Senior Leaders and Honest Feedback

Why This Matters

Silence kills performance. Leaders need real information to make decisions and grow.

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Leaders talk about the value of feedback. Yet the people closest to them hesitate to offer it. I see this in every organization I coach; it’s a reality of organizational dynamics. Direct reports withhold insight. They worry how feedback will land. They avoid discomfort. Leaders assume silence means alignment. It does not.

Silence kills performance. Leaders need real information to make decisions and grow. Research from CCL shows that self-awareness drops as leaders rise. Korn Ferry reports that senior executives are often rated lower on seeking feedback than managers. Studies from Google’s Project Aristotle highlight that psychological safety predicts team performance, and candor is a key behavior.

Some leaders default to anonymous surveys. That can help early on, but anonymous feedback alone reinforces the belief that truth needs protection. The goal is an environment where feedback is safe, useful, and routine.

Why Feedback Declines at Senior Levels

• Power distance grows and people default to safety.

• Past reactions condition employees to avoid candor.

• Leaders rely on a small inner circle for input.

• Team members lack skill in giving useful feedback.

• Anonymous surveys reinforce fear rather than reduce it.

Evidence From Organizations

• CCL studies show self-awareness erodes when feedback shrinks.

• Korn Ferry research finds leaders often overestimate their openness.

• Google’s Project Aristotle links team performance to psychological safety.

• Gallup reports employees stay silent when they believe candor leads to risk.

What Senior Leaders Can Do

Ask for specific feedback

• Prompt for one behavior in a concrete situation.

• Frame the request: "What’s one thing I could have done better in that meeting?"

• Signal what you want to learn, not defend.

• Invite feedback after decisions and key milestones.

Respond constructively

• Pause before speaking.

• Maintain neutral posture and tone.

• Acknowledge the input: "I hear you."

• Ask clarifying questions about impact.

• Share what you will reflect on and when you will follow up.

Act visibly on feedback

• Identify a small improvement and implement it quickly.

• Tell the team what you changed and why.

• Reinforce the link between candor and improved decisions.

• If appropriate, thank people publicly for specific constructive input.

Build systems that reduce fear

• Create shared norms for how feedback works here.

• Add structured upward feedback in performance cycles.

• Initially, if needed, use external coaches to gather themes confidentially.

• Model vulnerability in leadership meetings.

Print Assessment

Leader Self Assessment: Seeking and Applying Feedback

Rate each item: Never, Sometimes, Often, Always.

Practice Area	Behavior	Rating
Seeking feedback	I ask for feedback at least weekly.	Never Sometimes Often Always
	I request feedback tied to recent behaviors.	Never Sometimes Often Always
	I ask more than one stakeholder for input.	Never Sometimes Often Always
	I communicate how I will use the feedback.	Never Sometimes Often Always
	I follow up to gather deeper insight.	Never Sometimes Often Always
Receiving feedback	I pause and listen without interrupting.	Never Sometimes Often Always
	I manage my nonverbal reactions.	Never Sometimes Often Always
	I avoid explaining or defending myself right away.	Never Sometimes Often Always
	I restate what I heard to check understanding.	Never Sometimes Often Always
	I thank the person for their honesty and effort.	Never Sometimes Often Always
Applying feedback	I act on at least one constructive suggestion.	Never Sometimes Often Always
	I communicate the change I made.	Never Sometimes Often Always
	I ask for follow up feedback.	Never Sometimes Often Always
	I reinforce safety when people speak up.	Never Sometimes Often Always
	I review results and adjust behavior based on what I learn.	Never Sometimes Often Always

Interpreting Your Responses

• Mostly Always: You signal openness that encourages candor.

• Mostly Often: Strong foundation, refine consistency.

• Mostly Sometimes: Inconsistent behaviors limit reliable feedback.

• Mostly Never: Power dynamics likely suppress feedback.

Possible Action Plan

Step 1: Identify top three behaviors to improve.
Step 2: Define specific actions you will take in the next 30 days.
Step 3: Select and ask 3 direct reports to give you feedback monthly.
Step 4: Record feedback themes and patterns.
Step 5: Review progress quarterly and adjust behaviors.

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References

Center for Creative Leadership. (2020). Feedback for leadership effectiveness: Trends and implications.

Edmondson, A. C. (2019). The fearless organization: Creating psychological safety in the workplace. Wiley.

Gallup. (2023). State of the global workplace report.

Huang, L., Wellman, N., Ashford, S. J., Lee, C., & Wang, L. (2024). Seeking feedback in high power‑distance cultures: Leader behaviors and psychological safety. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1512075.

Newman, A., Donohue, R., & Eva, N. (2024). A meta‑analysis of psychological safety and voice behavior at work. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 11, 259‑287.

Rosen, C. C., Koopman, J., Johnson, R. E., & Biggs, A. (2025). Context matters in feedback effectiveness: A systematic review. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 12, 311‑345.

Rozovsky, J. (2015). Project Aristotle: Understanding team effectiveness at Google. Google People Analytics.