In our over-stimulated world today, especially around the holiday season, many of us don’t take the time for self-reflection throughout the year.

What is Self-Reflection?

Quite simply, it means taking time on a regular, preferably daily, basis to step back and filter out the noise and distractions. It includes not only looking at your behaviors and actions but also at your thinking and how you might be getting in your own way.

It may involve asking yourself tough questions and examining your motivations. That said, it is not about self-criticism. Rather it is about knowing yourself fully. This is the first step in emotional intelligence which is self-awareness.

Self-refection involves examining and defining your values as a leader and as a human being. Ask yourself, “What do I truly believe? Am I willing to state my values and what is truly important to me? Am I living and behaving in alignment with what I say I value?”

Why is Self-Reflection So Important?

According to Harry Kraemer, former Chairman and CEO of Baxter International and currently Professor at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, self-reflection is the key to identifying what you stand for, what your values are, and what matters most to you. The more self-reflective you are, the easier it is to make wise choices in alignment with your values and to be aware of the full impact of your decisions.

Whether you are a leader of a team, department, or Fortune 500 company, or are simply trying to manage yourself, your priorities, and your time more effectively, self-reflection helps you make clear choices that provide the most beneficial outcomes for all concerned. Likewise, it is easier to navigate a complicated existence and multiple roles if one practices self-reflection consistently.

In my work as an Executive Coach and Leadership Development Professional and Facilitator, I often see those who aspire to become better leaders look outside themselves first. They try not to be like the bad boss they suffered under or they aspire to be like someone written up in the press or someone who is held up as a leadership role model.

The truth is, you are not Jack Welch, Abraham Lincoln, Steve Jobs, or whoever the leader of the day is supposed to be. Certainly we can all learn from the examples of others but true leadership has to come from your core, your views, your life experiences, your personal and professional paths, and your unique brand of wisdom. I have a quote from Herman Melville near my desk in my office which says, “Far better to fail at being yourself than to succeed in imitating another.”

In other words, the more you self-reflect, the better you will know yourself: your strengths, weaknesses, abilities, areas to be developed, and more. With this clarity, you will be better able to connect and communicate and relate to others which is the heart of leadership effectiveness.

How to Practice Self-Reflection for Leadership Effectiveness:

Some of the best practices to be sure you are as self-aware as possible include the following four steps:

1) Ask for Feedback Regularly

You have heard the ｅxpression “perception is reality.” Seek to understand how others perceive you by sincerely asking for feedback on a regular basis. A formal 360 degree feedback process such as the 363 for Leaders assessment can be a helpful tool to begin an ongoing dialogue.

Remember that feedback is about information and not evaluation and know that we all have strengths as well as areas for growth and development. I work with 360 feedback reports extensively with my clients and encourage leaders to own their strengths and to work on their interpersonal flexibility and openness to learning and collaborating with others in their areas of limitation.

2) Reflect on Performance

In addition to soliciting regular feedback from others, it is important to develop the habit of self-assessing. Whenever, you perform a task or interact with another, you can ask yourself, “What did I do well?” and “What can I do differently or even better next time?”

Notice this is not an exercise in self-criticism or an opportunity to beat yourself up in any way. Rather it is developing the habit of continuous improvement. Understand what you could have done better in order to learn from your mistakes and also be sure to acknowledge and celebrate success by taking pride in what you did well so you can do more of that as well.

3) Know Your Strengths and Weaknesses

The reason you want to identify your key strengths and weaknesses is so that you can leverage your strengths and gifts, not just “work on” your weaknesses.

The late management guru Peter Drucker in his classic “Managing oneself” article stated, “One should waste as little effort as possible in improving areas of low competence. It takes far more energy and work to improve from incompetence to mediocrity than it takes to improve from first-rate importance to excellence.” It is important to distinguish that Drucker was talking about functional competencies and not “soft skills” here which can always be improved upon.

4) Know Your Joys, Your Passions, and What Makes Your Heart Sing

Be aware of and tune into your emotions as you work and relate to others in the workplace. We all have elements in our work that are tedious or unpleasant. However, if the bulk of your work does not satisfy you, go back and do more self-reflection about what energizes and excites you. You may need to revisit your values and why you do what you do and for whom. The people that excel and enjoy their lives spend their days doing what they believe is meaningful and fun. Most of us spend the majority of our days making a living. Make sure you are also making a life in the process.

To learn more and for assistance in cultivating healthy, engaged, emotionally intelligent leaders, teams, and Responsibility-Based Cultures, please call us at 404-327-6330 or email me at Laura@lauraadavis.com.