“What Am I Doing Wrong?”

Feedback is easier to give than to receive. But to be a good leader, its crucial to hear (and respond to) critiques of your style. We asked six entrepreneurs: How do you encourage employees to give honest feedback?

1/ Welcome

it. “Nothing can replace a trusted team of managers who feel secure enough to share and speak honestly. A few years ago, one told me that my weekend emails were stressing out the team. They weren’t urgent messages, but the feedback reminded me that any email from your boss feels urgent. Now I save emails as drafts and send them during business hours.”

—ANNIE BYSTRYN,

founder, Cider in Love

2/ Act on

it. “When I sense an employee is comfortable with me, I’ll ask questions like ‘What can I do to better support your growth here?’ and ‘Is there anything you wish I didn’t say or do?’ But how you act after is the most important—it will determine how honest employees will be with you moving forward. You need to prove that you value their opinion and not show an ounce of pettiness. Nod, smile, and thank them. Then fix the problem and move right on!”