Whether it’s still in the 90s where you live or starting to get chilly, the change of the season is upon us. Time to whip out that bouquet of newly sharpened pencils and do some self-reflection.

Read on for some insights, tips, and tools to help the process.

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You have probably received feedback in the last year from a boss or peer, perhaps even a subordinate, but have you taken the time to review yourself as a manager? Sincere self-reflection can improve your leadership more than anything else. Humbling yourself in recognition of what is wrong will actually empower you as you better understand yourself and others. To grow yourself you must first know yourself!

If you need some help reflecting on your skills as a manager, read this.

Watch this:

Our time improving as leaders is never really over. There are a lot of development programs and theories out there, so it is important to know where your time spent will make the biggest difference. If you’re looking for a personal quality to refine, try improving your emotional intelligence. Though it has become a bit of a buzzword in the last few years, EQ actually accounts for 90% of the difference between the best leaders and the mediocre or poor leaders.

For a primer on what makes up emotional intelligence and the elements to improve it, watch this.

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Even if you’ve practiced self-reflection, you may need to see examples of how your actions as a leader affect your team. Checking your strengths and areas of improvement will give you clarity as you lead, because although monitoring your employees is important, it is equally important to understand yourself as you make decisions so you can learn and grow from them. After all, the only true way to gain wisdom is through experience.

If you need some examples of pitfalls managers regularly fall into and some solutions to those problems, check this out.

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Now don’t get us wrong, we think you’re doing great! If you take self-reflection too far and start drowning in negativity you will end up feeling anxious and depressed. One study suggests asking what not why questions. Why questions lead us to think about our limitations, while what questions help see our potential. “Why am I like this?” is negatively leading, but “What am I?” opens your mind to curiosity.

If you are looking to stimulate a culture of positive self-reflection with your team, try this.

Get this:

Introspection helps you monitor your thoughts and actions and as a leader, but what if you need some help changing negative thinking or poor motivation? Daily affirmations can be a powerful tool to help you concentrate and replace negative thinking patterns with positive ones. They are used to reprogram the subconscious mind to increase your self-confidence. And couldn’t we all use a boost of confidence?

If you could benefit from self-empowerment, get this.

Oh, and if you need a model of how to hype yourself on positive affirmations don’t forget this.

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