Feedback Hunting: The Leadership Habit That Drives Growth
When was the last time you actually received meaningful feedback that led to a real improvement in your business? Over the years, working with business owners and leading teams myself, I’ve seen a common pattern. Despite their good intentions, the insights that could unlock progress never seem to surface.
Feedback hunting is what distinguishes thriving businesses from those that remain stuck.
Being “Open to Feedback” Isn’t Enough
Being open to feedback is often worn as a badge of good leadership. You might tell your team your door is always open, encourage honest conversations, or remind people they can speak up if something isn’t working.
If someone really has an issue, they’ll tell us… right?
In reality, most people won’t.
Most team members often don’t want to rock the boat. Customers tend to share only surface-level comments, if they share anything at all. As a result, leaders receive very little insight.
Feedback Hunting: A Practical Four-Step Approach
The leaders and businesses that grow the fastest treat feedback the same way they treat sales or strategy.
The Feedback Hunt is a simple, repeatable four-step approach that helps leaders actively uncover the insights their business needs to grow.
Step 1: Systemise Feedback
Feedback works best when it’s built into your regular rhythm, not left to chance.
Instead of waiting for annual reviews or spontaneous conversations, schedule feedback into your calendar. This could be weekly, fortnightly, or monthly, depending on your role and team size. This way, it becomes normal rather than intimidating.
Pro tip: Block recurring time in your calendar for feedback conversations, site walks, or check-ins. Treat these sessions as non-negotiables.
Step 2: Ask Specific Questions
General questions like “Any feedback for me?” rarely produce meaningful insight. Most people will default to safe, surface-level responses, especially when power dynamics are involved.
On the other hand, specific questions create clarity and safety. They give people permission to be honest and help focus their thinking on what actually matters.
Examples of effective feedback questions:
What’s one thing I should start doing?
What’s one thing I should stop doing?
What’s one thing I should keep doing?
These questions are simple, direct, and actionable. They make it easier for people to share useful insights.
Step 3: Close the Loop
One of the fastest ways to kill feedback is to collect it and do nothing with it.
Closing the loop means acknowledging the feedback, acting on it where appropriate, and communicating what changed as a result. This builds trust and encourages people to continue sharing insights in the future.
Pro tip: Make sure you thank the person who gave the feedback, make a decision within 24 hours where possible, and share the result, even if the decision is not to act right now.
Step 4: Seek Out the Quiet Voices
If you only hear from confident or outspoken individuals, you’re missing a large part of the picture. Some of the most valuable insights in any business come from people who are least likely to speak up in group settings. Introverts, new hires, frontline staff, and long-term customers often hold critical information that never reaches leadership, unless it is intentionally invited.
Pro tip: Make a point of inviting quieter team members into one-on-one conversations where they can share without pressure or interruption.
Putting It Into Practice
Remember, if your business feels stuck, the next breakthrough might already exist inside your team. You just need to go and find it.
If you want to put this into action, start small and stay consistent. This is my challenge for you:
Book three feedback conversations, one with a direct report, one with a peer, and one with a customer.
Ask the same three questions in each conversation.
Choose one small issue to act on within 24 hours.
Share the improvement with your team.
Repeat this process for four weeks and pay attention to what changes. If you have questions, comment them below. Don’t forget to let me know how it goes for you!
Growth Follows the Leaders Who Ask for It
Business growth doesn’t come from being open to feedback in theory. It comes from actively pursuing it in practice.
Research supports this as well. Studies consistently show that employees who feel their input is actively sought are far more likely to feel empowered, engaged, and motivated to perform.
Empowered people drive stronger business results. It’s that simple.
What are your key takeaways from this topic? Let me know in the comments.
For more insights and tips, tune in to the full podcast episode here: Feedback Hunting: The Leadership Habit That Drives Growth
