Journaling in Leadership - Emerging Nurse Leader

By Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN

I often ask groups of new leaders whether they ever do any reflective journaling. They usually have a pained expression on their face and answer no. That probably comes from bad memories of journaling about clinical experiences in nursing school, and then having instructors comment on them. Reflective journaling in leadership is quite different. This journal is for you and you alone. I would recommend that you don’t share it but it is interesting to go back years later and re-read some of what you have written. You will be surprised at your own growth and the perspective that you develop over time. Joan Didion, author of the bestseller The Year of Magical Thinking, described journaling as “remembering what it was to be me: that was always the point.”

Research demonstrates that the act of writing down your ideas can help to clarify thinking particularly when you face challenges. We lead such hectic and fast paced lives that often we don’t take the time to listen to ourselves and what we are feeling. It has also been shown to foster resiliency because you can see how much you have grown.

The Center for Creative Leadership in North Carolina offers some valuable guidance on how to do this. They recommend using the following format to evaluate experiences that may be shaking your equilibrium.

The event or experience – describe it as objectively as possible sticking to the facts. Who was involved? Where did it happen? When did it happen?
Your reaction – describe your reaction as factually and objectively as possible. What did you do? What were your thoughts? What were your feelings?
The lessons – What did you learn from both the event and from your reaction to it? Did the event suggest a development need that you should address? Do you see a pattern in your reactions?

Increasingly, we now see reflection being added to leadership competency models. Your leadership experiences are only as valuable as what you do with them, and this requires reflection.