‘There’s no way I’d have time for reflection during my day’ was one person’s somewhat scoffing reaction to a suggestion of occasionally putting 5 minutes on a timer and writing notes on, ‘How did people experience me this morning? What does this say about me as a leader?’. A few heads nodded in agreement round the table.
Within the same discussion that same person argued for offsite leadership training as their preferred means of development as a leader.
Why is it still so counter-cultural to suggest structured moments of reflection during an executive’s day when the evidence* points so clearly towards self reflection as a primary lever of leadership effectiveness? Maybe part of the role of coaching is to provide support and accountability whilst it’s practised until it’s embedded.
*one example among many: Kpakol, A and Zeb-Obipi (2017) Emotional reflexivity and Leader Effectiveness IOSR Journal of Business and Management 19/3, pp60-68