How To Encourage Self-Relfection as a Leader
The habit that can change the lives of those you lead
67% of men chose to give themselves the shock.
When faced with being alone with their own thoughts for up to 15 minutes or giving themselves an electric shock, two-thirds of men chose the pain.
Yes, the majority of men prefer mild torture to self-reflection.** (Of women, 25% pushed the ‘pain now please’ button).
And yet, as the brilliant Harry Kraemer Jnr reminds us, self-reflection is the our powerful tool for development as leaders:
- “What did I say I was going to do today?”
- “What did I actually do?”
- “What am I proud of?”
- “What am I not proud of?”
- “How did I lead people?”
- “How did I follow people?”
- “If I lived today over again, what would I have done differently?”
- “If I have tomorrow, knowing fully well where sooner or later by definition I won’t, but if I do have tomorrow and I’m a learning person, based on what I learned today, what will I do differently tomorrow?
So how do we encourage self-reflection in those we lead?
1. Model it ourselves
Lead by personal example, start with building a micro-habit. Journalling on just one question per night will begin to provide insight. Start sharing insights from your reflections with others publically.
2. Create a ritual
Make space for some ‘thinking time’ in off-sites/team meetings. Explain its fundamental role in effective leadership: reflection is the foundation of learning to leading yourself. The better you can lead yourself, the better you can lead others.
3. Baby steps.
For people to take this on in their own time, journaling might be too big of a first step. Begin by suggesting activities like walks without devices, or listening to short guided meditations. As people get more comfortable with ‘slow time’, they become more open to structured solo reflection time.
For some, any level of self-reflection for long enough risks bringing up significant shame and trauma. Knowing this can help leaders empathise with people’s resistance.
Final word
All self-development starts with self-reflection. But as humans, we’re naturally adverse to this activity. To overcome this, we need both role models who can demonstrate its benefits and to have personal experience of the gains we can make through the practice.
As leaders be can help others by being public about our own self-reflection and by brining self-reflection into the spaces where we have authority.
To learn more about approach to leadership development with self-reflection at its core, book a call with us now.