Why Smart Leaders Reflect on Purpose

In the rush of higher education leadership, it's tempting to go from one initiative to the next without pausing to reflect. After all, there’s always another deadline, another meeting, another challenge. But what if reflection isn’t a detour from progress—it’s the engine that drives it?

Michael Cottam learned this firsthand when he implemented Agile SCRUM across a large and diverse online support team. At the time, the group was barely keeping its head above water, reacting to emergencies, launching new courses, and trying to meet institutional goals. “We weren’t really documenting our learning,” he admits. That changed when they introduced a cadence of structured reflection.

Using sticky notes on a Kanban board, cross-functional sprint teams tracked their progress and engaged in regular check-ins. These weren’t superficial stand-up meetings. Each team member reported what they had done, what they were doing next, and what was in their way. That rhythm of reflection didn’t just keep people informed—it made learning visible, built accountability, and accelerated improvement.

Over time, the data showed measurable gains in student success. But even more important was the cultural shift: teams moved from working in silos to collaborating with purpose. From reacting to planning. From fatigue to momentum. The lesson? Reflecting doesn’t slow you down. It keeps you aligned and strategic.