I had a coach once share with me that the “air becomes thin” the further we advance in leadership hierarchy. We get further from the daily service or work of the team and can make decisions with limited or inaccurate information. What can help? Attunement. Attuning to the work can come in many forms, but it often starts with spending time and immersing in the work itself. Watching the team, inquiring and deeply listening to what it feels like to do the work. These are practices that help leaders reset and calibrate strategy. They also build trust with teams, enabling change and performance. Going to see work and attunement are critical to effective leadership.

One notable difference I see in successful leaders is an intentional practice of reflection. Even though I think it’s quite widely understood as an important practice, most leaders I observe that are moving through steady streams of activities leave little space for learning and growth. Given the volume of information coming at leaders and the increased pace of decision making, it isn’t hard to understand why reflection may feel like a luxurious way to spend time versus an essential aspect of the day. In this article from Harvard Business Review, the author describes the learning that takes place through the conscious process of reflecting on actions and beliefs and the author offers suggestions on how to weave meaningful reflection into your leadership.