Fostering Leader Feedback Seeking at the Workplace: The Role of HRD Practice

The Problem. Scholars in the feedback-seeking domain have predominantly focused on employee feedback seeking. However, there is less known about feedback seeking when the leader is the seeker of feedback. This is unfortunate because in dynamic and uncertain environments, as presented by the COVID-19 crisis, leaders will need to seek feedback from others to develop a holistic view of the emerging situation and respond in a timely manner. The Solution. The authors make a case for leader feedback seeking by identifying its four potential benefits for leaders themselves and organizations. Subsequently, they discuss four human resource development practices that can promote leader feedback-seeking behavior within organizations. The Stakeholders. This article will benefit organizations that seek to encourage their leadership talent to seek feedback at work.