Feedback in Leadership: A Routine, Not an Afterthought

Feedback is often celebrated as a universal cure for organizational and individual shortcomings. And there is good reason: research consistently shows that well-designed, task-focused feedback improves performance. A classic meta-analysis of 607 effects found a moderate average gain (d≈0.41), though it also revealed an important caveat — poorly delivered feedback can not only fall flat but even backfire.

Despite this, many employees and managers still experience feedback as scarce, inconsistent, or superficial. People often report receiving too little feedback, or feedback that is vague (“good job!”) or delivered too late to be of use.

One reason lies in how feedback is positioned. In many organizations, giving and receiving feedback is seen as something external to the actual work — an add-on, an extra. It is not integrated into routines. And yet, as psychology reminds us, behavior is powerfully guided by situation and structure. In a coffee shop you activate the “coffee script,” not the “dance script.” Similarly, if leaders want more feedback to flow, they must create the situations and routines where feedback is the natural choice.

Regular Feedback Conversations: The Most Underrated Leadership Tool

One of the most powerful tools available to any leader is surprisingly simple: regular, structured feedback conversations. Not just the annual performance review — too rare, too formal — but shorter, more frequent talks that focus on clarity, development, and trust.

From practice, I have learned several lessons that make these conversations work:

• Set a routine. I meet each team member for 30 minutes every four weeks. Always scheduled, always in the calendar. Always with the same agenda. A ritual of reflection. We discuss what is going well, what can improve, how they are doing, and what support they need.
• Be specific. “Well done” is pleasant but insufficient. Feedback needs content: what worked, why it mattered, and what impact it had. I often begin with only positive feedback until the conversation feels safe, then gradually introduce more constructive points. This builds psychological safety. When information is scarce, people tend to assume the worst.
• Ask for feedback yourself. Upward feedback is rare unless explicitly invited. I ask open, non-threatening questions such as, “How can I make it easier to work for me?” or “What tips do you have for how I could do my job better?” And then I let the silence work, giving people time to respond. Feedback should feel like help, not interrogation and naturally I want all the help I can get to perform in my (rather complicated) job.
• Use the conversations to prevent problems. Repetition builds trust. Frequent, low-stakes talks make difficult topics easier to approach. It is always easier to discuss a budding issue than a full-blown conflict.
• Be prepared. Especially with employees in demanding phases of their career. These conversations signal that I am paying attention — and the very expectation that feedback will be shared makes me more observant as a leader. I have the ambition to enter each meeting with a clear idea of content and objectives (but do not always succeed, the life of management…).
• Ask how the conversation felt and what’s the take away from the part of the employee. Both to develop the form in itself, but also to make sure you’re really on the same page. It has happened in the history of the world that a person felt they were being clear, while the listener did not get the message at all.
• Don’t delay urgent matters or situation-specific feedback. Important, specific feedback should not be postponed until the next monthly meeting. If something critical arises, it should be addressed directly. Otherwise, the point loses relevance — or festers. And similarly, a small, specific point given after the specific situation is perceived differently than the same specific feedback given three weeks later (“have you been thinking about this for three weeks!?”).

Leaders sometimes object: “I don’t have time for all these extra meetings.” But the truth is the opposite. These conversations are an investment. They prevent problems, reduce misunderstandings, and strengthen relationships. In the long run, they save time — and they raise performance for both manager and team.

Taking Feedback: The Overlooked Leadership Skill

So far, the emphasis has been on giving feedback. But leadership also requires its counterpart: the ability to receive feedback. Calmly. Constructively. Consistently.

In complex, communication-heavy roles — particularly in the polarized societal environment of today — upward feedback is not a luxury. It is essential. When colleagues raise concerns, suggest alternatives, or voice doubts, they help the organization stay grounded and adaptable. They prevent blind spots and communications gone awry. They avert crises.

This links to a broader management principle: in any genuine change process, the goal cannot be to avoid mistakes altogether. That is impossible. The real skill is to notice problems early, learn quickly, and adapt. Excellence lies not in perfection but in responsiveness.

Feedback is what enables that responsiveness. And feedback requires trust. We as leaders must signal openness, respond constructively, and make visible corrections. Otherwise, risks remain hidden until it is too late. Leadership behaviors may continue unchallenged even when they are unhelpful. Organizational routines may persist even when they undermine results. Operations that are not effective in reaching goals may continue perpetually.

Giving feedback to one’s manager is not always comfortable. Receiving it is rarely easy. But problems left unspoken do not remain static — they grow. Building an environment where feedback flows upward, and where criticism can be expressed without fear, is therefore one of the strongest safeguard mechanisms a leader can create.

A Pragmatic Principle

One simple principle guides my own approach: I just want things to go well.

It may sound modest, but it is a deeply pragmatic stance. It keeps me open to input and curious about alternatives, without being unanchored. Listening does not always mean changing course. Clarity of direction remains a leader’s duty. But leaders cannot shy away from dialogue. We must be willing to take on discussions, clarify choices, and respond without undue emotion. To defend choices, or change them.

That is the job.

And that, ultimately, is why feedback matters so much. Giving it. Receiving it. Embedding it in routines rather than leaving it to chance. Feedback is not an extra. It is the pulse of leadership — the rhythm that keeps organizations honest, adaptive, and alive. And myself also.