Successful business leaders usually have one thing in common: they understand the importance of self-reflection. Most of the time, entrepreneurs who thrive in the workplace use self-reflection as a means to develop empathy, emotional intelligence and adaptability. In fact, research tells us that the habit of self-reflection is what differentiates extraordinary professionals from average ones. In this article, we have explored the importance of self-reflection to help you understand how to practice it and the benefits it can bring.
What is Self-Reflection?
According to the Cambridge dictionary, self-reflection is “the activity of thinking about your own feelings and behaviours, and the reasons that may lie behind them”. This type of inward evaluation requires courage, but once you master it, you can assess your past behaviours and their consequences, as well as who you are and where you’re at currently to help move towards your goals in the future.
The Importance of Self-Reflection for Business Leaders
Self-reflection is the most important skill as it sets the foundation for other soft skills to develop. Soft skills are what make us human, and they are the skills that, at the moment, cannot be performed by artificial intelligence. Therefore, these are the very skills that make us indispensable. As business leaders, there are a plethora of benefits that come from investing time and energy in self-reflection; below, we have outlined two of the most important:
1.Prevent Professional Stagnation
The importance of self-reflection is immeasurable, particularly because it encourages overall professional and personal development. It is vital that leaders consistently evaluate their process, knowledge and team interactions to recognise strengths and areas of growth. Taking a step back and understanding what we need to improve helps us remain open-minded, evolve with the forever-changing world and reduce the risk of maintaining outdated traditions.
2. Enhance Productivity
Research suggests that UK adults spend approximately five hours per day on their mobile phones, in addition to any screen-related work. That’s an average of 35 hours per week, 140 hours per month and a staggering 1,825 hours per year.
Over time, we have adapted to an increase of digital drains on our time and energy, whether that’s thoughtlessly checking social media or communicating through text messages. But what’s interesting is that many of us have never consciously agreed to this digital overload. Consequently, we spend entire days jumping from one task to the next, without stopping to reflect on our goals or achievements. Self-reflection allows us to slow down and evaluate the patterns in our daily activities, helping us to assess how our habits contribute to our overall well-being, happiness and success.
Final Thoughts
After reading about the importance of self-reflection, you may have decided to implement the practice into your daily routine. But, where do you start?
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the prospect of self-reflection, don’t worry, you’re not alone. Transitioning from living a life on autopilot to one that is active and conscious can be a big leap. If you require any guidance on your journey, why not try business coaching? In doing so, you will partner with a trained professional that can relate to, and understand your struggles, providing relevant advice that can empower you to create your own path to success.
