Ignite Your Leadership Journey

Leadership and Growth – The Gift of Leadership: Reflecting on Key Learnings in Leadership and Why it Matters?

Have you ever wondered why The Gift of Leadership: Reflecting on Key Learnings in Leadership Matters?

What if the best gift you received this holiday season wasn’t material but more significant insight into how you lead? Leadership goes beyond leading others; it’s about their growth with you, the challenges, and the profound lessons you learn about yourself and what you can achieve. A leader navigating remote work, pandemic uncertainty, and shifting workforce expectations gains clarity through challenges, empowering others. This demanding journey reveals that leadership is about accountability and an opportunity to drive meaningful transformation.

Importance - Reflecting on key leadership lessons is essential to personal growth. How well we lead through challenges may be defined by our ability to recognize, internalize, and take action on the lessons learned. As per a study by Deloitte, organizations that invest in leadership development and take time for reflection are 1.8 times more likely to outperform their comparisons. At a time when everything seems to be changing — from the climate, technilogy to economic stability — taking a moment to pause and reflect can bring clarity and resilience. We lay the groundwork for continuous growth, acknowledging that our teams and organizations must stay flexible and focused on their goals.

Impact - Leadership reflection goes beyond just personal growth—it impacts the organization's culture and performance as a whole. For instance, a global tech firm created a new quarterly process for leadership reviews in which leaders discussed their most important takeaways and areas for development. Not only did this practice improve their leadership skills, but it also promoted a culture of transparency and collaboration. But this is where reflection comes in — it allows us to act by organizational values, create trust within teams, and seize possibilities for innovation. When we model self-awareness and a commitment to learning, we inspire the same in our teams — a virtuous circle of leading and succeeding.

Challenges - Reflecting on what you have learned is no easy task. We may be busy with too much to deal with and the mess of past failures. Reflection can seem unproductive in specific contexts, especially when speedy environments demand immediate results. To avoid these challenges, we must engage in reflection with purpose and process. This may include setting aside time for feedback, asking peers, coaches or mentors, and adopting a growth mindset that sees setbacks as learning experiences.

Relevance for Boardrooms - Daily leadership reflection among board members is vital for long-term success. Because boards are closest to the big picture of organizational life, they can offer exceptional value by promoting reflection on how healthy leadership matches the organization's strategy. Board members can also encourage structured reflection by investing in leadership development programs, fostering open dialogue among board members and other stakeholders, and setting expectations for continuous improvement. This helps keep leadership connected with the host organization's vision and nimble when new challenges emerge.

Global Perspectives - Contextual differences among cultures and organizations worldwide affect how reflection works. The Ubuntu philosophy is based on interconnectedness, collective growth, and shared success. It can inspire leaders in South Africa to reflect on what they do well and how they contribute to a team or community's success with ‘I am because we are.’ Self-reflection, or hansei, is a foundation of leadership in Japan. Leaders strive to learn from successes and failures. These perspectives underscore that while the approaches to reflection may differ, the tenets of self-awareness, humility, and a commitment to growth are more or less universal.

Expert Opinions - One of the most sought-after voices in leadership and vulnerability, Brené Brown shares that “vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity, and change. Reflection on what we have learned about being a leader requires us to be vulnerable, even if we don’t want this, by examining the choices and ways that need improvement. John C Maxwell teaches us that “Growth is the great separator between those who succeed and those who do not. When I see a person beginning to separate themselves from the pack, it’s almost always due to personal growth.” This perspective underscores the transformative power of reflection as a driver of success. 

Future Outlooks—We need reflection in leadership now and in the future. Leaders should be wary of deploying data-driven decisions in an age of AI, rapidly changing workforces, global connectedness, and increasing data integration. The new future of leaders will be a continual cycle of learning, unlearning, and relearning. Only through reflection can we find the assurance to broach complexity, encourage innovation, and galvanize our teams toward a common purpose.

Three Takeaways for our Boardrooms:

Takeaway #1: Champion Reflection – We must encourage leadership teams to integrate structured reflection into their practices, ensuring alignment with organizational goals. 

Takeaway #2: Model Continuous Improvement—We must promote a culture where learning from successes and failures is celebrated as a pathway to growth. 

Takeaway #3: Foster Transparency – We must create spaces where leaders can share insights and strategies, building trust and collaboration. 

Final Reflection - Have you ever thought about leadership not as a quality we hold but as a gift we share? The one we extend via our deeds, our words, and our practice of lifting others. It’s in the quiet moments where we empower someone else, the tough calls that will impact someone else’s future, and that brave step to lead them forward even if we can’t see what lies ahead. Take a moment to reflect: Who gave you the gift of leadership? And more importantly, how are you passing that gift along today?

Leadership is leaving people better, stronger, and more inspired than when we met them. In the end, leadership is not about our story; it’s about being a positive chapter in someone else’s.

Leadership's blessing lies in how our kindness, bravery, and faith create lasting ripples that resonate in others' lives.. And isn’t that what really counts? Connecting with the people around us, encouraging them, and making a difference in their lives.

So, as I take this question with me, I hope you will too: What kind of leader do you want to be, and what gift will you leave behind? That is why the gift of leadership matters.

Share your insights and experience:

What has your leadership experience taught you about your perspective and how you have grown?

What practical contributes to or lets you reflect on lessons learned and apply them?

Embrace Your Leadership Journey by The Gift of Leadership: Reflecting on Key Learnings in Leadership

Ignite your Leadership Journey – Share Your Insights and Challenges in The Gift of Leadership: Reflecting on Key Learnings in Leadership

You might check some of the topics elaborated on previously. See other articles

And if you want to empower Yourself on Your leadership Journey, check out my Book:

“Rise Above and Empower Yourself”

"Rise Above And Empower Yourself"

"Rise Above And Empower Yourself" Indira Bunic

#innovation #innovationleadership #creativity #empowerment #accountability #transparency #boardroom #boardofdirectors #ethicalleadership #goodgovernance #riseaboveandempoweryourself #coaching #leadershipandgrowth #biggoals2024 #vision #mission #values #thoughtleadership #visionaryleadership #linkedinarticles #executivecoaching