The Courage to Ask: Feedback as a Leadership Practice

Most leaders care deeply about how they show up. They want to be strong communicators, effective at building strategy, and focused on developing their people. Still, there’s often a difference between how you intend to lead and the reality. The only way to understand that disconnect is through honest feedback from those around you.

The higher up you are, the less honest feedback you receive. Rarely will someone walk up and tell you that your communication style is creating confusion, that recognition is lacking, or that the way a conflict was handled left people feeling demoralized. Instead, they’ll say everything’s fine while feeling frustrated, or they’ll talk about their concerns with everyone but you. People in your company have opinions about how you show up, but they hesitate to share for fear of your response or the impact it may have on their career. It takes real courage to tell a leader their behavior is having a negative impact on the team or the business.

That means it’s up to you to invite feedback and show that it’s safe to give. Feedback focuses on clarity and the opportunity to improve, rather than criticism or tearing someone down.

The Next Step: 360 Assessments

Once the importance of feedback is clear, the next step is understanding how to gather it. A structured approach, such as a leadership 360 assessment, can be especially valuable. A 360 assessment gathers input from people who experience your leadership from different perspectives. It allows direct reports, peers, and your manager to provide anonymous feedback, which often leads to more candid input. Over time, patterns begin to emerge, blind spots become more visible, and the full impact of your leadership becomes clearer.

After feedback is collected, the real work begins. Following up with a clear development plan focused on the areas identified during the process is essential. A thoughtful plan increases the likelihood of follow-through and supports meaningful improvement in leadership capability.

Asking for feedback can feel uncomfortable, and that’s exactly why most leaders avoid it. Feedback acts as a mirror — one that leaders need but don’t always choose to look into. Growth, however, isn’t driven by comfort. It comes from facing what isn’t yet known and being willing to hear the truth.

So ask. Ask your team. Ask your peers. Ask the people who experience your leadership every day. Because if you’re not actively seeking the truth about how you lead, you’re leading on assumption, not reality. And that’s a risk no leader can afford to take. Have the courage to be one of the few leaders brave enough to ask for the feedback.