Episode 12: Learning Leadership Through Deliberate Practice

In this episode of Learning Leadership in Practice, I close out the Five Fundamentals series from Learning Leadership by James Kouzes and Barry Posner with the fifth and final fundamental: Practice Deliberately.Leadership is not something we learn once, talk about once, or master once. It is something we practice in real moments, real conversations, and real seasons of uncertainty, transition, responsibility, and growth.In this episode, I reflect on how our current leadership moments can become our classroom. The tension we are navigating, the difficult conversation we are preparing for, the decision we are trying to make, and the uncertainty we are carrying can all become places where leadership is formed.I also share how this podcast itself was born out of a disorienting season and became a place to reflect out loud on what I was reading, what I was living, and how those two things were shaping the way I lead. At its core, this episode is a reminder that learning leadership is not just about knowledge. It is about application. It is about practice. It is about paying attention to what life and leadership are teaching us in real time.Deliberate practice invites us to turn our leadership life into a case study. To slow down long enough to ask what we are learning, how we are showing up, and what kind of leader we are becoming.Reflective Questions• What leadership moment are you navigating right now that could become your classroom?• How are you practicing leadership deliberately in the roles, relationships, and responsibilities you already have?• What daily habit could help you become a better learning leader tomorrow than you were today?If this episode resonates with you, feel free to share it with someone who is also committed to growing as a leader.Thanks for learning alongside me. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit davidreyes.substack.com