top of page

leadership as a practice: the key to building stronger teams

In our world of increasing tensions, division, mandated returns to the office and rolling restructures, great leaders who can navigate the grey with ease are hard to find*. The most effective leaders I’ve known have had one thing in common: they see leadership as a practice rather than a part of their job. 


* Although I would argue that relying on e-learning for any sort of leadership/manager development as a primary learning strategy is the equivalent of putting a Band-Aid on a broken leg. And it’s more expensive than a Band-Aid.


Exceptional leaders who inspire, motivate, and successfully guide teams through complex challenges are invaluable. These skills, which are among the hardest to recruit and develop, are becoming increasingly sought after. 


Leadership as a practice, especially when based on authentic values, is growing in importance as a required skill for people leaders. With the rise of AI, changing employee demographics, increasing awareness of the mind-body connection, and the need for emotional intelligence, the value of leadership practice is underscored by business results. For example, a World Economic Forum study on future-ready small- and medium-sized enterprises found that authentic leadership was key in predicting a business’s:

  • Long-term financial growth,

  • Societal impact, and

  • Adaptive capacity.


Increasing knowledge of leadership theories is valuable, but the latest research on adult learning and transformational change highlights the importance of integrating reflective practice as a fundamental tool. Reflective practice (or ‘journaling’ or conducting a self-directed Post-Implementation Review) isn’t just about the moment of experience but also about intentionally reviewing and learning from it afterward.


It might sound straightforward, but to treat something as a practice means regularly reflecting — not just in the moment but also after the fact — and each time, actively choosing to learn from the experience.


Reflective practice on leadership isn’t new. (If you’re interested in the deeper theory, check out Schön’s work on the power of reflection in professional practice.) Unfortunately, a lot of popular leadership content glosses over this process – reflective journaling isn’t nearly as titillating as broad claims about disruptive innovators & transformational change “hacks”. 


But without reflecting on our motivations, values, decision-making, effectiveness, self-awareness, relationships, integrity, and willingness to learn — we make the same mistakes on repeat. Leaders who continuously make errors in their leadership practice—whether by negatively impacting team safety, employment stability, or stress levels—inevitably lose the trust and engagement of their teams. Even technically skilled and hardworking leaders can falter without treating leadership as a reflective practice, leading to disengaged, stressed, or demotivated teams who feel unsupported.


After working with leaders, recruiting them, and developing leadership programs nationally and internationally, one truth stands out: great leadership requires treating it as a practice. Reflective practice helps leaders:

  • See leading and supporting their team’s success as their primary objective,

  • View team members as individuals, prioritising their safety, growth, and development,

  • Adapt their leadership practices as needed based on team needs and the challenges they face,

  • Recognise that effective leadership takes practice and consistent effort.


Spoiler: employees don’t believe organisations – they believe people, the leaders, the individuals that represent the wider group. Organisations have a vested interest in encouraging deep leadership reflection & development: leaders who can lead from the heart and the head, leaders who have an excellent understanding of self and others and can create safe inspirational spaces for great things to happen. And according to a World Economic Forum and countless other studies, their businesses perform better in multiple dimensions, including financially. 


How do you do it?

To start a weekly 20-minute reflective practice, you could try this journaling approach:

  1. Settle in: If you have a grounding practice this is a great time – you may prefer a few minutes of intentional breathing, or some slow movement to help your focus.

  2. Reflect on last week’s entry – how did you track against goals? Did any other information/reflections come up that make sense to prioritise exploring today?

  3. Reflect on prompts: you could consider choosing 2-3 prompts each week. You might design these yourself, or consider googling/AI searches focusing on 'recommended reflective practice questions on leadership/trauma-informed practice for X-role' for example.

  4. Finally, identify one small action you can take next week to improve or build upon your reflections, helping you create an ongoing cycle of growth in your leadership practice.



trauma-informed leadership is leadership with reflective practice - image of a man looking out his home office window, writing in a journal

This article was originally published on BE Executive.

0 views

Comments


be the first to know when new
learning and resources launch

you can opt out at anytime

  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • linktr
bottom of page