Episode 19: Reflective Practice for Leadership Growth

Evelyn Carter

Welcome back to Leading for Impact in Anangu Lands Schools. I'm Evelyn Carter, tuning in from Adelaide, and—well—I’m here as always with Liam and Dan. Today we’re diving into reflective practice—why it matters for leadership, and honestly, how it helps us all keep growing even when school life gets messy. So, I guess to kick us off, Dan, do you wanna start us off? How do you think about reflection in your day-to-day as a leader?

Dan Harrison

Yeah, sure, Evelyn. So for me, reflection is something I used to think you just did at the end of the year—or maybe when something went badly. Now, I see it’s gotta be constant, like woven in everywhere. In the classroom, leading a team, or even just on a walk after knock-off time. It's about asking, you know, what worked, what didn’t, and why. I think the big shift for me was making it a habit, not just a one-off reaction when something goes pear-shaped.

Liam Warragul

Yeah, I’m with you there, Dan. I used to imagine reflection was sitting in silence, thinking deep thoughts—like, a bit abstract. But here, it’s practical, it’s deliberate, and—honestly—it keeps you grounded. Especially out bush, with all the curve balls, unless you actually build time for reflection, you just end up reacting rather than really learning from what’s happening. Intentional space, you know? Even if it’s just ten minutes after a tricky conversation or at the end of a long week, that’s when the real learning happens.

Evelyn Carter

And I think leaders get stuck thinking they’re too busy, but honestly—like we talked about in that episode on resilience—reflection’s the thing that stops you from burning out, yeah? Because it helps you make sense of the chaos and lets you adapt, instead of getting stuck in old patterns. Did either of you have a moment where reflection kind of clicked as something you needed to embed in your routines?

Dan Harrison

I reckon it was my second year on the Lands. I had a spate of tough mornings—students disengaged, routines all over the shop. I started jotting a couple of lines at the end of each day, even if it was just what felt off and what I tried. Over weeks, I could see patterns, and it became a loop—noticing, tweaking, and trying again. That’s when it stopped being a chore and became more of a habit. And, Evelyn, like you said before, it’s a bit of self-care, too—making space to see progress, not just the stuff that’s hard.

Liam Warragul

Yeah, I find it’s also about learning from the wins, not just the struggles. I had a principal once who always asked, “What did we do right—and how do we repeat it?” And sometimes, honestly, I need others to prompt me. That’s why I like peer learning circles. When you hear a mate’s take, or an Anangu colleague’s experience, it broadens your own. There’s always something you’ve missed if you’re just on your own.

Evelyn Carter

That’s a great segue, Liam. I wanted to talk about collaborative reflection because, for me, it’s the gold. There’s something about sitting down with peers or mentors, or in those two-ways teams—Anangu and Piranpa together—where you can hold up the mirror for each other, spot the blind spots. And honestly, it builds trust. Like, if you know you’re in a safe space, you’re way more willing to be honest about what’s tricky—and you get better ideas in return.

Dan Harrison

Yeah, I can remember a time—the Yulara retreat, actually—we sat in a circle, and it wasn’t just, “what could have gone better,” but what did we learn and what are we going to do? And holding each other to it. That’s when reflection leads to real action, I reckon.

Liam Warragul

Yeah, 100%. And another part, maybe it’s my geeky side, but grounding reflection in evidence makes a difference. Whether it’s attendance data, engagement, stuff you’ve actually observed—when you can back up your feelings with facts, your reflections lead to changes you can measure. It takes it out of the, you know, “I reckon” kind of thinking and into something concrete. Do you both use evidence or data when you’re reflecting?

Evelyn Carter

Absolutely, Liam. And actually, sometimes the data challenges what you assumed—like, maybe you feel behaviour’s worse, but the suspensions say otherwise. Or vice versa. Bringing in both data and those community stories or observations—we covered this when we talked about relational accountability in an earlier episode—it gives you the full picture. And sometimes, like with peer learning circles, someone else will spot something in the numbers that you totally missed.

Dan Harrison

Yeah, and when you track your reflections over time, like in journals or with structured tools, you start seeing bigger patterns, not just the churn of the week-to-week. That’s where improvement comes from—linking the big and the small. Even just a shared Google Doc, or a notebook, it helps build continuity—especially with high staff turnover. Sometimes you inherit a colleague’s reflections, you don’t have to start from scratch.

Liam Warragul

And celebrating the growth out loud—whether it’s your own or the team’s—that’s something we often forget but it actually motivates everyone. I’ve seen morale shoot up when people see the progress we’ve made thanks to reflecting and tweaking as a team.

Evelyn Carter

And I always say, if you want reflection to stick and actually lead to better outcomes, it can’t just be a private thing or a paper exercise. It’s about linking each insight to action. Even the best reflections aren’t helpful if you don’t act on them, right, Dan?

Dan Harrison

Absolutely. For me, that’s the last step—writing down “so what, now what.” What’s one thing I’ll do differently? It becomes a cycle. And, I mean, sometimes you need a mentor or a critical friend to nudge you: “You said you wanted to try this—what happened?” That’s where accountability, trust, and honest yarning really up the impact.

Liam Warragul

And don’t forget—Anangu and Piranpa working together in reflection brings double the perspective. That’s where the leadership really grows strong—when you’re both looking at a problem through two-way eyes. I reckon that collaborative reflection, especially in peer circles, makes everything richer and more relevant to our communities, too.

Evelyn Carter

So, before we wrap up, I want to share some reflection questions for any teams listening—because, honestly, sometimes you just need a nudge to embed this stuff. First: How do we make time for regular, meaningful reflection? Next, in what ways can collaborative reflection strengthen our leadership practice? And finally, how do we ensure our reflection leads to tangible action, rather than just feel-good conversation?

Dan Harrison

Yeah, and for folks who wanna go deeper—think about what systems you could put in place to capture those reflections over time, and how you could bring Anangu–Piranpa collaboration into it. And don’t forget to ask—what evidence are we using for our reflections? That’s the key to making change stick.

Liam Warragul

Love that, Dan. And just to echo, reflective practice isn’t a ‘nice-to-have.’ It’s core. It gives us a way to keep improving, to stay connected to why we’re here, and to keep our leadership real and responsive. Even if it’s just that small bit of time each day or week—start there. You’ll see the difference, I promise.

Evelyn Carter

That’s a beautiful place to end, Liam. Thank you both for the conversation and the honesty, as always. And thanks to all our listeners for tuning in—whether you’re new here, or you’ve caught the last few episodes on things like resilience, student voice, or community engagement. We’ll be back soon with more stories and strategies from leaders in Anangu Lands. Take care everyone—catch you next time.

Liam Warragul

See you, Evelyn, see you Dan. Thanks everyone—keep reflecting!

Liam Warragul

By the way, if you have any feedback for Mat Charleston about these podcasts, please drop him a line... mat.charleston@sa.gov.au

Dan Harrison

Thanks everyone, good yarning as always. See you next time!