Fixing the Echo Chamber—How to Get Honest Feedback (Without Scaring Your Team)
If you’re running a growing company, people probably aren’t telling you the full truth. Not because they’re lying—because they’re scared of how you’ll react.
This means:
People sugarcoat bad news.
They hesitate to challenge bad ideas (including yours).
Problems get ignored until they explode.
Here are simple steps to fix it:
1. Ask for the Brutal Truth Regularly
Don’t wait until things go wrong. Create a habit of asking tough questions:
What’s slowing us down?
What’s a dumb process we’re still doing?
What’s one thing we should change, but no one wants to say out loud?
2. Reward Candor, Not Agreement
If people only get rewarded for telling you what you want to hear, you’ll never get the full picture.
Celebrate people who challenge ideas and offer solutions.
3. Model Vulnerability as a Leader
If you never admit when you’re wrong, don’t expect your team to feel comfortable doing it either.
The best leaders aren’t the ones with all the answers—they’re the ones who know how to pull the truth out of their team.
Check out the interactive workbook and uncover other blocker that may be slowing your growth.
