When was the last time you received a piece of feedback about your own leadership and performance that stopped you in your tracks with its insight, accuracy and impact? Did you realise that when you became a senior leader, you would step into the feedback void, asks High-Stakes Leadership Mentor, Sally Henderson.

When was the last time you received a piece of feedback about your own leadership and performance that stopped you in your tracks with its insight, accuracy and impact?

Did you realise that when you became a senior leader, you would step into the feedback void?

You are usually too busy giving feedback to others to notice that you are not receiving it yourself. Too many leaders I work with are disconnected from who they truly are - their real desires, unique leadership style and blind spots. Not because they don't care about self-development, but because they suffer from a depletion of effective feedback.

When it comes to feedback at C-suite level especially, guess what? A lot of people will lie to you. Perhaps because they want something. Maybe they are scared. Or they simply do not want to risk their own world by challenging yours. And even when feedback does come, it often carries bias or agenda. Or you are not in the right mindset to hear it.

As a high performer, part of your mind may whisper the get-out-of-jail card: "I do not really need feedback right now." However, if you fail to prioritise your own development, you will stop developing. Peak performance will slip.

So, take a pause and ask yourself:

  • When was the last time you looked into a mirror and really stopped to see who was looking back? Try it now. Really look.

  • What do you notice about your eyes, your expression, your feelings when you stop to connect with you?

REAL feedback on your leadership only comes when you are brave enough to stop, get curious, challenge yourself and open up to receive The Naked Truth*. Leaders who do this, and who act on feedback in psychological safety, achieve more, laugh better and reach their potential without carrying unnecessary scars.

Those who avoid it, who don't seek their Naked Truth, accountability or results from taking feedback seriously, burn out, fall prey to politics and fail to remain in the top tier of high performers.

Which one are you?

* The Naked Truth: what you know deep down to be your instinctive truth - regardless of how much you may not want it to be,

5 Leadership Mentoring actions to step out of The Feedback Void

What I love when working with senior leaders is how much positive growth and lasting change can be achieved in a short space of time when the right feedback is delivered in the right way.

Receiving feedback well is only the first step. The next is what YOU do with it. How you turn it into strategy, action and self-growth for high performance. I've shared leadership mentoring advice below to help:

1. Audit your Feedback Loop
Reflect on the last three pieces of feedback you received. Were they neutral, agenda-free and insightful? Or polite, biased and safe? This quick audit shows whether your current sources are stretching you or keeping you stuck.

2. Curate your Feedback Board
Choose 3 to 5 trusted people who will tell you The Naked Truth. They should know you, respect you and have the courage to reflect back what you cannot see yourself.

3. Build Feedback Fitness
Feedback is like a muscle. Without practice, it weakens. Try asking weekly specific questions such as: “What's one thing I did this week that worked well?” or “What's one thing I could do differently?”

4. Mirror Moments
Once a week - stop. Look in the mirror. Notice your expression, your energy, your presence. Ask yourself: “Am I leading from my true self, or from autopilot?”

5. Turn Feedback into Strategy
Insight without action goes nowhere. For every piece of feedback you receive, commit to one experiment to put it into practice, and then review the impact.

Leaders who consistently achieve at the highest level are not those who avoid feedback, but those who actively seek it out with courage. They create the space they need to really hear it, and then act on it with intention to fuel both their performance and their sense of purpose.

When feedback becomes a trusted ally, rather than something to fear, leadership becomes more rewarding and far more sustainable.

Sally Henderson is a High-Stakes Leadership Mentor who helps senior leaders and executive teams master their how of high performance when the pressure is on. With over 25 years’ experience, she brings clarity, emotional discipline, and bold action to leadership in complex, high-pressure environments delivered via her REAL Method. Trusted by brands including Accenture Song, Coca-Cola, Nestlé, NatWest, and M&C Saatchi. Find out more at sallyhenderson.co.uk. Sally is a member of The Marketing Society, WACL and volunteer coach for The Marketing Academy Fellowship Programme