Journal Questions

The Architect's Leadership Journal is a framework to help you stay connected to what success looks like for you. Self-awareness about how you work, what you love about it, what challenges you, and what holds you back is fundamental to your growth and development as a leader.

Consistent reflective practice ensures that you are not just going through the motions in your leadership role but actively engaging with your experiences, learning from them, and applying this knowledge to become a more effective leader. 

Each question below is a stepping stone towards cultivating leadership skills such as intentionality, self-efficacy, confidence, self-regulation, accountability, decision-making, motivation, interpersonal intelligence, social skills, influence, and empathy. 

These articles (downloadable PDF’s) cover each question as it appears in the journal, and their aim is to aid your thinking by offering further insight, perspective, or actionable advice. 

Self-Leadership Questions:

• What qualities do I possess that make me a good leader?

• What messages am I sending out about my strengths and skills?

• In what ways do I like to be appreciated and valued?

• To protect my time and energy, I must:

Team-Leadership Questions:

• How do I want to be seen by my team?

• How does my team bring out the best in me?

• How can I manage interruptions better?

• What did I observe about my team members this week?

Quarterly Review 1:

• The Magic of Quarterly Reviews

Team-Leadership Questions:

• What needs to change to improve our ability to meet deadlines?

• What tactics can my team use to resolve conflicts quickly and effectively? 

• What are the current bottlenecks in my team's progress?

• What three things has my team done well this week?

Strategic-Leadership Questions:

• What are my peers not doing that I can?

• Which relationships are vital to the success of my goals?

• Who doesn’t know me that needs to know me?

• What are some ways I can improve my visibility?

• Who in my network can I reach out to and reconnect with next week?

• How do I help to create a culture of respect and trust where everyone feels valued?

• What is the company not doing that it should be doing?

• What kind of behaviour does the company reward or celebrate?

Quarterly Review 2:

• A Strategic Approach

Self-Leadership Questions:

• There is no need for me to prove:

• What tasks give me joy or energy, and what is draining me?

• What did I learn about myself this week that I can use going forward?

• What practical steps can I take to prioritise self-care?

• When something isn’t going right, how does it show up in my thoughts/feelings/behaviours?

• What criticisms have I received, and what value can I pull from them?

• What boundaries do I need to set at work for my well-being and success? 

• What measures can I take to ensure my colleagues feel supported and valued? 

Team-Leadership Questions:

• When I feel like I am wasting time, what am I doing?

• This week, did I feel more like a leader or a follower? Why?

• What tasks can I find to delegate to a junior to develop their skillset?

• What are other team leaders doing well that I could develop in myself?

Quarterly Review 3:

• Quarterly Review 3

Team-Leadership Questions:

• How can I encourage my team to discuss mistakes and seek help when needed?

• What kind of support do team members need from me right now?

• What does success mean to each of my team members?

• How does each of my team members like to receive feedback?

Strategic-Leadership Questions:

• What would I say if I were asked to describe my default leadership style?

• How can I stay focused and disciplined to reach my goals?

• What do my peers think of my leadership? Which of my answers are assumptions?

• How can I better understand the company's needs and help it succeed?

• In what ways does my personal vision align with the company vision?

• What strategies can I use to stay current with the latest industry trends?

• If I could wave a magic wand, what would I change about this company?

Quarterly Review 4:

• Quarterly Review 4