Why is giving feedback so universally dreaded? As a leader, have you ever had a well-intentioned feedback session blow up spectacularly in your face? If so, you're not alone—and you might be wondering where exactly you went wrong.

The good news is that there are proven approaches to giving feedback that not only effectively address growth needs but actually transform people and teams. The challenging news? It all starts with you, the leader.

We have a people problem. For far too long, leadership development has focused on completing tasks and getting teams to hit targets, completely overlooking the human component. This approach has left many employees feeling more like robots than humans... and it shows. The result? Demotivated teams and demoralized people, with burnout rates climbing year after year.

I'll never forget the day my entire leadership philosophy was turned upside down. While reading "Leadership on the Line" by Heifetz and Linsky, I encountered a profound and completely irritating statement that stopped me in my tracks:

"When you belong to the organization or community that you are trying to lead,

you are part of the problem."

(I may or may not have tossed the book across the room!)