Why No One Listens to a Leader's Advice
If you’re anything like me, you probably enjoy helping others. It feels great to give advice to team members. But there's a significant difference between trying to help and actually being helpful. Unsolicited advice not only doesn't work, but it usually backfires.
Yet, most leaders fall into the trap of giving unsolicited advice. They think their need to provide feedback is somehow more important than listening to the needs of the other person. It seems they have the perfect solution to everyone's problems except their own.
The issue with unsolicited feedback is that it serves more as an ego-booster than actual help. It benefits the giver more than the receiver.
Research by the NeuroLeadership Institute found that unsolicited feedback triggers distress in the brain, making us less receptive to what's being said.
Most advice is useless – that's why people don't listen to their leaders.
But it doesn't have to be this way.
Why Leaders Love Giving Advice
"If you are the sm…
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Demystifying Culture to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.