Looking Back to Progress Forward: The Power of Self-Reflection

By Jack Cauley and Doreen Jokerst, May 2024?

“As a leader, the first person I need to lead is me. The first person that I should try to change is me.”-John C. Maxwell

When you think of skills needed to be an effective leader, what comes to mind? The ability to effectively listen and communicate? The ability to delegate and empower others? The ability to have courage, compassion, and resilience? The ability to be people-centric? All of these are extremely important, but what I encourage you to think about, and what I believe is equally if not more important, is the ability to embrace the power of self-reflection. Self-reflection provides a level of self-awareness and consciousness that helps to identify any gaps and areas you may need to work on in order to achieve potential growth.

Per Wikipedia, self-reflection is, “The ability to witness and evaluate our own cognitive, emotional, and behavioral processes” (Wikipedia, 2024). This simply means taking the time to be intentional, to slow down and really think about your past experiences in order to learn, grow, develop, and become a better version of yourself. Who doesn’t want to be a better version of themselves? I know I do. Obtaining this skill is also critical for leadership development. Not only can it help with personal growth and development, but it can add clarity to your goals, priorities, and desires. This skill truly enables you to not only understand yourself, but also helps you gain a deeper understanding of others as well.

Let’s learn more about the power of self-reflection. Dr. Davis wrote, “So many of our habits, patterns of behavior, and pre-set programming are buried in our?subconscious. They operate in a sort of “control room,” directing how we?think, feel, and act, often hurting our well-being. If we want to be in control, we need to look beyond the conscious mind, and change some of the programming we no longer benefit from.?One way to access the unconscious is through self-reflection—i.e., putting a mirror up to ourselves and analyzing what we see or feel as objectively as possible?so that we can better understand ourselves and how we think, feel, and behave” (Davis, Unknown).

“Research shows the habit of reflection can separate extraordinary professionals from mediocre ones” (Bailey & Reham, 2022). Notice, though, that the statement says, “‘habit of reflection’”. That means this is not a one and done. The habit of self-reflection must be frequent and continual. Although the frequency of self-reflection can vary, its benefits are best attained when it becomes a habit. This could mean setting aside dedicated daily, weekly, or even monthly time for self-reflection.

I have found that it helps to set aside time daily for self-reflection. You don’t need to be so rigid that this must be scheduled at the same time every day, but if you do, it will help to form a habit. For me, this happens at night before I go to bed. I lie down and think about my day and things I could have done differently. Did I show up to work as my best self? Did I treat everyone with respect, dignity, and kindness? Was I patient with others? Was I the best leader I could be? If the answer is no to any one of these questions, then I begin to think of ways I might be able to right the wrong. Do I need to apologize or change a decision I made? Do I need to reinforce a message or add clarity to a strategic direction I provided? If the answer is yes, then I determine to do what is necessary to remedy the situation.

Self-reflecting and confronting who we truly are may often be uncomfortable and unpleasant, as it means we are holding ourselves accountable and admitting fault. But this introspection provides personal development and growth. Although it may be easier to not confront our own faults, if we want to grow as leaders, it is a skill that must be developed.

Self-reflection can:

·????? Improve decision-making

·????? Help you grow as a leader

·????? Provide clarity

·????? Develop emotional intelligence

·????? Improve confidence

·????? Lower stress

?How can self-reflection result in transforming an event from good to great? Let’s consider this example:

?For several years an annual event was held at a venue that the leader liked. The venue location was convenient (for the team), and they always received good feedback from those who attended. After a few years of holding the event at that location, some team members approached the leader and suggested a new venue location. The leader quickly rejected the suggestion because the event had been successful at the current location, but most of all, the leader felt they knew best. (The old adage, “this is the way we have always done it, and if it is not broken don’t fix it!”)

The leader later reflected on their interaction with the team members who suggested the venue change and realized they had not listened or objectively considered the idea of a venue change. Although the leader felt they usually had practiced good listening skills and took pride in the ability to be flexible, after reflecting, they realized in this case, their ego overshadowed their ability to listen. The leader decided to re-engage with the team members, the goal being to sincerely listen to and consider their suggestion of a venue change. After doing so, the leader decided to approve the venue change for the next annual event which was to be held later that year.

The new venue proved to be extremely successful for not only that year but for many years that followed. The event attendance jumped from a couple of hundred when held at the original venue to several thousand when held at the new one. The sole reason for the huge increase in attendance was due to the change in venue.

In the above example, self-reflection resulted in the leader holding themselves accountable, being vulnerable, and admitting fault. The outcome was that the leader earned trust with the team, learned a valuable lesson, and most of all, the event improved and became even more successful!

If you have never practiced the art of self-reflection, the only thing you need to do is start! There is no right or wrong way to practice self-reflection, but it does require intentionality and a willingness to form the habit. Remember to be easy on yourself. Self-reflection when done correctly is humbling. But the more you practice it, the better person you will become. Honestly looking back to propel yourself forward toward becoming a better leader, person, and positively impacting those around you, will be the result.

?References:

?Bailey, J., Reham, R. (2022). ?Don’t underestimate the power of self-reflection. The Berkeley Well-Being Institute. https://hbr.org/2022/03/dont-underestimate-the-power-of-self-reflection

?Davis, T. (Unknown). Self-Reflection: Definition and how to do it. https://www.berkeleywellbeing.com/what-is-self-reflection.html

?Wikipedia (2024). Self-Reflection https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-reflection#:~:text=Self%2Dreflection%20is%20a%20process,they%20can%20do%20about%20it.

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