4 Ways Administrators Can Cope With Tough Feedback

School leaders need to have tough skin, but feedback can still be hard to take. Here’s how to gain perspective and learn from it.

By Jessica Cabeen

April 23, 2024

Edutopia

Jessica Cabeen's article, "4 Ways Administrators Can Cope With Tough Feedback," published on April 23, 2024, offers valuable advice for school leaders on handling feedback constructively. Even seasoned administrators can struggle with negative comments, as Cabeen illustrates with a personal anecdote about being criticized in a staff survey. This experience underscores the emotional challenge of negative feedback but also sets the stage for discussing strategies to manage and grow from these situations.

**1. Admit Mistakes and Embrace Vulnerability**
Cabeen encourages leaders to admit their mistakes and embrace vulnerability. Acknowledging imperfections allows administrators to diminish the power of negative thoughts and create a culture of openness and growth. Sharing challenges with trusted colleagues or mentors can lighten the emotional load and foster a supportive network, making it easier to address and learn from these shortcomings.

**2. Seek Support and Gain Perspective**
It’s crucial for school leaders to have a robust support network. Cabeen emphasizes the importance of seeking perspectives from colleagues, mentors, or professional networks, which can offer new insights and strategies. She cites Brené Brown’s concept of the “Square Squad” from "Dare to Lead," recommending leaders form a core group of trusted individuals whose opinions matter, helping them filter out less constructive criticisms and focus on valuable feedback.

**3. Focus on Solutions and Maintain a Growth Mindset**
Transforming focus from problems to solutions can significantly improve leaders' mental health and their capacity to lead effectively. Adopting a growth mindset helps view challenges as opportunities for learning rather than obstacles. Cabeen suggests reflecting on what can be learned from each situation and what steps can be taken to overcome challenges, which can shift the perspective towards constructive and actionable outcomes.

**4. Find Joy in Everyday Moments and Reconnect with Your Why**
Finally, Cabeen advises leaders to remember why they chose their path and to find joy in daily activities. Keeping connected to the core reasons for becoming a school leader can reignite passion and motivation. Celebrating small victories and positive aspects of one's role can help maintain a positive outlook and counterbalance the impact of negative feedback.

Cabeen wraps up by emphasizing that the greatest learnings often come from mistakes, and the key is to extract productive lessons while letting go of unhelpful criticism. By implementing these strategies, school leaders can not only cope with tough feedback but also use it as a catalyst for personal and professional growth.

For educators looking to dive deeper into these strategies, the full article can be accessed here: [Original Detailed URL](https://www.ascd.org/blog/4-ways-administrators-can-cope-with-tough...).

Original Article

https://www.edutopia.org/article/coping-negative-feedback-school-le...

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Prepared with the assistance of AI software

OpenAI. (2024). ChatGPT (4) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com