Sometimes I can tell how a manager gives feedback just by listening to how their team talks to each other.
When you’re a manager, the words and tone you use shape every conversation your team has.
👉 Every time you give guidance, deliver feedback, or step into a conflict, you’re teaching your team what’s acceptable.
If you use brute force or demeaning comments to get what you want, it won’t stop with you. That approach filters down until your team members start using the same tactics with each other, and with people outside the department.
However, if you actively listen, acknowledge different perspectives, and deliver direct but respectful feedback, then that also becomes part of the team’s DNA.
The way you give feedback becomes the blueprint for how your team gives feedback.
The way you listen becomes the standard for whether others feel heard.
The way you handle tension becomes the unspoken rulebook for how your team navigates conflict.
đź’ˇ Whether you like it or not, you are always teaching, and your team becomes a reflection of you.
When you watch your team in action, are you happy with your reflection?
References: Haley J. Strategies of psychotherapy. 1963.
Post Title: Leadership means influencing how people influence each other.