Why reflection is the superpower every leadership and executive coach needs for growth

As leadership and executive coaches, we’re often encouraging our clients to reflect - to pause and dive into their experiences to discover deeper insights and awareness. But how often do we, as coaches, take the time to reflect ourselves?

How do we prepare for our supervision sessions, fine-tune our coaching practice, and continue growing both personally and professionally?

In this blog, we’ll explore how we can make reflection a vital part of our own practice, the different ways we can approach it, and why it’s key to both our development and impact as coaches.

Getting ready for supervision: why reflection matters

Supervision is a great opportunity to reflect on our work and get feedback, but its true value depends on how prepared we are to engage with it. The more we reflect beforehand, the more we get out of the process.

Before your supervision session, ask yourself questions like:

• Which client or situation has been most challenging or intriguing recently?
• How am I feeling about my coaching practice? Are there any biases or emotions I need to check?
• What am I hoping to learn from my supervisor, and am I open to hearing their feedback?

Taking the time to reflect on these questions beforehand can make your supervision more focused and productive. Plus, it shows the same self-awareness we encourage in our clients!

Different ways to reflect: let’s mix it up

Reflection is personal, and there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. We can tap into various ways to get the most out of it. Here are a few different ways to reflect that can help enrich your coaching practice:

1. Journaling or brain dumping:

Journaling is a great way to work through your thoughts, capture feelings, and notice patterns in your coaching sessions. It doesn’t have to be structured, but you could try writing about specific client scenarios, ethical dilemmas, or your emotional responses to particular situations.

2. Chatting with peers:

Having informal conversations with fellow coaches or trusted colleagues can help you gain fresh insights and see things from different perspectives. It’s a chance to learn from others and receive feedback in a supportive setting.

3. Listening to your body (somatic reflection):

Sometimes, the body holds the answers. Paying attention to how your body reacts during sessions—whether it’s a knot in your stomach or a feeling of lightness—can give you clues about your emotional state and any biases that might be influencing your coaching.

4. Getting creative:

Using creative tools like drawing, storytelling, or even metaphors can unlock new ideas that might be harder to reach through purely logical thought. Creative exercises can help you approach your reflection in a more playful and intuitive way.

5. Tech tools:

There are apps and platforms that help with reflective practice, such as digital journals or feedback trackers. These can add structure to your process and help you stay consistent with reflection over time.

Reflection for our own growth: why it’s so important

Beyond preparing for supervision, reflection plays a huge role in our own personal and professional growth. The more we reflect, the better we get at what we do and our work becomes even more fulfilling.

Personal growth:

As coaches, we are our most important tool, so reflection helps us stay aligned with who we are. Ask yourself:

• Are my values showing up in my coaching practice?
• What are the things that trigger me or make me feel uncomfortable in coaching sessions, and why might that be?

Getting clear on these things helps us become more authentic and effective as coaches and as human beings.

Professional growth:

Reflection also supports our development as professionals. It helps us assess where we’re excelling and where we might need to improve. For instance:

• How are my clients progressing? What’s working well, and what needs adjusting?
• How am I responding to feedback from clients, peers, or supervisors?
• Am I staying up to date with new techniques and skills?

By taking time to reflect on these aspects, we can continue improving and ensuring we stay sharp and relevant in our coaching practice.

Tips for making reflection a habit

It can be tough to find time for reflection, especially when we’re busy coaching clients and running a practice. Here are some tips to help you make reflection a regular part of your routine:

• Schedule Time for It: Block out time for reflection each week, just as you would for a client session. Treat it as an important part of your process.
• Create a Ritual: Whether it’s a certain spot, a certain time, or using a special pen and specific notebook, developing a ritual for reflection can signal to your brain that it’s time to reflect.
• Be Flexible: There’s no one “right” way to reflect. Explore different approaches and see what feels most useful for you, adapting as you go.

Parting words

As leadership and executive coaches, we know that reflection is essential for helping our clients grow and for the work in our sessions. But we must also commit to our own reflective practice. Whether it’s preparing for supervision, refining our coaching skills, or growing personally, regular reflection sharpens our insights and makes us more effective coaches.

So, what’s your next step in your own reflective journey?

This blog is a gentle nudge to make reflection a regular part of your practice, if you don’t already. Share your thoughts with fellow coaches, and let’s support one another to keep evolving both personally and professionally.

Photo by Gaetano Cessati on Unsplash.