Why Feedback Is a 2-way Gift for Career Acceleration?

Imagine walking into your annual review, bracing for impact like you are about to debug someone else’s legacy code. Your manager starts giving feedback, and your brain immediately jumps to: “Here comes the list of things I messed up.” Sound familiar?

Here is the twist: feedback is not just a gift for you. It is also a gift for the person giving it. When done right, feedback becomes less like a one-sided critique and more like a career accelerator for both people. As Ken Blanchard famously said, “Feedback is the breakfast of champions.” Turns out, it is also the protein bar that fuels your leadership growth.

Feedback Removes Blind Spots

Think of feedback like that friend who quietly tells you, “Hey, you have got ketchup on your face,” after lunch. Would you rather hear it from them or find out during your big presentation to the VP of Engineering?

As receivers, we cannot always see our own blind spots. Feedback shines light on them, helping us debug not just our code, but also our behavior, teamwork, and communication.

Giving Feedback Grows Your Leadership Skills

On the flip side, providing feedback is not just about delivering tough news. It is a masterclass in clarity, empathy, and persuasion.

Explaining observations in a way that is clear and easy to accept forces you to upgrade your communication toolkit. Suddenly, you are not just a coder. You are a communicator, a leader, maybe even someone who can convince product managers that “two weeks” is not actually “two days.”

Feedback Builds Trust and Relationships

Feedback also deepens trust. When you consistently give thoughtful, constructive input, people know you are invested in their success, not just your own Jira tickets. That trust compounds over time, creating stronger relationships and healthier team dynamics.

As Brené Brown put it, “Clear is kind. Unclear is unkind.” The more transparent and supportive we are with feedback, the more resilient our teams become.

Conclusion

So next time you are about to receive feedback, resist the urge to armor up. And when you are about to give it, remember you are not just helping someone else. You are practicing leadership reps that will serve you in every promotion, project, and relationship ahead.

Here is the question to leave you with: What is the piece of feedback you have been sitting on, either to give or to receive, that could unlock growth for both sides?