On the surface, feedback seems like an uncontroversial topic. Most of us probably agree that accurate, timely feedback is critical to our jobs, no matter if we’re a junior team member or at the top of the organization. But in reality, our understanding of feedback is mostly one-sided - especially when it comes to leadership.

While most leaders focus on techniques and strategies for providing feedback for others, only the top leaders focus on the right way to receive it.

Why? Because even for the most accomplished among us, feedback is scary.

When we receive feedback, often our first instinct is to put up our defenses. We are naturally averse to it. We bristle at the idea that we aren’t perfect, and believe that recognizing feedback will reveal our flaws and shatter our perception of ourselves.

But as this episode reveals, to deny feedback is deprive ourselves of one of the greatest gifts in life. Because while change might be inevitable, growth is optional. Growth is up to us, and much of it depends on our ability to receive the feedback the world is gifting us, in all its forms.

Yep, as it turns out, receiving feedback is an art unto itself. Here’s how to master it.

(This episode was recorded live in front of the team at Awesome Office HQ in Los Angeles.)

  Key Takeaways

• Why receiving feedback is just as - if not more - important than giving it. 5:05
• Why feedback is fundamental for growth, and the difference between change and growth. 5:30
• Why it’s so hard to receive feedback, and the first step to becoming open to it. 7:05
• The benefits of recognizing imperfection in ourselves, including the impact on relationships. 8:29
• Why it’s better to find the truth than to be right, and why teams who see reality for what it is are the ones who win. 9:27
• Only when you are not willing to change are you able to achieve great things, and why feedback that triggers your defenses is actually a gift. 12:28
• How to practice conscious listening. 15:31
• The importance of body language and posture when receiving feedback. 17:05
• Why it’s important for both parties to repeat the feedback. 17:42
• How to evaluate the feedback you receive. 18:56

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