Questions to ask as you shift
your thoughts from action to reflection
Leave your phone on silent, tucked away in your
bag, or perhaps even turn it off (gasp)! It’s okay. You’ll be okay.
By Meg McKeen, CIC
A new year is approaching, signaling a clean slate, a fresh start.
But before we turn the page on another year, what if you slowed your pace and took a minute to reflect on who you’ve been—as a leader and a human—this past year?
The new year, after all, will be here soon enough.
Resist the urge
Many of us are primed as leaders to approach future planning using the start, stop, continue method: What new practices will I begin in 2026? What did I do in 2025 that no longer serves me/the team? What practices will I carry forward with me into the new year?
I’m not not a fan of this method, but in the busy-ness of life these days, we often miss key moments to pause and reflect on the experiences we’ve had. It is these experiences that shape our vision for our futures and for the futures of those whom we lead, even if we don’t realize it in the moments we’re in them.
So as you practice the pause and reflect, resist the urge to leap into action mode or to skip over the messy parts of your last year. Instead, try to dial in your curiosity and your self-awareness and settle in for the learning about yourself and others that you’ve experienced this past year.
Set the stage
In a recent “Let’s Lead” column, I shared the importance of place when we gather. And similar guidelines apply here, as I recommend that you neutralize your environment as you carve out the time and space to pause and reflect.
I’ll forever be a fan of removing distractions when you’re doing introspective work like this. Consider turning your out of office auto-reply on, leaving your office (whether it’s in your home or otherwise) and parking yourself in a cozy seat at your favorite coffee shop (if background noise is your thing) or your local library (if it’s not). You’re going to be here for a couple of hours, so make sure you choose a place where you’d like to be for a bit.
Leave your phone on silent, tucked away in your bag, or perhaps even turn it off (gasp)! It’s okay. You’ll be okay. If you’re up for it, ditch the tech altogether and grab that journal that’s been untouched for too long and your favorite pen.
Now that you’ve settled in, it’s time to get started.
Let’s get to it
Consider these questions as you start challenging your thoughts to shift from action to reflection. Don’t be surprised if, as your thoughts start to flow, that other questions and reflections come forward for you, too:
How am I feeling in my body? Many leaders I meet share with me that they aren’t sleeping well; they know about sleep hygiene and they know what they should be doing, and yet their sleep is still inconsistent—not long enough or not restful when they do.
A sleep deficiency can affect the stability of our mood, our ability to concentrate, and so many of our physiological systems. What hurts? What aches? What is worrying you about your health? Make a note of these things.
At what moment this past year did I feel like I really had this leadership thing figured out? We’ve all heard the adage about the perfect performance review—except for the one item that “needs improvement.” Let’s celebrate the moments this past year that you felt your own leadership flow—when you and your team were firing on all cylinders and what often feels like struggle, instead felt like ease.
At what moment or moments did I question my leadership ability? What prompted you to feel this way? And how did it manifest? For example, many leaders share that they feel like they’re waiting to fully lean into their authority once they have one more designation, once they have more experience, once the person more senior on their team retires.
Who was surrounding me during these moments? What were we doing when we were together? When you think about your leadership journey this past year, consider the inputs around you: the people you work alongside, those you lead, your external stakeholders, and your own leader(s).
Was your experience supportive and collaborative, if that’s where you thrive? Or did you feel micromanaged or second-guessed? Did you find the mentorship you’ve been craving? Were the expectations of you clear—along with the path to meet those expectations?
Do my core values still align with the organization and individuals I’m leading? Whether it’s a yes or a no—what examples from this past year support this response? You are evolving as a leader, just as the individuals around you are on their own journeys. Pause to review if the values you hold close align with those around you, too.
Bonus points. Ponder these same questions but centered on a different key relationship you have in your life. Perhaps as a parent, a partner, or a friend, how do your responses change? Where do they overlap?
The discomfort means you’re doing it right
If you find the slowing down or the thought of carving out time for a seemingly simple exercise like this feels like more than you can manage, consider what that might indicate about your level of busyness today. What are you saying “yes” to instead of to yourself?
As leaders, it’s our instinct to consider the needs of others, often ahead of our own. I hope as you lean into the learning you’ll do as you pause and reflect, you’ll remember that you inspire, support, and encourage others everyday—and that you deserve to be inspired, supported, and encouraged, too. Happy New Year!
The author
Once told “you’re someone I’d like to receive bad news from,” Meg McKeen, CIC, founded Adjunct Advisors LLC in 2018 with the simple belief that we can and must do more to support the individuals who choose a career in the insurance industry. Now in her 26th year, Meg’s experience working in underwriting, leadership, and sales within the industry informs her work as a consultant today, in which Meg now holds space, at the crossroads of personal and professional development, for insurance professionals as they navigate their shifting relationship with work and this current hard market. Meg’s work includes private and small group coaching, workshop facilitation, industry event speaking and planning engagements, and the podcast she hosts, Bound & Determinedsm. Visit adjunctadvisors.com to learn more.
