Feedback
Feedback is one of the most valuable tools for leadership growth, and one of the hardest to accept. It asks you to hear something you didn't see about yourself, sit with it long enough to judge whether it's true, and then do something about it. Most of us stop after the first part.
That's what makes it an accountability issue. Owning your own performance is straightforward, because the results are visible and you already know where they came from. Owning how you lead is harder. It means changing something you were doing on purpose, often something you thought was working.
People learn what a leader values by watching what happens to the feedback they give. If nothing shifts, they stop speaking up. This lesson focuses on making that change by owning feedback, acting on it, and growing from it.
Self-Assessment:
Feedback
Please take a few moments to reflect on the following questions. Where can you identify opportunities for personal growth in your leadership?
When someone gives me feedback, do I listen carefully, or do I start thinking of how to respond?
Do I ask follow-up questions to fully understand feedback before reacting to it?
How often do I make real changes based on the feedback I receive?
Have I ever dismissed feedback too quickly because I did not like how it was delivered?
Do I actively ask for feedback, or do I wait until someone offers it?
How do I show my team that I take feedback seriously and act on it?
Have I ever received the same feedback more than once without changing my behavior?
When I decide to act on feedback, do I have a plan, or do I just make small, quick adjustments?
This self-assessment is a starting point for understanding Feedback. Reflect on your responses, identify areas for growth, and use feedback from others and your ECFL Leadership Coach to guide your development.
It's normal to feel defensive when someone points out areas for improvement. No one enjoys hearing what they could do better. Strong leaders notice that reaction and set it aside, treating feedback as information rather than a threat.
The first step is active listening: setting aside emotions, focusing on the message, and resisting the urge to defend yourself. If something isn't clear, ask for clarification.
Not all feedback carries the same weight. Before acting on it, consider three questions:
Does this feedback relate to performance, safety, efficiency, or leadership effectiveness?
Is it coming from someone who understands my role and responsibilities?
Have I heard similar feedback before, indicating a pattern?
The most effective leaders don't take feedback at face value. They step back, assess it with a clear mind, and find what will help them grow.
Listening alone won't create improvement. Real change comes from acting on what you hear. Take what you've learned, make a plan, and follow through.
From Resistance to Results
A production supervisor runs the daily shift meeting. He keeps it to ten minutes, and he's proud of that. An experienced operator stops him afterward and says people leave confused, that safety updates go by too fast, and that no one asks questions because there's no room to.
His first thought is that the operator is slow, or that people should speak up if they need something repeated. He says he'll think about it, which is what he says when he doesn't intend to.
Two weeks later he hears the same thing from someone else. That's when he takes it seriously, because a second person saying it means it isn't one person's problem with him. He asks both of them what specifically gets rushed.
The answer isn't what he expected. The meeting isn't too short. It's that he stops taking questions when he's behind, which is most days, and the team has learned not to ask. Fixing it means the meeting sometimes runs fifteen minutes, and he has to give up the thing he was proudest of.
He makes the change. The meetings run longer. People ask questions, and he finds out things he wasn't hearing before.
“If you get honest feedback and do nothing about it, then the feedback will stop.”
Ask yourself:
Have you said you'd think about something when you had no intention of doing so?
Has anyone had to tell you something twice before you acted on it?
Reframing Feedback for Growth
Feedback can feel like criticism, and how we handle that reaction determines what we get from it. This activity helps reframe difficult feedback and increase self-awareness.
Recall Difficult Feedback
Think of a piece of feedback you received in the past that was hard to hear. Write it down exactly as you remember it. If you can't recall exact words, summarize the message.
Observe Your Reaction
Close your eyes and visualize the moment you received this feedback. What was your physical and emotional response?
Did you cross your arms?
Did your posture change?
Did you feel tension in your shoulders or jaw?
Did your breathing change?
Now, shift your awareness to your internal dialogue:
Did you immediately feel defensive?
Did you start thinking of a rebuttal instead of listening?
Did you dismiss the feedback as unfair or inaccurate?
Did you take it personally instead of professionally?
Write down your physical and emotional responses. Understanding these reactions will help you manage them better in the future.
“Once people take ownership over the decision to receive feedback, they’re less defensive about it.”
Reframe the Feedback
Now rewrite the feedback as a description of what you'll do differently. Keep the criticism intact and change only what it asks of you.
Examples:
Original Feedback: "You need to be more confident when presenting."
Reframed Feedback: "Presenting with more confidence will help people trust what I'm recommending. I'll prepare my key points ahead of time so I can deliver them without second-guessing myself."
Original Feedback: "You interrupt people too much in meetings."
Reframed Feedback: "Waiting until people finish will get me better information, so I'll hold my response even when I already know what I want to say."
Original Feedback: "You are too slow in making decisions."
Reframed Feedback: "Deciding on a timeline will keep work moving. I'll set myself a deadline and decide with what I have by then."
Rewrite your own feedback in this way. Compare both versions. How does the reframed version feel different? The reframed one should be harder to argue with, not easier to live with.
Take Action
Now that you have reframed the feedback, decide on one concrete action you will take to improve based on this insight.
If your feedback was about communication, how will you practice being clearer?
If your feedback was about leadership presence, how will you show more confidence?
If your feedback was about decision-making, how will you balance speed with effectiveness?
Next time you receive feedback, pause before reacting. Take the time to understand what's being asked of you.
Feedback is only as valuable as what you do with it. The practices below will help you turn it into real improvement.
Best Practices for Accountability Through Feedback
Listen Without Defensiveness: When receiving feedback, resist the instinct to explain or justify. Instead, pause, absorb the information, and ask clarifying questions if needed.
Reframe Feedback as an Opportunity: Treat feedback as a tool for growth rather than a personal attack. Even tough feedback is a sign that someone believes in your ability to improve.
Acknowledge and Express Gratitude: Showing appreciation, even for tough feedback, encourages an open and honest culture where feedback is freely shared.
Identify One Actionable Takeaway: Not all feedback requires massive changes, but every piece should lead to at least one concrete improvement.
Follow Up to Show Commitment: Accountability means proving that feedback leads to action. Check back with the person who gave it to you, so they can see that you took it seriously.
Taking feedback seriously is a mark of accountability. Hearing it is hard, and acting on it is harder, but that's what your team is watching for. They know which feedback you've taken and which you've let pass, and they adjust what they bring you accordingly.
This month, think of a piece of feedback you've received and haven't acted on. Decide what you'll do about it, then go back to the person who gave it to you and tell them what you're changing.
The journey doesn't stop here. Venture beyond and learn more about Feedback with these resources.
10 Feedback Activities Examples for Employees
The Art of Receiving Constructive Feedback: Grow, Learn, and Thrive
The Right Way to Process Feedback
Feedback is a Gift (9:27)