellow Sa?d Business School, Honorary Professor Adam Smith Business School
As Head Tutor on OELP a question that we often get asked at the start of the eight week journey is:
'We hear a lot about using a journal to help us reflect and grow our leadership - how do I get started and how does it help?'
I would like to open this up to my network and then summarise your rich insights.
Thanks
Steve
Associate Fellow, Sa?d Business School, Oxford University, Programme Director, Tutor, Leadership Coach. Leadership Development/Reflective Practice/ Executive Education.
4 年the written word is my primary form of sense-making; regular journalling helps me to get into a different relationship with my self and surfaces hidden understanding - as Flannery O'Connor wrote, 'I write because i don't know what I think until I read what I say' - invaluable.
Senior Delivery Manager - Scottish Government, University of Edinburgh - Governance Apprentice Programme Graduate 2021/22
4 年I really rate the benefits of journalism especially as a scrum master. Years ago (decades even!), I studied the FranklinCovey time management system which has over time adapted to resemble bullet journalling (or BuJo for short). This type of note taking is great if, like me, you don't have enough time and/or can't retain info for very long! Now, my journal's not pretty or poetic (I'm not creative enough for 'dear diary' entries) - but it is functional. And several studies show that writing is better for thinking, learning and remembering than typing. I use this technique to add tasks as they come up and to make quick notes for the next day's daily scrum. If I wait 'till the end of the day - I'll have forgotten!
Director, Sales and Global Strategic Accounts, APAC, Enterprise Networks at Corning Incorporated
4 年As my mentor always quote - our plates are always full and we have to find way to stay focus to deliver our business priorities. I'm inclined to think that greater leaders adopt journaling that will help to document key learning points, as well as to frame ideas and initiatives effectively, These journals should help to plan for onward communications to both internal and external stakeholders, as part of the regular engagement to review and measure the performance.
UCC Voice Engineer Lead/Architect | Cloud Certified | MS in Computer Information Systems Cybersecurity
4 年Thanks for the post, Steve Mostyn. I am new to the OELP program and still on module 1, but have already learned about the importance of journaling. I haven't used journaling as a tool so I can't speak from experience, but I will take the opportunity to start journaling and update the post by the end of this course.
Strategy Development in disruptive environments
4 年It is a great way of capturing what might seem random thoughts as you write them but become, as you say, a source of making sense as you go back to it. What I also like is just the fact that you are writing rather than tapping away, you can doodle, draw a picture and the like so for me it is also a creative experience.