#Negative feedback how to#

From the swashbuckling Han Solo to the evil Darth Vader, the characters connect to something deep in the human psyche and remain prominent in Western culture. But, at least as importantly, the writers crafted some of the most memorable characters in any fictional work. Part of the reason for its impact was the way the writers drew on what Joseph Campbell called “the hero’s journey” to tap into the deepest myths that underpin human culture. While it is easy to forget more than 40 years later, the first Star Wars movie was not simply a commercial success, it was a cultural phenomenon. In order to get past the emotional barriers that prevent constructive discussion of this subject, I will draw on an unconventional resource for leadership development: the wisdom of Yoda. How should managers handle negative feedback? Here's what Yoda can teach us. Good leaders listen and become great leaders mediocre leaders don’t listen and stay that way. Feedback from followers is therefore leadership gold dust. There are many aspects of leadership practice that only followers have direct experience of and that only they can provide feedback on. This is unfortunate both for leaders and the brave followers who try to give them feedback. While people generally agree, at least in principle, that leaders need to accept and act on negative feedback from above, the idea that a leader needs to listen to negative feedback from followers and act on it effectively is missing from most discussions of feedback and leadership. Should leaders act on feedback from all areas? While everyone generally agrees that giving constructive feedback is a key leadership skill, the importance of receiving negative feedback well, particularly when that feedback is from followers, is much less clearly recognised. That is my conclusion after many years of talking to MBA students and managers about giving and receiving feedback. The only thing worse than giving negative feedback is getting it.

Negative feedback is hard to receive for everyone - including leaders and managers Here, Nelson Phillips of Imperial College Business School explains how we can b ecome better leaders by receiving negative feedback and setting an example of how best to respond.

Receiving and reflecting on feedback can help leaders build their self-awareness and ultimately develop their overall leadership capability. Our online management courses look in-depth at self-awareness and what it takes to become more self-aware as a leader.

#Negative feedback how to#

Knowing how to handle negative feedback is a soft skill that today's leaders must master.