How to Give Tough Feedback to a Dominant Executive (That They Might Actually Hear)
- Enko
- 5 days ago
- 2 min read
I coach leaders in transition such as taking on a larger role.
They are all brilliant.
Their results are amazing.
But some can be abrasive.
Where their leadership style leaves colleagues bruised and talent leaving.
Feeding back to them is hard (but so necessary)
✅ Their strength is their blind spot: What got them here (drive & dominance) won’t get them further
✅ The cost is real: Top performers quietly opt out of working with them
✅ They often don’t realise: Few dare to be honest with someone so intimidating. Even their bosses.
Here are 5 steps to give feedback that they’ll actually hear 👇
1. Use Their Language: Performance/Competition
❌ "People find you abrasive"
✅ "You are delivering exceptional results. You have an opportunity to get even better outcomes by adjusting how the team experiences your leadership"
2. Why should they care?
❌ “ People don’t want to work with you.”
✅"This affects how the board views future opportunities for you."
3. Make It About Choice, Not Criticism
❌ "You need to change"
✅ "You can keep getting good results this way, but you’ll keep losing great people. Or you can adapt and multiply your impact"
4. Tie into Legacy
"How do you want your leadership to be remembered? Just for results or something more?"
5. The Magic Question
"What part of our discussion resonates most with you?" (Gets buy in)
The higher someone climbs, the harder it is to hear truth.
Feedback isn’t about being nice.
It’s about being intentional about wanting to benefit the executive and the company.
Even if it does require tough love.
Have you encountered this type of leader?
What worked (or backfired) when addressing their behaviour?
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My name is Enko.
I’m a catalyst for positive change.
I coach executives to create the impact and life that they want.
Interested? Message me to arrange a complimentary 30 min coaching discovery call.
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Photo by Sarah Wolfe on Unsplash
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