Reflection That Changes Practice
Reflection is more than thinking about an experience. When intentionally connected to experience and action, it can become a powerful catalyst for professional identity and lasting leadership development.
Source: Demak et al., Medical Education (2026)
Topic: Reflection | Professional Identity Formation | Medical Education
Overview
Reflection is widely considered an important part of professional development, but this study suggests that not all reflection serves the same purpose. Researchers examined 1,401 medical students across four Indonesian universities and found that reflective practice increased across academic years and was associated with professional identity formation, while self-reflection and insight were not.
The distinction matters. Reflective practice involves deliberately examining real experiences, including assumptions, emotions, interpersonal dynamics, and clinical decisions, to learn and improve future practice.
Why It Matters for Healthcare Leaders
Leadership development cannot stop at asking people to think about themselves. The deeper developmental opportunity is helping people make meaning from experience and translate that learning into changed behavior.
For educators and healthcare leaders, this raises important questions:
Are we creating opportunities for reflection that connect directly to real experiences?
Do learners have structured opportunities to examine what happened, why it happened, and what they will do differently?
How can reflection strengthen professional identity and leadership capability?
Are we treating reflection as an assignment, or as an ongoing developmental practice?
Reflection Prompt
Think of a recent leadership experience that did not go as expected. What did the experience teach you about yourself, others, or your approach to leadership, and what will you do differently because of it?
HLF Connection
This study reinforces a core principle of the HLF approach: reflection is not simply the final step after learning and experience. It is the mechanism that helps turn experience into lasting development. Effective leader development creates intentional opportunities for people to experience, reflect, make meaning, and apply what they have learned.