Reflect and Practice

Learning Always and From Everywhere

Leaders who lead from within constantly seek information that allows them to deepen their understanding of leadership and what it takes to lead well. Leadership lessons are all around you naturally in your day-to-day interactions, in the news, in your observations of students, in the actions of other leaders, and in the responses that you witness to your leadership. Think about how you can use these experiences to guide your leadership practice. You will consider the three guiding principles of (1) pursue, (2) personalize, and (3) practice to advance your leadership journey. You will learn how to pursue information that is reliable, useful, compelling, and resonates with you; personalize the data by making meaning of them based on your experiences and context; and practice what you learn by using the information to enhance your work. As you grow and learn as a leader, you will discover it is vital to surround yourself with others who want to lead and learn with you. This chapter shows you how sharing what you know with others solidifies your understanding and possibly provides new ways of thinking about learning.

Reflect and Practice

As you read this book, create time to reflect on your leadership style and the skills you want to grow as you lead from within. Throughout, you will see reflection questions to assist you. Each chapter also invites you to participate actively, using the templates and tools to learn the six actions. Read from beginning to end, or read the chapters in any order, coming back to the ones you need or that inspire you. At the end of each chapter, we suggest leadership actions you can do in six minutes, six weeks, and six months related to each topic, including direct statements about what we believe thoughtful leaders do and avoid in their practice.

We believe the strength of this book lies in the reflection and application of each reader. We aspire to build on your strengths and inspire you to find the continuous courage to grow both skill and will. We have learned a delicate balance of both makes great leaders, and we invite you to take this journey with us.

Most importantly, throughout this journey, please celebrate! Celebrate what you already do so well, the small and the significant accomplishments that make up the minutes of your day, and how you demonstrate brave, courageous leadership from within. Take care of yourself even when you must give much more than you think you have to give, and always intentionally know your current reality and build relationships as you focus on results. Finally, learn always and from everywhere, beginning with this book.

© 2022 by Solution Tree Press