To encourage constructive criticism, one approach is to lead by example and offer real-time feedback on your own actions. Instead of waiting for formal feedback sessions or creating "safe spaces," start by being transparent about your decisions, highlight where you could’ve done better and how you plan to improve. In my experience managing both software projects and financial portfolios, I've noticed that when leaders critique their own work openly, the team feels more comfortable sharing their thoughts. It turns feedback into a natural, ongoing conversation rather than a formal or intimidating process. When everyone sees feedback as part of daily improvement, it removes the fear of judgment and makes it more about mutual growth.

A lot depends on creating a safe space for people to open up and share their feedback. People often hold back from sharing constructive feedback, especially to their leaders or people having higher level of power for fear of any backlash. You've got to create a space where it is ok to share constructive feedback. It helps massively when you lead by example, and take on constructive feedback from your team members with grace and ease.

As a leader you have to determine if you have created a safe environment for the team to give feedback of any sort. Many are concerned about causing conflict or hurting people's feelings. Overcoming that is where a leader has opportunity to create genuine trust between the team and them. Feedback needs to be seen as a gift that we provide to others and that others give to us - it let's us know how we are doing. As such feedback needs to be rooted in simple questions - can you help me? Do you care about me? Can I trust you? If the feedback intent is aligned to these then you have established an excellent place to openly share feedback.

As fall settles in and the excitement of the Olympics fades, we're reminded of the importance of feedback in helping athletes perform on a world stage. Feedback, when specific and trust-driven, becomes a powerful tool for growth. Actions: Seek out regular, specific feedback – Make it a habit to ask for clear, actionable insights. Model servant leadership – Lead by example and offer feedback that focuses on growth, not just evaluation. Create trust-based environments – Foster spaces where feedback is seen as a positive step forward, not a critique. By sharing the stories of those who have embraced feedback and modeled excellence, we can inspire each other to elevate our performance and support continuous improvement

Giving feedback specially if it is not positive is difficult and it is expected to have resistance. In this case the best is to lead by example and demonstrate that receiving feedback should be seen as a 'gift' someone else if giving you, as when you provide feedback, you are investing time in helping someone else grow. It is important to foster a feedback culture so that it comes naturally for members of the team to help others grow through feedback. It is also recommended for the leader to mentor the team on how to give effective feedback.