How Great Leaders Give Feedback

Giving feedback can feel like walking through a minefield. Just as a landmine could explode with one wrong step, your entire working relationship could potentially be jeopardised with a single wrong word. This is why many leaders I’ve come across shun away from giving feedback to their people. Majority either do not know how to facilitate conversations regarding feedback or they fear that their feedback will not be well-received. For those who are less averse to this arena of giving feedback, it still remains a conversation they rather avoid altogether. Or shelve — and shelve it, they do — where it eventually emerges at the biannual or annual performance review. 

The issue with shelving feedback to the occasional performance review is that it relegates feedback to just an isolated episode. A significant period of time would have lapsed since the incident that warranted the need for feedback. Context could be lost. The feedback is then rendered vague and ambiguous, not amounting to any change. In that case, the feedback given, no matter how well-intentioned, loses its punch. That serves no purpose to both the leader as well as their team.

Feedback is most effective when given in real-time. It allows for a change in course before it becomes unsalvageable. More importantly, it ensures alignment amongst the team. Yet, Gallup reports that only 26% of employees strongly agree that the feedback they receive helps them do better work. What is the secret behind the feedback that these 26% of employees receive from their leaders?

Here are some reflections — principles, if you will — of my own that I, as a leader, believe that all great leaders should aspire to uphold when it comes to this whole taboo topic of feedback. 

Receive It

There is a long-standing joke in the army that whenever someone advances to a higher rank, they will be told, “Congratulations. You’ll never be poor again. And you’ll never hear the truth again.” 

Ironically, this is a universal risk for all leaders, the higher their position. The truth is that people will not automatically express their opinions simply because their leaders ask for it. Why you ask? For the simple reason that they do not feel safe. One thing I would never want as a leader is for my team to feel like they do not have a voice. I shudder to think that my people would opt against providing beneficial feedback that could prove pivotal in increasing performance.

The paradox is this: The way great leaders give feedback is by first receiving it. 

All great leaders begin by ensuring that there is a safe space where viewpoints can be shared. When leaders are the first to ask for feedback, they break the cycle of feedback being an isolated event. A culture of ongoing feedback becomes the new norm. When leaders are the first to model what being receptive to feedback looks like, they break the cycle of fear and become the safe space for opinions to be expressed. Feedback then is no longer a one-directional conversation from employer to employee, but a dialogue between respected partners.

Recognise Your People

Great leaders recognise the differences in their people to give the most effective feedback. The way you give feedback to one person can drastically differ from another. 

They have the understanding that everyone is wired differently — with different strengths and weaknesses, different motivations and pet peeves as well as different communication styles. These fundamental differences essentially mean that feedback was never meant to be a copy-and-paste approach.

Great leaders seek to know their people and eventually, they learn to adapt the ways of giving feedback to each individual. They do not wield feedback as a weapon against their team. Rather, they are committed to harnessing feedback for the growth and development of the team.

When leaders are invested in their people, this effectively signals to the team that they will not be subject to nonconstructive criticism. This gives them the assurance that they are valued as individuals, beyond the tasks and work contributions.

Respond Accordingly

As a parent, one thing I constantly remind myself is to respond and not react. The temptation is real to immediately correct any “wrong” I spot in my children, without a full picture of the situation. In these moments, waiting to correct is the better course of action. 

The same goes for leadership. Great leaders are expert discerners of when feedback should be given because they respond and not react to situations. They are not quick to jump to conclusions, even when conflict and tension run high in the team. Instead, they take time to assess the situation — this includes collating feedback from the entire team — before giving their two cents worth. 

When leaders adopt such an approach, it essentially issues an invitation to the team to band together and forge a way forward. Feedback becomes more collaborative rather than dictatorial. All this culminates in greater ownership over the collective team vision, goals, and dynamics. 

Conclusion

When all is said and done, what sets a good leader apart from a great leader? I would suggest that a hallmark of a great leader is the desire and commitment to building a culture of feedback in their team and organisation. Feedback, when effectively delivered, fosters engagement and fuels performance. That is how great leaders produce highly engaged and high-performing teams.