Crystal's Notes 8 Nov

The fastest way to kill trust isn’t by making a bad decision. It’s by asking for feedback and then pretending it never happened.

When I ask leaders why nothing happens with the feedback they’re given, they give me reasons (and sometimes valid ones!) for why suggestions cannot be implemented. The problem is that leaders then fail to share what happened to the feedback with the people who bravely voiced up.

At bare minimum, after feedback has been given, people deserve to know:

1. What was shared 

2. How leadership discussed it

3. What was the decision-making process

4. What parts of the ideas were doable and what parts were not (and why)

5. The action plan and RACI (who will be held Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and In the loop).

Why Leaders Don’t Close the Loop

The fear that stops leaders from closing the loop often stems from a vulnerable place.
Fragile egos. Thin skin. A fixed mindset. The fear of being challenged or proven wrong.

Some of this comes from how we were raised: an education system obsessed with “moulding” us, an inherited culture of deference, and organisations built on power distance. Add success, and you get entitlement and complacency as well.

But leadership is about building tolerance for discomfort, holding space for hard conversations, and staying open and steady when things get uncomfortable.

When suggestions vanish into silence, people stop trying. Over time, you lose innovation, ownership, and talent. And I’ll tell you this: your Gen Z workforce isn’t wired to accept that. They’ve grown up with transparency, immediacy, and platforms that reward contribution. If you can’t close the loop, they’ll go somewhere that does.

If you’re the kind of leader who wants to listen but struggles to hold that space, start with your own nervous system. That is where the true resilience for hard conversations is built.

Much love,

Crystal