“Self-reflection is an essential part of the leadership journey,” writes Damia C. Thomas, CEO of DCT Consulting, in an Education Week essay. DCT creates systems that use data to transform instructional culture. Damia served for more than 20 years as a school and district leader in urban schools in both the public and charter sectors.
“One of the biggest challenges school leaders face is the disconnect between their actions and core values. When this disconnect occurs, they may find themselves leading haphazardly, without a clear sense of direction or purpose.
“Feelings of mental exhaustion and burnout can easily seep into the picture, which is when you most need a mindset alignment.
“As a school leader, you should always look to other principals, assistant principals, deans, and others in leadership positions for examples of what to do and, very often, what not to do.
“Reflecting on past experiences as teachers, instructional coaches, deans, or assistant principals can help principals reconnect with the emotions and motivations that led you to school leadership.
“These reflections reinforce a leader’s reason why. It can be easy to forget that “why” while immersed in the work, but reflection can help keep us motivated and moving forward, especially during challenging times. Reflective practice is necessary to grow, evolve, and lead with confidence as a school leader.
“Reflecting on the values that matter to us most is an important step in that evolution. Sometimes, this can feel like peeling back layers of an onion, and the revelations may be painful. However, the more you ask yourself why and peel back those layers, the closer you will get to identifying your true values—the things that drive you as a person, as an individual, as a family member, or as a leader.
“To begin understanding yourself and evolving as a school leader, I encourage you to start with L.O.V.E.—list, organize, value, and evaluate.
“List your core values, the ones closest to your heart and mind. Organize those values by theme. Ask the question why for each theme. Get to the root of why the core values are important. Understanding the why of your values is important here.
“After deep reflection and introspection, think about how those values can show up in leadership actions. You may identify honesty is a core value because experience has taught you that honest people are reliable and trustworthy. You may then reflect that value in leadership actions with transparent communication about budget, district messaging, systems. It will become an expectation and commitment to be transparent with staff at all times.
“Each week, take time to evaluate how your value-led actions and decisions are aligned with core values. How does it feel when decisions or actions are made in opposition to values? Take note.
Commit to actions that create self-awareness before taking action or making decisions.
“As school leaders, it’s easy to get caught up in the day to day and forget to check in with ourselves. That’s why it’s important to set aside time on the calendar and prioritize reflection. We have the power to choose when and how to invest in ourselves to let our values guide transformational leadership practices.”
Education Week
