The 4R Review: A Weekly Ritual for Honest Leadership and Steady Progress
You do not need more noise. You need a clear way to see what is real, then act. In Learn to See the Invisible, Michael Bremer keeps coming back to one truth: “Reflection sets the stage for learning.” It lets you see tomorrow what is invisible today .
Here is the simple weekly rhythm I took from his work: look at your Results, name your Reasons, make Repairs, then make Recommitments. Bremer uses plain steps like Potential Actions, Practice, Evaluate, and Next Steps, and the heartbeat is the same. Slow down each week, look honestly, then move with purpose .
A story that sticks
Jess was good at her work, and she wanted it to matter. But what she planned and what actually happened did not match. She stepped back, tested, learned, and tried again. New behavior did not arrive like a light switch, it took several attempts. “Rather than going faster, we typically need to slow down and reflect.” Each experiment built trust and better leadership, and she got there by learning from the work itself .
That is the feeling I want you to have every week, not hustle, but honest progress.
Why this weekly check-in works
Bremer teaches a steady loop, plan, practice, assess, reflect, then repeat. He offers real tools that fit daily life, short prompts, simple visuals, and small tests. He even suggests a small peer group that meets weekly or every other week to share plans, progress, and challenges. The shared accountability helps you move faster and learn more .
Underneath is a deeper shift. You make better progress by working the inputs you control, not by pushing outcomes you cannot control. You “cannot optimize each process step in isolation,” you need to see the whole, fix what is upstream, and stop doing workarounds. Workarounds feel quick, but they hide real issues and weaken trust over time .
How to do your 4R review
Keep it light. Bremer’s rules for visuals say updates should take less than ten minutes, and you should spot the key issues in under ten seconds. If your tool is heavy, you will not use it. Let your weekly check-in follow the same spirit, simple, visible, and honest .
Results, what actually happened?
Use one clear visual, a checkmark on a calendar, a small board, or a short line on a wall. Ask, “Will this help the people doing the work make better decisions?” If not, remove it. Your aim is quick updates that help you see what is working at a glance .
Reasons, why did it happen?
Bremer is relentless about purpose. Ask “Why?” at least three times. What goal were you serving? Who did this help or hurt downstream? “The most important choice you make is what you choose to make important.” Let that guide your next move .
Repairs, what needs to change?
Do not patch symptoms. Look for process issues and hidden assumptions. Bremer warns that workarounds are the enemy, they mask causes and slow learning. Reframe the problem, gather facts, and test a better way. Invite feedback. The simple Keep, Stop, Start prompt works, as Martha found when she asked her team for anonymous notes, then changed how she delegated and coached based on what they shared .
Recommitments, what will you do next?
Name one action for the next week. Small is fine. Bremer’s cadence, Potential Actions, Practice, Evaluate, Next Steps, keeps you moving without pretending change is instant. Tell one person you trust. A small circle, not a broadcast, creates safety as you try new behaviors .
Make progress visible with visual leadership
There is a reason Bremer calls it Visual Leadership. When progress is visible, it shapes behavior. He offers three tests for any visual: will it help better, faster decisions, can you update it quickly, can you spot issues in seconds. Start simple. He still uses a calendar to stay honest about daily steps. Place your visual where others can see it, invite suggestions, and keep it meaningful to you .
The hidden gem most people miss
We study failure all the time, but we forget to study wins. Bremer shares Taiichi Ohno’s reminder: most people look for reasons when they fail, “but very few of us look for reasons when we succeed.” Make time each week to ask, Why did that go well, and what set it up. Name the inputs so you can repeat them on purpose. This kind of reflection builds steadier confidence over time .
Keep your eyes on purpose
Purpose is not a slogan on a wall. It is a guide for daily choices. Bremer shows leaders asking their teams when the work felt meaningful to customers, then refining purpose until it drives behavior. If your purpose gets violated, he says to go see why as soon as you can, there is learning in that moment that you will miss later .
This change starts with you. “Change your perspective before changing others.” Let go of proving you are right, reach for learning what is true. Ray Dalio said he had to replace the “Joy of Being Right” with the “Joy of Learning What is True.” Better listening and humble questions open space for better choices and stronger teams .
Try this next week
Here is how to start small, and keep it going.
- Block a short window and write four lines, Results, Reasons, Repairs, Recommitments. One line each.
- Update one simple visual you can maintain in under ten minutes, then place it where you will see it daily .
- Share your one Recommitment with one trusted person who can give you honest feedback, and, if possible, meet weekly or every other week to compare notes .
“The real voyage of discovery consists not in making new landscapes but having new eyes.” Bremer places that quote to remind us that a shift in how we see changes how we act. Give yourself this weekly space, and you will start to see what matters sooner, and act with a calmer, steadier hand .
What would change in your life if, every week, you told the truth about what happened, why, what you will fix, and what you will do next, then you did it?