10 Jun TSLH #023: 3 Hacks To Take Feedback Like Zidane
Read time: 4 minutes
Everyone knows that great leaders are – among other things – able to give feedback to the people on their team in a way that will trigger learning and action.
What few leaders realize is that as important as the skill of giving feedback, is the skill of taking feedback.
Take a minute to reflect and ask yourself these 3 questions:
- When is the last time I have received/taken feedback?
- How did I feel when taking the feedback?
- What did I do with that feedback?
What are you discovering about your ability to take feedback, and take action on it?
In December 2020, Zinedine Zidane, the-then coach of Real Madrid’s football team provided a perfect example of how great leaders take feedback.
This is the lesson I am offering today, from one of the very best football player and coach the world has seen.
The situation: In December 2020, Real Madrid suffered 2 losses that jeopardized their position in the Spanish Liga. The team then talked to Zidane – who had by now won 3 consecutive Champions Leagues with Real Madrid – and gave him feedback that changes were needed in the team. Zidane agreed to the changes and Real Madrid followed suit with 6 consecutive wins.
What happened here? What did Zidane do to take the feedback, agree on the changes and get into action?
I mean, most leaders would probably have had a mix of different reactions:
- Dismiss the feedback altogether
- Find culprits for the poor performance of the team
- Explain the setback through external factors
Zidane did not do any of that. What did it take from him then to do what he did?
He stayed open and humble. In 2020, Zidane had no lesson to receive from anyone. He had been one of the most successful football players ever, and as a coach he had won 3 consecutive Champions Leagues, a feat only he has delivered to this day. Despite all this, Zidane stayed who he is, i.e., a humble person, able to listen to others and to create a safe space for discussion.
So, creating an environment where people feel safe to come talk to you and give you feedback is paramount in how you build your team if you want to develop it as a high performing team and be a successful leader.
To do that, you need only to say that you are creating a safe space, but you need to demonstrate that the safe space is here. My suggestion is to use every opportunity you have (1-1’s, team meetings) to repeat that message, ask questions about situations that happen in and outside of the team, show vulnerability when you need help. This will contribute to creating that safe space where everyone feels they trust you to speak out the truth.
Zidane did exactly this: He let the players voice their discontent, express their dissonance with his game plan. In the end, equipped with the feedback from the team, he made decisions, in that case, to follow the advice given by the players.
He encouraged feedback. By being open, and asking for feedback, Zidane showed he cared for his team and that he was there to support and serve them.
This is exactly what leaders should do with their team to encourage open feedback. What most of us experience though, as we lead our teams, is that many people will still refrain from giving feedback despite the safe space created. This has many explanations: Your position of authority as the leader puts people under stress to tell you the truth; there are some cognitive biases playing on, like groupthink – someone may not see everyone else in the team thinking like them, so they’re thinking they may be the only one with that feedback and they assume that everybody else is fine. And in the end, they don’t give you their feedback.
My suggestion to elicit feedback is therefore to ask for it openly. Here are the 6 questions I ask my team when I need feedback from them and I know they might not be willing to offer it willingly or as a group:
- What is one strength or value that I demonstrate and that contributes to keeping the team engaged and making our international business successful?
- What are things (actions, approach, skills, experience, etc.) I have been doing well and that I should continue doing?
- What are things I should stop doing (actions, approach, behavior, etc.) because it could be detrimental to the team or my success and impact as a leader?
- What are things (actions, approach, behavior, skills, experience, etc.) I could do more effectively or start doing to make a bigger impact as a leader and for the team?
- How did I help you to succeed this past year?
- How can I make your job easier in the coming year? What do you need from me?
Zidane increased his credibility with the team by showing that he welcomes open feedback and he is asking for it. He demonstrated his skill for dialogue, he showed that he could change, and that he valued everybody’s voice. In the end though, he still made the decisions himself, and never built the expectation with the team that he would have to agree with any feedback.
He empowered the team. In some situations, the best a leader can do is to let the team take over the leadership from them and take accountability for solving a situation.
This is something leaders can do especially when they have very experienced people on their team. Remember that as the leader, you are certainly not expected to know everything or to be able to solve every situation.
My suggestion is to take a step back in those situations and act as a coach for your team by guiding them with questions like:
- What have you already tried?
- What was your thought process with this?
- How would you like to take this forward?
- What do you need from me?
And then, just let the team take charge, and be accountable for implementing the solution to the problem.
Needless to say, in order to empower your team, you must make it clear from your first day as the leader of the team that this is something you expect from them from time to time.
This is what Zidane did: He let the players take accountability and assume leadership to accomplish a goal: Put the team back on track with good field performance. Zidane showed that he is not afraid of relinquishing leadership to the team when it is to its advantage and it improves its performance.
Neither should you be afraid!
Remember, being a leader is not about knowing it all. You need feedback as much as everybody else on your team. Knowing how to take feedback and how to act on it is a key differentiator between success and failure.
I wish you a great read. I’ll see you next Saturday!
TL; DR (Too Long, Did not Read)
3 hacks to take feedback like Zidane
- Stay open and humble.
- Encourage feedback.
- Empower the team.
Whenever you’re ready, there are 3 ways I can help you:
1️⃣ Work 1-1 with me to step up as the authentic leader you aspire to be.
2️⃣ Hire me to help you build a high-performing team.
3️⃣ Start with my affordable digital courses on Mastering Difficult Conversations for Leaders and Goal Setting