How to Break the Top-Down Feedback Trap episode artwork

EPISODE · Jun 11, 2025 · 4 MIN

How to Break the Top-Down Feedback Trap

from The Leader's Kitbag

In this episode of The Leaders Kit Bag, I explore a common but often overlooked leadership pitfall: the one-way nature of feedback in many teams. While it's often easy for leaders to give feedback, getting honest input in return can be much more difficult. But if we don’t hear what our team really thinks, we’re not leading with the whole picture. Our leadership decisions are based on assumptions and inferences, instead of real insights. Through a recent example from one of my leadership courses, I explore why feedback rarely flows naturally and, more importantly, what we can do about it. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why your team may be hesitant to share honest feedback The safest (but not always the best) route employees take Three psychologically safe questions to encourage honest conversations The only proper response when someone shares their truth with you If you want to lead with clarity and create an environment where people feel genuinely safe to speak up, this one’s for you.  Want Honest Feedback? Start with Ben AI Getting honest feedback from your team isn’t easy. People worry about overstepping the mark, sounding negative, or saying the wrong thing. But here’s the good news: Ben AI is here to help. Provided you talk openly to my AI Clone, he’ll give honest, candid advice and feedback. And it’s completely free, because I believe high-quality leadership support should be available to everyone who cares about the people they lead. Try Ben AI for yourself today. There’s no sign-up and no charge. Start your conversation with Ben AI here: https://www.delphi.ai/benmortonleadership 

NOW PLAYING

How to Break the Top-Down Feedback Trap

0:00 4:57

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of The Leader's Kitbag?

This episode is 4 minutes long.

When was this The Leader's Kitbag episode published?

This episode was published on June 11, 2025.

What is this episode about?

In this episode of The Leaders Kit Bag, I explore a common but often overlooked leadership pitfall: the one-way nature of feedback in many teams. While it's often easy for leaders to give feedback, getting honest input in return can be much more...

Can I download this The Leader's Kitbag episode?

Yes, you can download this episode by clicking the download button on the episode player, or subscribe to the podcast in your preferred podcast app for automatic downloads.
URL copied to clipboard!