Strategic Growth Increases Ability to Accept Feedback
Nov 17, 2024
Leaders who are strategically growing are open to receiving feedback from others, recognizing it as a valuable source of insight. In contrast, a leader lacking growth may resist or dismiss feedback, perceiving it as criticism rather than an opportunity for improvement. As a young leader, this was me (Cindy). I quickly realized feedback helped me be better than I could be alone!
How will strategically growing yourself as a leader improve your perception of feedback? If ego is an issue, growth creates maturity that dissolves ego. If insecurity is present, growth fosters security in our identity as leaders and develops a mindset and desire to consistently improve. This opens our minds to feedback.
Here are three questions that apply to both receiving and giving feedback:
- Is this person trying to help me?
- Does this person care about me?
- Can I trust this person?
Growth allows us to ask these questions of ourselves and others, enabling us to give or receive feedback while being the leader that people know will help them, care about them, and be trustworthy. I value feedback as long as the person has my best interests at heart and possesses knowledge of what it takes to succeed in the area of feedback we are discussing. Feedback can be a catalyst for success, but we must use our intuition to determine whether to apply some, all, or none of the feedback received.
Do the people you want to provide feedback to know that you want to help them, that you care about them, and that they can trust you?
Have you heard of the ostrich effect? When it comes to feedback, do not be the ostrich!
The ostrich effect occurs when people prefer to “stick their head in the sand” rather than confront unpleasant and negative information, sometimes even reality. The ostrich believes that not seeing danger makes it disappear.
In relation to the inability to receive feedback, the ostrich effect manifests when a leader, responsible for influencing others, does not value feedback for personal improvement or for the betterment of the organization. They would rather stick their head in the sand like an ostrich. (This is a myth, by the way! An ostrich does not bury its head.) Depending on the leader's responsibilities and influence, this can lead to a range of devastating repercussions.
Growing leaders should seek and request feedback to identify even the smallest improvements they can make to enhance their leadership and effectiveness. Each of us can become better at this starting today!
Learn more at www.dove-development.net
