This Is Why You Don’t Have a Feedback Problem, You Have a Leadership Problem
Let’s get one thing straight: If your leaders aren’t accountable, you do not have a feedback culture.
You can have suggestion boxes. You can have “open door policies.” You can end every all-hands meeting by saying, “We welcome your input.”
But if your leadership team isn’t visibly listening, making space, acting on feedback, and co-creating solutions with the people they serve, then what you’ve built isn’t feedback culture: It’s a performance.
And it’s not just ineffective. It’s toxic.
The Line in the Sand
This article isn’t about nuance. It’s about a red line. And here it is:
You cannot create a culture of feedback without leadership accountability. If your leaders aren’t accountable, your feedback culture is a lie. And if your team doesn’t trust that leadership will listen and respond, your company is - by definition - toxic.
Harsh? Maybe. But not as harsh as the reality your team is living through if this is their workplace.
Why Feedback Culture Fails Without Accountability
When employees are asked for feedback and nothing changes, they don’t just disengage. They lose trust. They stop contributing. And the smartest ones, the ones who see clearly and speak up, leave first.
What follows is predictable:
Innovation dries up.
Performance dips.
Reputation tanks.
Attrition climbs.
You can’t workshop your way out of that. You need leadership to show up differently.
What Minimum Accountability Looks Like
This isn’t about perfection. This is about non-negotiables. Here’s what baseline leadership accountability must include if you want real feedback culture:
Listening. Not just hearing words, but actually receiving them. Without defensiveness. Without spin.
Holding space. Creating environments where people feel safe to speak, even critically, and know they won’t be punished for it.
Acting on feedback. Not performative gestures. Not vague promises. Real, visible action tied to what people say.
Collaborating on solutions. Feedback shouldn’t be a drop-box. It should be the beginning of a co-created process of change.
That’s the floor. Not the ceiling.
You Can’t Fake This
You can’t have one anonymous survey and say you’re listening. You can’t change one policy and say you’re responsive. You can’t run a town hall and say you’re transparent.
People know when leadership is just checking boxes. And when they do, they stop trusting, and stop talking.
Lesson Learned
Accountability isn’t a feature of feedback culture. It’s the foundation. If your leaders won’t take responsibility, your culture won’t evolve. It will erode: quietly, steadily, and completely.
P.S.
If you're serious about building a culture of feedback, start by asking your leadership team this question:
When was the last time we asked for feedback and actually changed something as a result?
If the answer is “I’m not sure,” then you already know what needs to change.
Let’s talk. 👉 inclusiveleadership.solutions
