Part of my personal leadership journey has been dedicated to emersion in self-reflection and the time allocated to preparation, reflection and introspection.

At the start of a recent two-year senior contract, in a purposeful changing organisation, I would drive to work with the talkback radio on, to increase my general knowledge of current affairs.  After all, I was in the listen and observe mode of my first few months and did not what to come across too opinionated, but at least be able to engage in current affair matters as they arose in conversation.

Almost 12 months down the track, the workload was increasing, the complex challenges building up and the need to find time to stop and reflect was also increasing.  I would now use the time to listen to more classical music on my journey to and from the workplace as a means of zoning out rather than immersing myself in radio jockeys waffle in between songs on commercial radio.  I therefore switched from talkback to classical stations.

Another few months in, I gained further awareness of the power of reflecting on my day, how things went, how things could have gone and what I learnt about how I presented in meetings, both in the verbal sense as well as the physical presence I portrayed.  It was time to use the travel period as complete refection space and in silence.

Not only did it feel like I had achieved more in the day or about to, reflecting in silence before the chaos of entering either the workplace or the front gate at home, it gave rise to me putting my thoughts down in a journal of which I had not done in more than 30 years.  That was when it was a diary under a foolproof lock and key.

The power of self-refection is about questioning yourself in a positive way.  After all we are directly responsible for our own lives.

Think before you speak, think while you speak and think after you have spoken.

Could it have been done differently to get a better result?

James – Career Workshop Facilitator

(car image: Giovanni Ribeiro)