We’ve navigated a landscape of leadership mistakes, from failing to delegate to resisting change. Yet one of the most corrosive errors strikes at the very heart of trust and teamwork: ignoring team feedback.

For many leaders, feedback can feel like criticism—a challenge to their authority or competence. As a result, it’s often deflected, dismissed, or simply unheard. But leadership isn’t about always being right; it’s about making the best decisions with the information available. And some of the most valuable information comes from the people doing the work every day.

Ignoring that input isn’t just a missed opportunity—it’s a direct path to disengagement, blind spots, and stagnation.

Why We Dismiss Feedback—And Why We Shouldn’t

It’s human nature to favour information that confirms our existing beliefs. When feedback contradicts our views or challenges a decision we’re proud of, our instinct can be to reject it. This defensiveness is understandable, but in leadership, it’s a liability.

Your team’s feedback offers something you can’t get anywhere else: a ground-level perspective on what’s working, what’s broken, and what’s missing. They see the impact of processes, policies, and strategies in real time. To disregard their insight is to choose to lead with partial information—a risky approach in any business.

When Feedback Becomes a Signal

Listening to one piece of feedback is important. But when multiple team members—independently—raise the same point, it’s no longer just an opinion. It’s a signal.

Repetitive feedback about a process, a policy, or a communication gap is a clear indicator of a systemic issue. Ignoring this collective voice doesn’t make the problem go away; it allows it to fester, eroding trust and morale as your team feels increasingly unheard.

How to Move from Hearing to Truly Listening

Valuing feedback isn’t a passive act. It requires deliberate practice:

  1. Actively Seek It Out: Don’t wait for feedback to come to you. Use surveys, one-to-ones, and open forums to ask specific questions: What’s slowing you down? What would make your role more effective?

  2. Listen Without Interrupting: When feedback is given, listen to understand—not to immediately reply or justify. Thank the person for their honesty.

  3. Reflect Before Reacting: Separate the message from the delivery. Even if feedback is poorly phrased, ask yourself: Is there truth here?

  4. Close the Loop: If you act on feedback, communicate that back to the team. If you can’t, explain why. This shows their input was genuinely considered, not just collected.

Building a Culture Where Feedback Fuels Growth

When you consistently listen to and act on team feedback, you do more than solve problems—you build a culture of psychological safety and shared ownership. Team members feel valued and empowered, knowing their voice can shape their work environment. This leads to higher engagement, more innovation, and a resilient organisation that can adapt from the inside out.

Remember: feedback isn’t a threat to your leadership; it’s the raw material for improvement. The leader who listens is the leader who learns, grows, and earns lasting respect.

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