Source: https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-leadership-for-teachers-seneca-certified-leader/3-3-1-self-reflection-making-mistakes-and-humility [Revision notes](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes.md) › [Teacher CPD](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd.md) › [CPD: Leadership for Teachers - Seneca Certified Leader](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-leadership-for-teachers-seneca-certified-leader.md) › Self-Reflection, Making Mistakes & Humility # Self-Reflection, Making Mistakes & Humility CPD: Leadership for Teachers (by Sam Strickland), topic 3.3.1 ## Self-Reflection, Mistakes & Showing Humility It is important as a leader to be highly reflective, to handle mistakes productively and to be humble with your approach to leading. This humility has to be both authentic and felt. ### Making mini-decisions ![Making mini-decisions](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-09/86856917-f136-4dbe-9414-0e2b4066df6b/choice-decision-.jpg) - Every single day you will make hundreds of mini-decisions. - It is really important that you compartmentalise these but equally important that you take time to reflect, for a few minutes a day at most, on what you did, why you did it and how you can be better tomorrow. ### Making mistakes ![Making mistakes](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2019-04/799097b1-350a-4a73-9ecf-b9274d6ea248/error-.jpg) - If you do make mistakes, which you will, do not allow the mistakes to win, to take over, to consume you. - If you make a mistake then acknowledge it, accept it and move on. You cannot change it and beating yourself up over it will do you little to no good. - The issue with a mistake is that you are your own worst self-critic. The war with the mistake really is between you, the mistake and your brain. - Most people won’t care or will be too busy and preoccupied to notice your faux pas. ### Humility ![Humility](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2019-08/9a6fc59e-69a8-4b4b-ad13-a7cc7a4473ab/question-mark-2883630_1920.jpg) - If you are putting on a sense of humility as a front then you are, by very virtue of your approach, being disingenuous. ### It's OK to be wrong ![It's OK to be wrong](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-07/6c05811f-40b1-4b00-b9a3-804ff2ba1f67/Wrong-Incorrect-Not-No.jpg) - Avoid being the person who wants to always be right, whether that be because you are too proud to admit you may be wrong or because you see it as a sign of weakness. - Adapting to new information, new ideas or a constructive critique is a sign of strength. - It shows that you are reflective, attentive, capable of listening. - If you stick resolutely to YOUR plan, you may well find that you lose the respect of your staff or your team. This is the beginning of the end. ### Avoid 'know-it-alls' ![Avoid 'know-it-alls'](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-11/9051963e-17f1-4c27-a0fe-1d49f444cda7/warning-sign-.png) - ‘Know-it alls' often know very little and are usually full of bravado, suffering from the Dunning Kruger effect (when people think their cognitive ability is greater than what it actually is). - We have all encountered people who are convinced that they know everything and want to convince you that they know everything. - Be cautious of these people. These people will become a drain on you. ## Test yourself on Self-Reflection, Making Mistakes & Humility - Which of these are preferable strategies for leading a team? - Which of these are true of making mistakes at work? [Practise this topic for free](https://app.senecalearning.com/classroom/course/be4ffe14-084a-46d1-877d-f1fd316b347c/section/10a9be93-dc92-4ff2-b023-c6b786887ac2/session) - Previous topic: [3.2.1 Defining Your Values & Accepting Judgement](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-leadership-for-teachers-seneca-certified-leader/3-2-1-defining-your-values-and-accepting-judgement.md) - Next topic: [4.1.1 Choosing the Right People & Team Beliefs](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-leadership-for-teachers-seneca-certified-leader/4-1-1-choosing-the-right-people-and-team-beliefs.md) ## CPD: Leadership for Teachers (by Sam Strickland) contents ### 1 Introduction - 1.1 Misconceptions & Key Principles - [1.1.1 Misconceptions & Key Principles of Leadership](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-leadership-for-teachers-seneca-certified-leader/1-1-1-misconceptions-and-key-principles-of-leadership.md) ### 2 Good Leadership Style - 2.1 Analysing Leadership Style - [2.1.1 Leadership Style - Questions to Ask Yourself](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-leadership-for-teachers-seneca-certified-leader/2-1-1-leadership-style-questions-to-ask-yourself.md) - [2.1.2 Leadership Style - Misconceptions & Advice](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-leadership-for-teachers-seneca-certified-leader/2-1-2-leadership-style-misconceptions-and-advice.md) - 2.2 The Qualities of a Good Leader - [2.2.1 What Makes a Good Leader?](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-leadership-for-teachers-seneca-certified-leader/2-2-1-what-makes-a-good-leader.md) ### 3 Analysing Yourself - 3.1 Understanding Yourself - [3.1.1 The Importance of Understanding Yourself](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-leadership-for-teachers-seneca-certified-leader/3-1-1-the-importance-of-understanding-yourself.md) - [3.1.2 The Johari Window](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-leadership-for-teachers-seneca-certified-leader/3-1-2-the-johari-window.md) - 3.2 Your Values & Dealing with Others - [3.2.1 Defining Your Values & Accepting Judgement](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-leadership-for-teachers-seneca-certified-leader/3-2-1-defining-your-values-and-accepting-judgement.md) - 3.3 Personal Qualities: Being Reflective & Humble - [3.3.1 Self-Reflection, Making Mistakes & Humility](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-leadership-for-teachers-seneca-certified-leader/3-3-1-self-reflection-making-mistakes-and-humility.md) ### 4 Building a Team - 4.1 Important Principles for Building a Team - [4.1.1 Choosing the Right People & Team Beliefs](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-leadership-for-teachers-seneca-certified-leader/4-1-1-choosing-the-right-people-and-team-beliefs.md) ### 5 Decision-Making - 5.1 The Key to Making Decisions Effectively - [5.1.1 The Importance of Patience for Decision-Making](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-leadership-for-teachers-seneca-certified-leader/5-1-1-the-importance-of-patience-for-decision-making.md) ### 6 Recap - 6.1 5 Key Principles for Leading - [6.1.1 Recap: 5 Key Principles](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-leadership-for-teachers-seneca-certified-leader/6-1-1-recap-5-key-principles.md)