Great Leaders Know When to Ignore Feedback!

Now that I've got your attention—no, I don't mean all feedback should be ignored. In fact, nearly every Stellar leadership program includes gathering feedback from others to help learners improve self-awareness. Many experts in human development agree: self-awareness is the foundation for meaningful change. But sometimes, feedback processes work a little too well, surfacing insights that are either outliers or unlikely to make a meaningful impact, even if addressed.

One of my favorite quotes comes from humorist Franklin P. Jones:

"Honest criticism is hard to take, particularly from a relative, a friend, an acquaintance, or a stranger."

It's a gem. After years in the human development field, I often tell leaders and employees that feedback is a gift—something to be valued—even though I haven't always believed that myself. Let's be honest: who likes receiving feedback? It's tough. And that's the first important lesson for emerging leaders: accepting feedback is hard.

But here's the twist—perhaps the hardest lesson for emerging leaders to grasp is that some feedback should be ignored.

Imagine a continuum. On one end is a leader who ignores all feedback. On the other, a leader who tries to act on every piece of feedback received. Emerging leaders often lean toward the latter. And it makes sense—they've been identified as "High-Potential" because they've delivered exceptional results, often under pressure, by rallying their teams and exceeding expectations. Naturally, they assume the path to the next level is to address all the feedback.

But here's the counterintuitive truth: great leaders learn to ignore some of it. Here's why:

Ungrounded Feedback

A significant portion of feedback—especially from 360-degree assessments—isn't grounded in sufficient experience with the leader. When someone jumps to an opinion ("assessment") without enough factual basis ("assertion"), the feedback lacks substance. It's not actionable, and it's not helpful. 

Next-Level Skills Matter More

Feedback relevant to your next role is more valuable than feedback tied to your current one. For example, if your current job involves managing project plans, that's great—but if the next-level role requires strategic thinking, then that's the skill you need to develop. Focus on what will get you promoted, not just what makes you better at your current job. 

Feedback from Powerful Advocates

Feedback from those who can advocate for your advancement—your boss, senior leaders, and influential peers—is especially important. Yes, it's great to have a high-performing team that supports you. But when it comes to moving up, the voices of those with influence carry more weight. Prioritize their input.

In short, take a targeted and strategic approach to feedback. Resist the urge to act on everything. Most of the time, you can distill the most important feedback into three key themes. The rest? It's either less important—or just noise.