Column: Leaders Need Time to Reflect

By Rachel Smith

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve found myself in a season of learning.

I’ve been coaching leaders inside organizations, working one-on-one with leaders who are trying to become better versions of themselves, coaching a TEDx speaker as she prepares to share an idea worth spreading, attending a speaker development seminar to improve myself while also sharing pieces of my own experiences with others that they can take on their journeys, and most importantly spending time with my husband in one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever visited.

At first, all of those experiences seemed completely unrelated.

But the more I reflected on them, the more I realized they were all reminding me of the exact same lesson: Leadership starts with us.

As leaders, it’s easy to spend our days focused on everyone else. We think about the people on our teams, the tasks that need done, the goals we need to accomplish, the problems we need to solve and the next decision waiting for us when we walk into the office tomorrow.

I see it every day in my coaching. Leaders genuinely want to do better. They want to build stronger teams, communicate more effectively and create workplaces where people enjoy coming to work. But many of them are carrying so much responsibility that they rarely give themselves permission to slow down and reflect.

Ironically, that’s often where the biggest breakthroughs happen. (Where my breakthrough happened.)

While coaching leaders recently, I’ve noticed that the answers they’re searching for usually aren’t hidden. They’re already there. They simply need someone to ask the right questions and create enough space for them to think differently.

I experienced that myself recently.

As I looked out over Sedona’s red rocks, I wasn’t thinking about my next presentation or my next coaching session. I found myself thinking about how grateful I am.

Grateful that I get to do work that helps people grow, share and serve others.

Grateful that I get to continue learning myself.

Grateful that even in one of the most difficult seasons my husband and I have ever faced, we’ve been intentional about making memories, finding moments of peace and appreciating the journey we’re on together.

That perspective has changed me.

It reminded me that leadership isn’t something we only practice at work. We practice it in how we respond to challenges, how we encourage the people around us, how we continue learning and how we choose gratitude even when life feels uncertain.

Technology is changing faster than ever. Artificial intelligence is transforming the way we work. But after spending the last several weeks coaching leaders, learning alongside other speakers and simply slowing down enough to reflect, I’m more convinced than ever that our greatest advantage will never be technology alone. (Although it’s a necessity at this time.)

It will always be our humanity. Our ability to listen. To encourage. To ask thoughtful questions and to continue learning. Most importantly it is to help someone fully believe in themselves.

As leaders, we spend a lot of time investing in everyone else.

My challenge to you this month is simple.

Invest a little time in yourself.

Slow down.

Reflect.

Be grateful.

Because the better we become as people, the better we’ll become as leaders. And that’s an advantage no technology will ever replace.