Hi! My name is Ruby, and I am nervous about responding to feedback. Over the last 10 years I have been a leader of teams both large and small. I have been a leader of leaders. I have had both direct and indirect reports. I have worked in organizations of various sizes. Despite the experience I now have under my belt, I still occasionally feel anxious about dealing with feedback.

I have a number of fears when it comes to responding to feedback. Here are my biggest ones:

• I fear my response might make someone feel not how I intended.
• I fear that I will not be able to help, and that someone will feel let down.
• I fear (somewhat irrationally) that the feedback will be about me.

I do not consider myself a natural leader. While I am confident, organized and motivated to achieve good outcomes, I know these qualities alone do not make me a good leader. When it comes to responding to feedback my default approach used to be to problem solve. Over time I’ve found myself listening more, empowering others, acknowledging good behaviors, and building meaningful relationships.

It surprised me to learn that this gentler approach is more effective. It has made the teams I have been a part of happier and more productive.

In this toolkit I share some of my favorite leadership tools with you. You can add them to your own leadership toolkit and apply them as you respond to feedback - both inside and outside of Joyous.