The Leadership Feedback Gap Holding You Back
"Feedback is the breakfast of champions."
— Ken Blanchard, author and management expert
One of the most consequential leadership mistakes is failing to seek and value feedback. It is the kind of blind spot that everyone else may notice before you do—and the gap can limit your impact long before anyone names it directly.
The Feedback Gap: What It Looks Like:
Think of it like having a piece of spinach stuck in your teeth. Your team, your peers, even your supervisors can see it—but you have no idea. Failing to seek feedback creates a gap between how you think you're performing and how others actually perceive you. And that gap can hold you back in ways you might not even realize.
Here's how the gap shows up:
Not Asking for Feedback: You might avoid asking for feedback because let's face it, you're afraid what you're going to hear! Who wants extra criticism? Or you might not ask because you believe your performance speaks for itself. But without feedback, you’re left with blind spots that could be affecting your leadership and your team’s success. Everyone else sees the spinach—you’re the only one who doesn’t!
Dismissing Feedback: When you do receive feedback, do you listen, or do you brush it off because it’s uncomfortable or doesn’t fit your self-perception? Ignoring feedback, no matter how hard it is to hear, prevents you from making the small but powerful changes that can help you up-level and stand out as a leader.
Failing to Act on Feedback: Listening to feedback isn’t enough—you need to act on it. If you don’t take intentional steps to improve based on feedback, you’re wasting an opportunity to grow. Your blind spots will stay right where they are, keeping you stuck and limiting your influence.
What You Should Be Doing Instead:
Ask for feedback regularly. Don’t wait for annual reviews. Seek out feedback from your team, peers, and supervisors. Try asking a specific question, like: "What’s one thing I could improve on to be even more effective as a leader?" This not only makes it easier for them to respond because it assumes an already positive impact, but also helps you gain actionable insights while safeguarding your ego (which is probably what you're trying to protect when you avoid feedback.)
Listen and Act: Once you have feedback, act on it. Develop a simple plan to address any areas of improvement, then follow through with consistent efforts. Remember, feedback is about growth, not criticism.
Invite Accountability: Ask your colleagues or team members to help catch you winning when you’re doing well or making progress. This "feed forward" approach encourages ongoing improvement and keeps you focused on the right track. It's all forward progress!
Don’t Let the Feedback Gap Hold You Back
In any leadership role, the gap between your intent and other people’s experience can affect trust, influence, performance, and career growth. Closing that gap helps you lead with more intention, empathy, and effectiveness.
To get a clearer view of the leadership strengths and blind spots shaping your impact, take the Leadership Index assessment. It will help you identify the feedback themes worth exploring and where to focus your development next.
Go out there and lead,
Asia
