Why does feedback so often leave capable managers confused, destabilized, or second-guessing themselves? Most feedback doesn't fail because managers can't handle it; it fails because it's misfiring inside a multitude of unstable systems. In this episode, we stop analyzing the problem and talk about what comes after you can no longer unsee it.

WHAT WE COVER:

• THE CULTURAL IMMUNE SYSTEM: Understanding how an organization's "immune system" is designed to maintain sameness and may see leadership differences as a threat.

• CONTAINMENT VS. LEADERSHIP: Recognizing the cost of "containing"—absorbing instability so the system doesn't have to face its own fear.

• METABOLIZING VS. ABSORBING: Moving from absorbing (taking everything personally) to metabolizing (extracting what is useful and releasing what isn't yours).

• THE RECOVERY MOVE: A practice to regain your center by asking three essential questions before integrating feedback: Does this clarify behavior or raise urgency? Is this asking for change or containment? What part belongs to me?.

RESOURCES:

• THE FEEDBACK MISFIRE DECISION TREE: A four-step recovery framework designed to help you decide what to act on, what to show in context, and what to release structurally.

• YOUR LEADERSHIP MAP: Head over to the blog at YourLeadershipMap.com to get the full backstory and systems-thinking behind these episodes.

CREDITS:

Intro/Outro Music: "Background Inspiring" by Dmytro Kuvalin.Featured Music: TASFIQ UR RAHMAN NABIL (378934) and Mykola Sosin (357760).Music sourced via Pixabay.