How the Feedback Loop model helps leaders move from reaction to reflection

For most leaders, receiving feedback can feel uncomfortable. Our instinct is to defend, explain, or justify. Yet feedback, when approached with openness, can be one of the most powerful tools for self-awareness and growth. The Ears of a Leader practice challenges us to listen beyond the words, applying the Receiving Feedback Loop to turn feedback into meaningful action rather than emotional reaction.

The first step in the Feedback Loop is being in the right frame of mind to receive feedback. When we’re defensive, distracted, or emotionally reactive, we simply can’t process input constructively. Great leaders pause before feedback conversations to center themselves, taking a breath, quieting inner dialogue, and setting an intention to listen with curiosity rather than judgment.