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7 Ways a Leader Can Invite Constructive Feedback

I remember an especially hard year as a leader. It was so bad several members of our staff had told me where I was letting them down. So much for having an “open door policy.” The next year I closed the door.

Not really, but this was a year where staff members said to me, “I have a problem with you.” They may not have used those exact words, but the point was clear—I can be an idiot at times. There were significant areas where I needed to improve. Thankfully I haven’t had many of those years, but I’m glad now I had the ones I had.

There is room for improvement with any leader, and maturing leaders welcome instruction from the people they are trying to lead.

I realize some would question me for allowing such correction, but most of the time when I’ve been corrected by someone I’m supposed to lead, I deserved it. Plus, anytime an associate is brave enough to rebuke an employer, you can be assured he or she is either:

• Desperate and willing to do anything.

• Ignorant or doesn’t care.

• Feels welcome to do so.

In my opinion, good leaders work to live within the third option. I hope this was the case in my situation.

I should say—because I know some are thinking—criticism comes easily to leaders. Do anything at all in leadership and someone will have a problem with it—and they won’t always be kind in how they voice their complaint. But I’m not talking about this type criticism. I am referring to constructive feedback from people I care about and who respect me. We all need that at times.

Here are seven ways I welcome correction from the people I lead:

An open door

This is more than keeping the door to my office open. I try to make my schedule available to the people I lead. The person who keeps my calendar always knows people on staff get in first if something needs to be scheduled. And if I’m in the office, my door is “open”—they can walk in any time. In addition, my team knows I consider responsiveness to be of the highest value.

Include others in decision making

If a decision affects more people than me, then I want more people helping to make the decision. This is true even if it’s a natural decision for me to make. The more I include people in the decision making, the more likely they are to want to follow the decisions made. In fact, I seldom make decisions alone.

Ask for it

Consistently, throughout the year, I ask people to tell me what they think. I ask lots of questions. I solicit opinions on almost every major decision I make. It’s a risky move, because many will, but it’s invaluable insight. And the more you ask, the more freedom people feel in sharing.

Admit mistakes

It’s important that I recognize when decisions made are my fault. People feel more comfortable approaching a leader who doesn’t feel they are always right.