REFLECTIVE LEADERSHIP

Reflective leadership

Reflective leadership

Introduction

Reflective leadership moves toward balance between task and maintenance process concerns. But more than that, reflective leadership focuses not only on outcomes, but on the relationship between outcomes and the future of the organization, its inner voice. The reflective leader tries, no matter what the work content in a specific work group, no matter what the task concerns, to focus on the essence of the organization. The reflective leader tries to understand the group and lead it, to capture the direction of the organization and walk behind it. Reflective leadership puts understanding before action, and depends on shared leadership developed from shared understandings. This is the direction in which we might wish to lead our alumni volunteers; it is a condition to which we as alumni professionals might wish to aspire. In the following paragraphs, this paper will discuss the concept of the reflective leader, the importance of reflection as a key component in the development of future leaders and the organization's expectations from the Reflective leader.

Discussion

Business gurus suggest that professionals face situations of uncertainty, instability and complexity that are unique and insoluble by these strict applications of technical, rational approaches. Leaders need flexible ways of responding to and learning from these situations. At the centre of professional competence lies the capacity to learn how to learn. Reflection stands out as a tool to facilitate learning through practice.

Reflection springs from uncomfortable feelings and the realization that the knowledge we usually turn to is insufficient to explain the current situation. By examining our feelings and rationale for an action, we illuminate effective responses and generate new knowledge. Reflection-in-action -- or critical thinking -- occurs while practicing, influencing decisions at the moment. Reflection-on-action -- or thoughtful reflection -- occurs after the event, helping to develop practice and leadership skills. At the same time, reflection creates meaning for the event.

Reflective leadership practices call for several specific skills and processes. The reflective leader identifies a situation that was especially demanding intellectually or emotionally and then shares the incident and what he/she did to respond to the challenge. In this regard, the reflective leader ensures that he/she presents a description of the phenomenon, the cause of the event and the context in which it occurred; clarifying comments in order to identify the process manifest within the experience and his/her reflection (Schermerhorn 2005, 45). The reflective leader highlights what he/she was trying to achieve, why he/she intervened, what were the consequences of the action, for others and for the organization. The reflective leader also highlights how he/she felt about this experience when it was happening.

The reflective leader involves the growth and expansion of professional values and skills, giving fellow employees more options essential for a self-actualized, liberated life. At this stage his/her colleagues are able to come to terms with the factors/knowledge that can influence decisions/actions, alternative solutions to complex problems, possible choices and their respective consequences.

The reflective leader tries to derive meaning from the ...