How do organizations cultivate feedback

The past year marked one of the first times where I led a team project in a professional setting. Sitting in a conference room, I found myself guiding a group of five through a systems design discussion. As I explained the architecture, it struck me: not everyone in the room would be comfortable telling me if they didn’t fully understand what was being discussed. That moment stayed with me as I thought about how organizations can cultivate feedback.

Reflecting on it later, I realized this isn’t unique. In many environments I’ve been part of, feedback—especially upward feedback—has been difficult to come by. Junior team members often receive technical mentorship or structured onboarding, but rarely are they taught how to develop soft skills like communication, leadership, or giving and receiving constructive feedback. And once they rise into leadership roles, there’s often no one offering them feedback either.

The result? Leaders can end up in positions where they’re underprepared, or worse, unaware of how they’re being perceived and how they can improve. Leadership without feedback is like coding without testing—you’re likely building blind spots without realizing it.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been thinking a lot about how to create better feedback mechanisms. In hindsight, I wish I had asked for more feedback in the past—from peers, club members, and colleagues—especially after presentations or during moments of leadership. But the reality is, when you’re in a position of responsibility, people are often hesitant to provide candid feedback. Everyone looks up to you, and few want to “rock the boat.”

And yet, feedback is one of the most valuable tools we have. It helps us grow, reflect, and refine how we lead, communicate, and collaborate. But the delivery is often imperfect—and the culture around it can make or break its effectiveness.

Now, as a technical lead managing projects, people, and resources, I see firsthand the need for thoughtful feedback loops. The challenge isn’t just receiving feedback—it’s making people comfortable enough to give it. Most people won’t offer it unless explicitly asked. That’s why organizations need to make peer-to-peer feedback routine and normalize it across roles and seniority levels.

Leaders and senior contributors often have ideas about how to help others grow, but they also need feedback themselves to continue growing. Companies and teams should design systems that encourage those conversations—feedback that flows not just top-down, but also bottom-up and laterally across teams.

Because at the end of the day, the best leaders in my experience aren’t the ones with all the answers. They’re the ones who are always listening, learning, and improving.