We often hear about the traits that define great leaders: emotional intelligence, active listening, strategic thinking and strong communication skills. And while these qualities are essential, they’re only part of the picture. One critical — yet frequently overlooked — characteristic of effective leadership is self-reflection.

Self-reflection is the practice of reviewing one’s thoughts, feelings and actions. For leaders, it means evaluating their contributions to a team member’s success or failure and considering how their decisions and actions impact others. This practice reveals strengths, weaknesses, biases and opportunities for growth — opening the door to meaningful change.

According to Harvard Business Review, high-performing professionals frequently engage in a habit of self-reflection. Especially after experiences involving surprise, frustration or failure. These moment’s drive real learning and growth.

Self-reflection also helps leaders counteract “fundamental attribution error” — the tendency to blame others’ character rather than external factors. In the workplace, this might look like a manager who blames employees for productivity problems without recognizing their own role in creating or exacerbating these issues. Leaders who can’t acknowledge their role in team challenges risk damaging trust, accountability and morale. Self-reflection allows them to own their impact and adjust accordingly.

How to Engage in Self-Reflection as a Leader

Here are five ways leaders can engage in self-reflection:

1.  Make it a habit

Create a habit of regularly contemplating your behavior and the decisions that you have made. Consider asking yourself the following questions daily, weekly or monthly:

• What decisions have I made about my employees and their performance recently? What factors went into making those decisions?
• What decisions have I made about our team processes and practices? Have I made changes that could negatively impact the team?
• What messages have I been sending to the team recently? Have I been communicating positively or have I said things that could instill fear or confusion?

2.  Challenge pre-existing beliefs

Consider your beliefs about your team members and look for patterns, inconsistencies and alternative explanations. Ask yourself:

• What beliefs do I have about my employees and their performance?
• What standards am I using to measure employee performance? Am I applying the same standards to the whole team or am I making exceptions for certain personnel?
• What assumptions am I making about why my staff are or are not performing well? Are there any factors outside of their control that could be hindering their success?
• Are there any alternative explanations for why my team is not meeting expectations?

3.  Get outside perspectives

Seek feedback from trusted sources to help provide you with perspectives you may not be considering. Here are three actions you could take today:

• Ask your peers about their managerial challenges and how they approach personnel issues.
• Work with a mentor to discuss solution options to team challenges.
• Get feedback from your manager about your communication and management style.

Important note: Self-reflection is not a replacement for a 360-degree evaluation. Using both in tandem will give you a complete picture of the value of your management style. You need feedback from your peers, leaders and subordinates to truly understand how you impact those around you.

4.  Create a learning path

Identify areas where your leadership skills could improve and seek out opportunities to grow. Taking ownership of your development shows a commitment to improving practices that affect your people. Ask yourself:

• My team isn’t working well together; what can I do to improve communication and trust amongst my staff?
• My delegation process appears to be failing. What leaders do we have that can coach me in this area?

5.  Think big picture

The final action is to evaluate your historical impact as a people leader. While organizations should be evaluating leadership effectiveness over time, they often don’t. That’s why this step falls to you. It may feel uncomfortable, but if personal growth is your goal, it’s a critical exercise.

Start by looking back at everyone you’ve managed. Where are they now? What influence did your leadership have on their careers?

Here’s a powerful example: At one company, amid rumors of layoffs, a team chose to call their former leader — someone no longer with the company — for guidance, rather than turn to their current managers. The level of distrust was so high that employees saw expressing concern or frustrations to their direct leaders as a career risk.

Many managers rely on their own supervisor’s assessment or employee net promoter score (NPS) to gauge their leadership quality. But these measures don’t always reflect the full picture. For instance, if you’re modeling poor leadership traits from your own boss, it’s unlikely you’re developing into the kind of leader others want to follow. As for NPS, keep in mind that employees may be hesitant to be honest, especially if they fear retaliation or think their feedback won’t lead to meaningful change.

So, ask yourself: If the process of job hunting was reversed, would your leadership resume attract quality talent? Are you a leader who is worth following?

Use these questions to help evaluate your impact and value as a people leader:

• How many former employees were promoted while working for you? Are you developing future leaders?
• Have you mentored anyone? Do you take time to develop others?
• How many former employees were recognized for their work while reporting to you? Do you create a culture of excellence?
• Do you maintain good relationships with past employees? If not, why?
• If you left the company and offered a job to your current subordinates, would any opt to go with you? Are you a leader people want to continue to work with?
• How many former employees left the company — or were forced to leave — while under your management?
• How many employees took a leave-of-absence and didn’t return? Could your leadership style be a factor?
• Has anyone left your team for a lower-level role? This might suggest they preferred a demotion over remaining on your team.

It can be a bit scary to think about the answers to the questions above, but an honest account of your historical influence and impact as a leader can help you grow and become a leader who truly empowers others.

Self-reflection is a superpower that can help you identify biases, assumptions and opportunities for improvement. In doing so, this practice can help you strengthen your relationship with your team, your manager and your peers. So, put on your cape, flex your muscles and start exercising the strength of self-reflection today!