Feedback is Data

As a good leader, making data-based decisions and actions is what we ask of our teams… and therefore we should ask the same of ourselves. All leaders use metrics in some form or fashion and good leaders know to watch “leading indicators” as a way to predict future outcomes and shift organizational priorities.

So why is it then, that so many leaders shy away from feedback on their own performance and behavior? Isn’t feedback just another data point that can be used to check and adjust?

Why is it that although we tell our teams that a red metric isn’t bad, but instead an opportunity to focus and improve, we find that hard to accept when it comes to ourselves? Is it not true that by staying focused on our own leading indicators (the feedback that we receive from our team and our peers) we can improve our chances of overall leadership success?

If you haven’t asked for feedback lately, use this as a reminder that it is probably time to do so. And beyond that, resist the urge to exclude, reframe, or justify the feedback and instead understand it is simply a piece of data. Use that data to drive the results you want.