Last week, I had the privilege of co-facilitating a listening workshop. I designed this workshop with a new leadership partner, a collaboration that sparked from our very first conversation. That initial dialogue opened our eyes to the power of our own listening skills and how they can strengthen both professional and personal relationships.
Inspired by this insight, we created a workshop to help participants build stronger teams and relationships. The goal was to help optimize strategic listening, both at work and at home. While our execution wasn’t flawless, the event was a resounding success. And it wasn’t just about the participants’ experiences but their suggestions, as well. Their insights – both the praise and the critiques – taught me profound lessons about feedback for leadership growth and how these same principles can deepen personal relationships. In this post, I’ll share what I learned, back it up with research, and offer practical ways you can use feedback to grow as a leader and in your personal life.
The Workshop: A Space for Listening and Learning
The workshop, focused on strategic listening, was designed to help participants enhance their leadership and relationships by being fully present and empathetic in how they hear others. As a leadership coach with over 25 years in corporate tech, I’ve seen firsthand how listening can transform teams. Research supports this: a 2021 Salesforce study found that employees who feel heard by their leaders are 4.6 times more likely to perform at their best (Salesforce Research, 2021). We structured the session to include self-reflection, a listening exercise, and collective sharing activities. The experiences were all aimed at to creating a safe space where participants could explore their listening habits and grow.
The energy during the workshop was inspiring. Participants opened up, sharing personal stories that moved me. One attendee reflected on how the session made them feel “truly seen and heard,” a comment that underscored the emotional power of listening. Another expressed a desire to bring the lessons to their team, indicating the workshop’s practical impact. These moments reinforced the importance of creating a safe workshop environment, a key element of effective facilitation. As the session ended, I was eager to dig into the feedback because I knew that’s where the real learning would be for me.
Feedback for Leadership Growth: What My Attendees Taught Me
At the end of the workshop, we collected feedback through a survey, asking participants what worked, what didn’t, and how we could improve. (I was excited to get an 85% participation rate on the survey!) I also paid close attention to their comments during the session, eager to understand their experience. The feedback was a mix of affirmation and constructive critique, and it held up a mirror to my own leadership and listening habits.
The positive feedback was heartwarming. Attendees described the workshop as “powerful” and “transformative,” noting how the activities helped them gain new insights into their listening habits. One participant shared that they felt inspired to apply strategic listening in their workplace, a sign that we’d provided actionable steps for listening. This aligned with research from Gallup, which shows that engaged teams, where leaders listen well, achieve 21% higher profitability (Gallup, 2020). Knowing we’d created a space where participants felt safe to share and grow was a testament to the power of listening in leadership.
But the constructive feedback was where the real growth happened. Several participants felt the main listening activity was too short, leaving them wanting more time to dive deeper. A few requested more practical takeaways, eager to apply what they’d learned. One comment that stood out was a desire for ongoing support after workshops, like a community or follow-up resources to sustain their learning.
As this was our first workshop together the feedback was especially welcome. We’d worked hard to make the workshop a success and were eager to hear true perspectives. This perspective is aligned with a 2019 study in the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology that found that individuals who reflect on their experiences, including challenges, report 15% lower stress levels and greater resilience. Listening to this feedback for leadership growth for myself, gave me the best opportunity to improve and increase the value I bring to my audiences and into my conversations.
Feedback for Leadership Growth: Lessons for Better Leadership
The attendees’ feedback taught me three key lessons about leadership. First, I learned the importance of slowing down. I’ve been walking down a path in life where slowing down is the whole idea. Even when I was intentional about my pace, I learned that I could slow down even more! Sometimes I’m so focused on delivering results that I don’t always allow others the space they need.
Second, I realized while you must prepare, you need to be loose enough to allow for adjustments, when needed. This can include anticipating others’ needs or simply allowing the space for them in case something comes up. A 2018 Harvard Business Review study found that reflective leaders who anticipate needs score 20% higher on emotional intelligence assessments, which directly correlates with stronger team performance (Harvard Business Review, 2018). This applies whether you’re ensuring a smooth workshop experience, preparing for a team meeting, or sitting down for a conversation with your teenager.
Third, the feedback highlighted the desire participants had to continue their journey. With such a powerful experiential learning experience, the attendees wanted more. While this was a free workshop, we are considering how to provide more follow-on support to nourish the learners individually and as a collective. We did offer individual conversations specifically about this.
Feedback in Personal Relationships: Listening to Understand, Not Respond
The lessons from the workshop feedback didn’t just apply to leadership, but can also be applied to how I approach my personal relationships. One of the activities we designed asked participants to reflect on a moment when they felt truly heard and how it impacted them. As I prepared for the workshop, I answered this question myself, recalling a time when a close friend listened to me without judgment during a challenging period in my career. That experience deepened our connection, reminding me how powerful it feels to be truly heard.
The feedback about needing more time made me realize I sometimes rush in my personal conversations, too. Just as participants wanted more space to process, my loved ones need the same. I’ve been more intentional about listening to understand, not respond, in all of my relationships. It’s a constant practice. For example, when a friend recently shared a struggle, I resisted the urge to offer solutions and instead gave her space to express her feelings fully. This small shift strengthened our connection, showing me that feedback for leadership growth can also enhance personal relationships.
The request for ongoing support also resonated on a personal level. In relationships, listening isn’t a one-time act, it’s an ongoing experience. Especially now that I’ve moved out of the country, I check in more regularly with friends and family, asking how they’re feeling and listening to understand, not respond. This mirrors the idea of a post-workshop community, ensuring that listening becomes a sustained practice that deepens relationships over time.
Bringing Value to You: Actionable Steps for Listening and Growth
The lessons I learned from the workshop feedback can help anyone looking to grow as a leader and in their personal relationships. Here are three actionable steps for listening and growth:
- Ask for Feedback with an Open Mind
Feedback is a leader’s best teacher, but only if you’re willing to listen. After your next project or conversation, whether at work or home, ask for honest feedback. Use a question like, “What worked well, and what could I do better?” Then, listen without defensiveness. For me, hearing that participants wanted more time taught me to slow down, a lesson that’s improved both my leadership and personal interactions. - Create Space for Listening
Whether in a team meeting or a personal conversation, give others the time they need to share. Schedule longer one-on-ones at work, and in your personal life, practice listening to understand, not respond. Creating space builds stronger connections, a principle that applies to both leadership and relationships. - Make Listening an Ongoing Practice
Listening isn’t a one-off act. It’s a commitment to growth. In leadership, provide ongoing support and follow-up on conversations. In personal relationships, check in regularly with loved ones, asking how they’re feeling and listening fully. The workshop feedback about ongoing support inspired me to sustain my listening practice, deepening my relationships at work and home.
An Invitation to Listen and Grow
The feedback for leadership growth from my workshop attendees taught me that listening – to others and to ourselves – is a lifelong journey. As a leader, I’m now more committed to slowing down, preparing thoughtfully, and providing actionable steps for listening, ensuring I create space for growth. In my personal life, I’m applying these same principles, listening more deeply to strengthen my relationships. The research shows that reflection on feedback can reduce stress by 15% and improve emotional intelligence by 20%. So why not start today?
I invite you to embrace feedback in your own life. Ask for it, listen to it, and use it to grow as a leader and in your personal relationships. I’d love to hear about your experience. Connect with me on LinkedIn to share how feedback has helped you listen better. Let’s keep growing together, one honest conversation at a time.
We are planning to offer the free listening workshop again very soon, so please let me know if you want to be in the group. We’d love to have you!