Lack of reliable feedback at the top

The problem is compounded when the leader is a woman or from a minority group. Women in general get less useful feedback about their performance in any position than do men. Similar studies show this to be true for Chinese and Indian executives as well.

Executives are often unaware of this dynamic. Many believe they are attuned to their environment because they ask questions and solicit feedback. They believe they are getting the truth. But people have difficulty delivering the complete truth when the message is less than favorable. And the more personal the message, the less chance it has of getting delivered at all.

Top executives typically get the least reliable information about how they are doing. A meta-analysis of 177 separate studies that assessed 28,000 managers found that performance feedback becomes more inconsistent the higher the person’s position.

Often the reason is simply that it makes people uncomfortable to be candid. They don’t know how to be frank without risking injury or backlash. Few people want to intentionally hurt another person’s feelings, and they certainly don’t want to be misinterpreted and accused of trying to do harm. Often silence is chosen rather than risk. People swing too far in the direction of “being nice” rather than being useful and providing accurate observations about behavior.

When people avoid giving honest feedback by sanitizing it to keep up comfort levels, they are actually doing a disservice. They are depriving their own leaders of valuable information.