Role Models &
Mentors Reflection

Reflection & Journaling Tools

Surface the qualities you value most by examining
the people who embody them.

What This Reflection Does

When people are asked what kind of leader they want to be, they usually describe behaviors - "more decisive," "better at listening," "clearer on direction." This tool gets underneath those behaviors by asking a different question: who demonstrates something you want more of, and how do they do it?

The three people you choose do not have to be real. Fictional leaders, historical figures, and people from outside your industry often surface values that professional examples obscure. The only criterion is that something about them earns your respect - and that you can point to a specific way they demonstrate it.

The synthesis section at the end is where the actual work happens. The pattern across all three people tells you something specific about what you are reaching toward. Take your time with it.

How to Use This Reflection

  1. Choose three people without overthinking it. Go with whoever comes to mind first - one from your professional world, one personal, one that surprises you. The surprising choice is often the most revealing.
  2. Be specific about the quality. "Strong character" is not useful. "The ability to tell someone hard news without making them feel diminished" is.
  3. Name a concrete example of how they demonstrate it. A specific moment, decision, or behavior - not a general description.
  4. Answer how you could develop it honestly. Not "I should do this more." What would you actually do, with whom, starting when?
  5. Sit with the synthesis. The common thread across all three is not always obvious on first reading. Give it a few minutes.
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Role Models & Mentors Reflection

Person 1
Who is this person? (name and your relationship to them)
What quality do you most admire in them?
How do they demonstrate that quality? Describe a specific behavior, action, or example.
How could you develop that quality in yourself?
Person 2
Who is this person?
What quality do you most admire in them?
How do they demonstrate that quality?
How could you develop that quality in yourself?
2

Role Models & Mentors Reflection (continued)

Person 3
Who is this person?
What quality do you most admire in them?
How do they demonstrate that quality?
How could you develop that quality in yourself?
Synthesis
Look across all three entries. What common thread runs through the qualities you named?
What does this pattern tell you about what you are reaching toward in your own development?
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Taking This Further

After You Complete the Reflection

The quality you named most consistently - where in your current role do you have the most room to practice it? What is one situation coming up where you could choose to show up differently?

Consider bringing this to your next coaching session:

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