Core Concepts: The Self-Aware Leadership Compass #4 - REFLECTION
Knowing Self-Aware Leadership Minimalistical
Hello KSKOers
Welcome to today’s Knowing Self-Aware Leadership minimalistical!
The first nine Knowing Self-Aware Leadership blog articles of 2025 are exclusive extracts from my book, The Self-Awareness Superhighway, focused on the nine directions of the self-aware leadership compass. Here’s the minimalistical all about reflection. You can read the full article here.
Looking forward to joining you on your learning journey!
Reflection
“By three methods, we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third, by experience, which is the bitterest.”
Confucius
The nine core concepts from the article are:
Reflection is Critical: Reflection is a cornerstone of self-aware leadership, essential for recognising and regulating thoughts, behaviours, and impact.
Leadership and Self-Awareness Are Relational: Both require interactions with others; self-awareness needs feedback, and leadership depends on others choosing to be followers.
Gaining Internal Clarity Through Reflection: Reflection is like looking in a mirror, offering insight into one’s actions and decisions, often with help from trusted others.
The Importance of Intentionality in Reflection: Reflective practice must be intentional, planned, and consistent, especially for people who may need to create space for it.
The Need to Make Time for Reflection: Without carving out time, reflection isn’t possible. Even small breaks, like walks or moments of silence, allow for meaningful insight.
Reflection in Professional Practice: Fields like healthcare embed reflection into training, fostering authenticity, better outcomes, and stronger leadership skills.
Authenticity and Its Role in Relationships: Reflective practice supports authenticity, which in turn strengthens trust, improves communication, and promotes healing in relationships.
Using a Range of Reflective Tools: Methods like mindfulness, journaling, coaching, and self-assessment quizzes can enhance self-awareness and support leadership growth.
Learning From the Past to Guide the Future: Reflection, like checking a rear-view mirror, ensures awareness of your impact and helps shape better decisions moving forward.
The Last Word
Self-aware leadership centres on reflection as a key component to personal growth, relational connection and effective leadership. By intentionally practising reflection and using different ways to practice reflection you gain clarity, foster authenticity, and strengthen your relationships. By regularly looking back you become mindful of your impact going forward, which helps you make better decisions and more meaningful connections.
Nia is an expert leader who talks the talk and walks the walk. She is an academically awarded thought leader in self-aware leadership and practices self-aware leadership every single day in her role as a Director in a Children’s Charity.
Find out more about Self-Aware Leadership by getting your very own copy of The Self-Awareness Superhighway! It’s an Amazon Best Seller in.....
🥇Business Management & Leadership
🥇Occupational & Organisational Psychology
🥇Business Careers
That last point—looking back to move forward—is greatly under-appreciated in much leadership advice.