Constant feedback is the secret superpower of great leaders
Don’t hoard feedback. Give it freely, consistently and in real time to build trust and drive performance.
Matt Hunter • November 4, 2025
Feedback is a major performance driver. Great leaders know this, and they don’t hold back with offering both positive and negative feedback. It’s the gift that keeps on giving: the more feedback you give, the more you get back from your people in improvement, performance and results. Feedback, when done right, is a multiplier of success.
Think of yourself as a Pez dispenser of constructive criticism and praise. Rather than saving up feedback for one-to-ones or annual reviews, it should flow constantly, guiding your team moment by moment.
When someone nails something, tell them right then and there: Listening to you earlier, I felt energized because I love clear presentations. I really like how you took extra time to explain this particular concept. Please keep this up!
And when someone misses the mark, be just as clear: When I found three typos in the email you sent to the client this morning, I was disappointed and embarrassed. This is not the level of professionalism I’m looking for from you. My request is that you take the time to proofread your client emails before sending them out, and use an AI proofreader going forward.
What this kind of feedback does is guide behavior. By shining a light on what’s working and what’s not working, you’re leading the relationship and the work itself towards its greater potential. Most managers aren’t doing this, either because they find it uncomfortable or because they just haven’t built the habit. As a result, they’re leaving a lot of performance on the table.
Good feedback gives people the full picture: what they did, how it impacted the work, and how it made you feel. The whole purpose of sharing feedback is to bring awareness to another person in order to give direction and drive change. It can inspire or motivate them to shift counterproductive behavior, or to really lean into their strengths. Research shows that feedback that’s focused on improvement and growth (also known as “developmental feedback”) helps people find meaning in their work, driving engagement and improved performance.
The best feedback feels natural, integrated into the rhythm of work, and flows in all directions. Don’t feel like you have time to be generous with feedback? Some leaders like to end meetings five minutes early to allow space for impromptu real-time feedback to flow. Feedback should push the work forward, not just act as a release valve for your frustration. Be intentional, be specific, and most importantly, be generous.
The Flip Side of Offering Feedback
If you’re going to dish out feedback on the regular—and you should—then you also need to be open to receiving feedback. Real leaders own their mistakes. Otherwise, hypocrisy will permeate your organization, and nothing is more insidious to building trust than a gap between what you expect of others and the standards you hold yourself to.
Owning your mistakes takes guts, but it’s one of the fastest ways to build respect. When you mess up (and you will), just say it: I really missed the mark here. No excuses. No sugarcoating. Just own it, clean it up properly, and move forward. It’s that simple. People respect leaders who can face their failures head-on without blaming or deflecting.
The formula is straightforward: Face it. Fix it. Do better next time. When you make a mistake, acknowledge it clearly, explain what went wrong, and most importantly, share what you’ll do differently in the future. That shows accountability and growth. The best leaders don’t pretend to be perfect; they just get really good at recovering fast. Mistakes happen, but how you handle them defines you.
There are a few key pieces to owning your mistakes like a pro:
- Make an observation about what happened, including your responsibility
- Own your part and acknowledge the impact of your actions
- Express your feelings and needs
- Share your commitment to change
- Request their support (if needed) in making the situation right
Here’s a talk track to help you nail your next conversation on owning accountability.
Scenario: You made a decision that caused extra work and confusion.
Leader: “I take responsibility for my decision to change the project scope last minute (Observation). I realize that it caused a lot of extra work and confusion for the team (Impact). I really regret it, because I value clear communication and smooth workflows (Feeling & Need). I see that I didn’t provide enough context or time for everyone to adapt (Ownership). Moving forward, I’ll make sure to communicate changes earlier and involve the team in these decisions (Commitment). I’d love to hear if there’s anything specific I can do to help clean this up now (Request).”
Scenario: You missed an important deadline.
Team Member: "I want to be upfront—I missed the deadline for the client report (Observation). I’m feeling embarrassed and frustrated because I really value reliability and meeting commitments (Feeling & Need). I underestimated how long the analysis would take, and I didn’t communicate that soon enough (Ownership). Moving forward, I’ll set clearer time estimates and flag any risks earlier (Commitment). Can we discuss how I can help minimize the impact of this delay? (Request)"
Scenario: You pushed a strategy that didn’t yield results.
Leader: "The approach I recommended for the product launch didn’t lead to [Specific Goals] (Observation). I’m feeling disappointed and frustrated because I value leading the team toward success and making sound decisions (Feeling & Need). I didn’t gather enough credible perspectives before deciding on that strategy (Ownership). Moving forward, I’ll involve the team earlier in the planning process and ensure we’re pressure-testing ideas before we commit (Commitment). I’d like to hold a debrief to understand what we can all learn from this. Would you be open to that? (Request)"
With a strong bidirectional flow of feedback, you’ll create a culture of continuous growth and improvement where everyone feels motivated to bring their best.