All leaders have blind spots. To improve, you must get comfortable asking for and receiving feedback — especially if it’s negative.
BY DEBRA ROBERTS, INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATIONS EXPERT AND AUTHOR
For Inc.
Photo: Getty Images
As a leader, creating an environment where open communication and feedback are welcomed and encouraged is important. You not only need to give continuous feedback to your team, but you must seek it out as well. Asking for your team’s input and allowing staff to express their opinions about your leadership style and their experience at the organization gives you the chance to address their concerns. That information then enables you to build a stronger and more effective organization.
Receiving feedback gracefully and taking action to make the necessary improvements boosts your performance as a leader. It also creates a healthy work environment where everyone can thrive.
Yet, asking for and receiving feedback can be humbling and frustrating because it requires you to be vulnerable. You must be ready and willing to acknowledge that you can improve. You might even find some weaknesses that you need to address.
Being on the receiving end of feedback helps you be more empathetic because it reminds you of what it is like for your team to receive feedback from you.
It is critical that you actively and openly listen to feedback from your team. As a leader, you are modeling good communication for everyone else in the organization. Like it or not, they look to you to show them how to behave and to learn what’s acceptable in your culture. Everyone’s watching you for your reaction. They want to see how you respond to feedback, especially if it is negative.
Of course, you still get to decide what suggestions to implement. But your willingness to listen and act upon some (if not all) of these suggestions shows you are open to becoming a better leader. Your response sends a positive message. And your commitment to improving is how you will build a strong, productive, and communicative culture.