How to Turn Feedback Into Fuel for Leadership Growth

In this episode of the Independent School Moonshot Podcast, Susan Perry, Associate Head of School for Wellness and Belonging at Forsyth Country Day School and Senior Consultant at Expo Elevate, returns to explore the role of feedback in school leadership.

Drawing on research from the Harvard Negotiation Project and the Center for Creative Leadership, Susan unpacks why feedback is so difficult to give and receive and how school leaders can develop the skills, habits, and mindset to build a truly feedback-rich culture.

From the “situation-behavior-impact” model to the emotional hotspots that derail feedback, this episode offers practical tools and perspective shifts for anyone working to strengthen their leadership team and grow aspiring leaders.

Whether you’re just beginning your leadership journey or shaping a school-wide culture, this is a conversation that will leave you thinking and ready to act.

What You'll Learn from Susan Perry:

We’re Swimming in Feedback: Feedback is everywhere, from watches to workplace comments. Understanding how we receive and process it is key to becoming better leaders.

Affirmation Matters: Healthy feedback cultures rely on a 4:1 ratio of affirming to corrective feedback. The Situation-Behavior-Impact (SBI) model is a powerful tool to express this well.

Self-Awareness Is Two-Part: True self-awareness means understanding your intent and how your actions land with others.

Listening Is a Leadership Skill: The ability to stop talking and truly listen is foundational to building trust and effective teams.

Start with a Definition: Emerging leaders should define what leadership means to them and examine if their behaviors align with their values.

Discussion Prompts

How do we currently define feedback at our school, and is that definition helping or hindering our culture?

What are some moments when we’ve avoided giving feedback? Why?

Are we creating enough space for affirming feedback in our day-to-day leadership?

How can we better model receiving feedback without defensiveness?

What behaviors might we need to shift to better align with our leadership values?