Executive Feedback Improvement Loop
Turn uncomfortable feedback into visible, measurable leadership growth
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Time to result
- ~months to results
- Steps
- 6
- Confidence
- 98%
The Executive Feedback Improvement Loop turns a potentially threatening review into a voluntary development process. Begin with structured feedback, allowing time to recognize strengths before confronting weaknesses. The leader then decides which few behaviors are worth changing rather than reacting to every criticism. Next, the leader tells colleagues what they intend to improve, asks those colleagues for advice, and returns later to ask whether progress is visible. This mechanism reduces defensiveness because feedback remains a choice, while public commitment and repeated follow-up create accountability. It also changes team culture: when a senior leader openly admits room for improvement, coaching becomes a normal tool for performance rather than evidence that something is wrong.
Origin
Hubert Joly learned this process from executive coach Marshall Goldsmith after becoming CEO of Carlson Companies in 2009, then repeated it at Best Buy to normalize coaching across the executive team.
Core principles
- 01Leadership is learned rather than innate.
- 02Feedback is information, not an obligation or verdict.
- 03Leaders should choose a small number of improvements.
- 04Publicly requesting advice makes development visible and collaborative.
- 05Follow-up converts stated intentions into accountability.
How to run it
- 1
Collect broad feedback
Use a structured process such as a 360 review to gather both strengths and development needs from people who regularly observe the leader.
Pro tip Use a coach or neutral facilitator to organize and present the feedback.
Watch out Do not immediately argue with or explain away uncomfortable observations.
- 2
Digest the strengths first
Review positive feedback separately and take time to absorb it before examining critical feedback.
Pro tip Treat strengths as assets to preserve while changing other behaviors.
Watch out Do not skip this stage and turn the entire exercise into fault-finding.
- 3
Choose a few improvements
Select a small number of behaviors that matter enough to address. The leader retains agency over what to change.
Pro tip Choose behaviors colleagues can directly observe.
Watch out Trying to repair every criticism at once dilutes attention and commitment.
- 4
Declare the commitment
Thank colleagues for their feedback and tell them exactly which behaviors you intend to improve.
Pro tip State the commitment in plain language rather than vague development jargon.
Watch out Do not pretend perfection; colleagues already know where the problems are.
- 5
Request advice
Ask each colleague for specific suggestions that could help improve the selected behaviors.
Pro tip Ask for forward-looking advice rather than inviting another debate about past mistakes.
Watch out Do not treat colleagues as passive judges; involve them as development partners.
- 6
Follow up visibly
Return after several months and ask colleagues whether they have observed improvement and what further action would help.
Pro tip Repeat the check-in until the changed behavior is consistently visible.
Watch out A declaration without follow-up can further damage credibility.
In the wild
After reviewing his 360 feedback with Marshall Goldsmith, Joly selected three areas to improve. He thanked his team, disclosed those areas, asked each person for advice, and promised to return several months later to ask how he was doing. He later repeated the process at Best Buy, where executive coaching became normal across the leadership group.
→ Personal vulnerability became a repeatable team norm for continuous executive improvement.
Common mistakes
Blaming the reviewers
Dismissing criticism by asking what is wrong with the reviewers prevents the leader from learning from their experience.
Trying to change everything
Responding to every observation produces an unfocused development plan that is difficult for others to notice or support.
Skipping the follow-up
Without returning for another assessment, colleagues cannot verify progress and the initial commitment loses credibility.
Is it for you?
Best for
It is best for leaders willing to acknowledge imperfections and involve colleagues in their development.
Not ideal for
It is not ideal for leaders seeking confidential reflection without visible accountability or team participation.
From the transcript
“you get to decide what you want to work on and get better at right”
“I'm going to follow up with each of you to ask you for advice on how I can get better at these these three things,…”
“signaling to every one of the executives it was okay to want to get better at something.”
From the episode
Hubert Joly on the Heart of Business (Podcast)
Hubert Joly