Brutal feedback is crucial for professional & personal growth.

Brutal Feedback is harsh but needed

Getting used to accepting feedback is crucial. It's the quickest way to identify your flaws and areas for improvement. Personally, I actively seek out candid feedback from my peers, mentors, and other founders to enhance my growth.

I usually ask questions like:

• "How can I improve as a professional and a leader?"
• "What could I improve or do differently?"
• "How can I improve my communication with the team?"

Receiving brutal feedback can be challenging, and I have experienced the discomfort of feeling defensive and upset upon hearing it. The words echoed in my mind for days, but over time, I recognized the value in what was pointed out. I took time to reflect, digest, and make the necessary adjustments to improve, grow, and accept constructive criticism from those who dare to be 100% sincere in pointing out my flaws.

Accepting and applying feedback is an effective way to experience sustainable growth and remain motivated to deliver optimal results. Adapting to people, enhancing personal skills, and adjusting attitude are all part of the process. Although challenging, the feedback helps me step out of my comfort zone and evaluate myself from a broader perspective.

People used to point out:

“You are too emotional!”?and I thought… Being emotional connects me to people; how is that wrong?

“You are too passionate!”?I thought… but passion drives me as a leader and those who follow me; how is that wrong?

I Always remember *The Sith Code ??? (sorry for the nerdy reference :-P but it's genuine)

“You don’t know how to communicate!” I, Said “what?!?” I write huge emails and great team speeches; they transpire motivation and passion and get people excited, motivated, and ready to “kill it”. How can this be a problem?

Then I accepted … I let it sink in...

I learned to listen instead of becoming defensive. I realized there were multiple layers in those simple phrases and that I needed to dive deeper to comprehend the issues fully.

I recognized that, as a leader, it was essential to become more analytical and data-driven. I understood the importance of controlling my emotions, reducing impulsiveness, and putting aside anxiety to make clear and rational decisions.

I set aside assumptions to improve decision-making and focused on analyzing logic and data. This helped me think more rationally before allowing emotions to influence my decisions. As I learned to control my emotions, I also paused and thought before speaking. But there is still much to improve in this area... It's a work in progress, but the good thing is that I recognize it.

Today, my team and I have embraced the practice of giving and receiving brutal feedback. I make a point to request constructive criticism from my team, peers, and mentors every 2 to 3 months. This approach has fostered a culture of transparency and collaboration, allowing us to address issues before they harm the organization and manage expectations effectively.

We also value immediate feedback. If a situation arises that we disagree with, we provide immediate feedback, ideally outside of the office. We might invite the person out for coffee or lunch to have a conversation and avoid lingering negative emotions that could impact the organization or business.

To build the right team for your business, it's essential to understand your weaknesses and limitations and be obsessed with trying to improve them. This will help you hire people who can fill these gaps, providing you with more bandwidth and allowing you to lead your organization with a stronger team.

Embracing a culture of brutal feedback will aid in this process. Not only will you be able to identify your flaws, but you will also have the support of your peers. This accelerates the learning, adapting, and professional growth process.

I won't sugarcoat it - receiving candid feedback can be painful. You may feel frustrated and even avoid your peers for a while. However, once you recognize the power of brutal feedback and take time to reflect, adapt, learn, and improve, you will become a better professional and person. In the long run, this will aid your growth and business.

* Remembering?The Sith Code : ??

“Peace dd??is a lie; there is only passion.

Through passion, I gain strength.

Through strength, I gain power.

Through power, I gain victory.

Through victory, my chains are broken.

The Force shall free me.”

By Miguel Ribeiro