This article presents a comparative analysis of educational policy documents on leadership and teacher development in Spain, Colombia, and Mexico, countries that are represented in the International Study of Teacher Leadership (ISTL) (Webber, 2018). We are comparing public policies in three participating countries that do not declare an explicit discourse on teacher leadership. This work presents some elements to answer whether teacher reflexivity is an essential attribute of teacher leadership, especially in highly complex contexts. To answer this question, we explored content on reflexivity in central public policy documents related to teachers and their professional development. We also reviewed academic materials related to teacher leadership. The results show that reflection is an appropriate category to explore the association between the international discourse on teacher leadership -- especially in highly complex contexts --and the discourse in these countries on teacher development, without making any reference to the concept of teacher leadership.