Our personal experiences can be a rich training ground if we use them to reflect on things we do well and things we could improve. Being a leader is a difficult task and learning to master leadership from books alone is just not practical. Books can enhance our learning, but experience and our reaction to our experiences can build important lessons in leadership.

Reflecting on our high points and low points as a leader will help improve our self-awareness. When we internalize these lessons, and change our leadership based on our mistakes and our successes, we stand to become even better leaders.

Activity Handout

 Consider a few of your low points related to being a boss. Reflect deeply on these times. What can you learn about yourself from these low points? Write down at least two lessons.

Consider some of your high points related to being a boss. Reflect deeply on these times. What can you learn about yourself from these high points? Write down at least two lessons.

On the continuum below, place an x on the line that indicates your level of personal satisfaction with the leader that you have become. From “very dissatisfied” to  “very satisfied”

Regarding the previous question, what would make your x move up the scale?