Many people are aware of the fact that there is a lot of gap between knowledge and execution. Even with the availability of so many books on leadership, this gap does not seem to be lessening. Improving as a leader not only benefits an individual’s own career but also helps other people. A study was carried out in which over 20,000 leaders were assessed. It was then decided that the only way that a leader can improve quicker is through feedback.

Bill Gates famously said that we all need people to give us feedback as this is how we can improve. No one can give you the feedback better than the people you lead. But it has been proven that this is a practice which is normally overlooked by most of the leaders around the world.

Reasons for not getting a feedback:

Leaders avoid asking for feedback because opening themselves to criticism does not seem right to them. Also, team members in a fear of losing their job restrain from giving any kind of feedback. But the lack of feedback causes the leaders not to improve on a greater level.

If you decide to open up yourself to receiving feedback from your team and to improve, following are the things to keep in mind.

Ask for a feedback and listen carefully:

According to experts, just asking for the feedback is not enough. For improving yourself as a leader you have to listen to it carefully and then evaluate it. Actually listening to the things that need attention is something that can truly help to change your behavior. This is something that provides benefits to everyone.

A safe zone to receive feedback:

Being a leader of the team, you definitely will have the power to fire someone or burden them with a lot of work. This is something most of your employees must be afraid of and will be hesitant for providing any direct or critical feedback. This will stay the same unless you create a safe zone for others to do it. The best way is to allow people to give you feedback is digitally and anonymously so people can have the freedom to tell you whatever they want.

Devise a plan to improve:

It is not easy to open yourself up to people who tell you about the areas you need improvement. Then comes the real challenge that how you take that knowledge and come up with a plan to bridge the gaps that have been pointed out. Becoming a great leader all comes down to how well you develop and retain people.

via: Business Insider