Self-reflection for school leaders - make your school a happier place to be

As a school leader, you might be wondering how self-reflection can help you. Indeed, you might well be pondering on whether we’ve been sniffing the Pritt Sticks in the stationery cupboard. But we haven’t, honest. 

You see, we know the benefits of self-reflection for school leaders and in this post, Steph Caswell shares her thoughts as to why it should be an integral part of your quest to make your school a happy place to be.

Time for self-reflection

Okay, okay, I hear you. Put down your pitchforks and take a breath. As a former DH, I know your diary is already full to the proverbial brim with meetings and all the other nonsense that comes your way on a daily basis - flooding in the Y2 toilets anyone? You barely get time to eat lunch, so building in time for self-reflection is a ludicrous idea. Preposterous. 

After all, if you’re not burning your mouth by gulping down a cup-a-soup or asking the Y2s to stop stuffing toilet paper down the loo, meetings with important stakeholders like governors, SIPs, parents and staff must take priority, right?

Well, I hate to say it, but no. 

Look at that list of stakeholders. Notice anything? The most important stakeholder of all is missing… you! Without you, without your leadership skills, commitment and vision, the rest is kinda moot. All those people are important, of course they are, but you have to come first. 

So finding time to look inwardly and take stock is hugely important for two reasons: firstly because it makes you a better leader and secondly because it makes you a better person. 

 Let’s explore that a little more, shall we? Hopefully, you’ll soon see that it’s not such a ludicrous idea after all.

The benefits of self-reflection

Self-reflection has myriad benefits but when it comes to your leadership skills and professional capabilities, it can help you find out more about yourself as a leader. You’ll notice which skills you possess that are helping you take the school in the direction you want it to go in. 

But most importantly, it will help you discover which skills you may be lacking too, giving you the opportunity to look at the strengths within your team and how you can embrace them. Being honest with yourself and asking those tough questions about your own leadership abilities will only enhance the trajectory of school improvement.

You’ll also find out more about yourself as a person - and being a personable leader is just what every school needs, particularly to make it a happy place to be. If you’re approachable and a great listener, you’ll find morale lifts and your team is more cohesive. But you’ll only know if you’re those things by self-reflecting and being honest with your responses. 

And if reflection makes you realise you’re not great at those skills? Fear not! You can learn to be. These aren’t skills you’re necessarily born with - you can develop them through learning and practise. Our Leading an Excellent School workshop is a great place to start.

Creating a happy culture starts with you. Developing your emotional intelligence and awareness will start to filter down to your team and the rest of the school community too.

Self-reflection and psychological safety 

Once you’ve practised regular self-reflection, you may start to look outwardly and feel confident to ask others what they think of your leadership style and how your behaviours impact them. After all, it’s important to consider how you affect those around you. 

Don’t just ask your biggest supporters either - in fact, if everyone says you’re amazing, ask yourself if you’re creating a psychologically safe environment where people feel they can actually say what they see. 

It takes courage to develop openness and honesty amongst your team, but it’s well worth the effort. People like working for those who are still actively on their own professional development journey. No one wants to work for a narcissist who believes they never make any mistakes and always know the best/right way to do something. 

And that’s where self-reflection comes into its own. It forces you (nicely) to think about the type of leader you are and the leader you want to be. It also allows you to recognise your strengths and the value you bring too. 

So practise a little self-reflection every day - it doesn’t have to be anything elaborate. It could just be finding 5 minutes when you get to school in the morning or at the end of a day before you leave. Just sit and consider the decisions you’ve made, the conversations you’ve had or the behaviours you’ve expressed. 

And soon you’ll find that much-needed time for self-reflection slots nicely into your day… maybe even as you head down the corridor to the Y2 toilets!