Sharing upward feedback can be a powerful way to strengthen relationships and foster leadership growth—but it needs to be approached with intention, clarity, and professionalism.

Before giving feedback to a manager, senior leader, or executive, consider the following best practices to ensure your message is constructive and well-received:

• Speak from your own experience. Focus on your personal interactions and observations—avoid sharing secondhand feedback or representing others’ opinions as your own.

• Lead with respect. Even when offering constructive criticism, your tone should reflect professionalism, empathy, and a shared goal of improvement.

• Be specific and objective. General statements like “you’re not supportive” are easy to dismiss. Instead, point to specific situations or behaviors that illustrate your feedback.

• Clarify your expectations. Don’t just name the issue—explain how your leader can support you more effectively. Clear feedback is a two-way conversation, not a guessing game.

• Pair feedback with a solution. Constructive feedback is most valuable when paired with a path forward. Share ideas or approaches that could help improve the situation.

• Balance critique with appreciation. Recognize what’s working. When leaders know their efforts are seen and valued, they’re more open to growth—and more likely to act on your input.

Below, you'll find 12 examples of upward feedback that reflect a healthy balance of praise and constructive insight. While these are sample phrases, they should be customized to reflect your unique relationship, communication style, and workplace context.

Upward feedback examples

Upward feedback can be a valuable tool for strengthening leadership, improving communication, and building a culture of trust. Below are six practical examples of upward feedback—each offering one phrase of positive reinforcement and one for constructive insight. These examples are intended to guide more thoughtful, balanced conversations and can be tailored to your own leadership relationships.

1. Workload

Praise: I really appreciate how you’ve helped me maintain a healthy work-life balance. You’ve done a great job delegating responsibilities and helping me prioritize effectively. It means a lot that you keep my personal and family needs in mind when assigning tasks.

Constructive Feedback: I understand this is a busy season, but my workload has become increasingly difficult to manage. I’d appreciate a conversation about how we might reprioritize or redistribute tasks to ensure deadlines are realistic and the workload stays sustainable.

2. Communication

Praise: Your expectations are always clear, and I leave our one-on-ones with actionable next steps. When I do have questions, you respond quickly and provide just the right level of detail.

Constructive Feedback: I know you’ve had a lot on your plate lately, but I’ve found it harder to get clarity on what’s needed for some of my upcoming projects. I’d like to propose a short weekly check-in to align on priorities and ensure I’m focused on what matters most.

3. Coaching and Development

Praise: Thank you for being so intentional about supporting my development. You’ve taken the time to coach me through challenges, highlight strengths, and talk through career goals. Our check-ins strike a great balance between recognition and growth.

Constructive Feedback: I recognize how demanding your role is, but I’d really value more regular conversations about my growth. I’m feeling a bit stalled professionally and would appreciate your guidance on how to move forward in my development path.

4. Team Morale and Culture

Praise: You’ve created an environment of trust, respect, and accountability on our team. I really admire how you bring us together around company priorities while also encouraging individual voices and contributions.

Constructive Feedback: Since the recent org changes, morale seems lower across the team. I’ve noticed less communication and a rise in stress. It might be helpful to plan a team-building session or group check-in to realign and rebuild energy. Your leadership could really help refocus us.

5. Management Style

Praise: Your leadership style has created a positive environment for our team. I appreciate the autonomy you provide, which allows us to take initiative, learn through experience, and grow. I also feel recognized and supported—it's clear that you value open communication and are approachable when questions or concerns arise.

Constructive Feedback: I want to share some feedback on how your management style may be coming across. Lately, I’ve felt like my work is being closely monitored, and I worry that small mistakes will lead to negative consequences. This has made it harder to work confidently and has increased my stress levels. I’d appreciate a conversation about how we can build mutual trust and transparency around deliverables—perhaps with more proactive check-ins that don’t feel overly scrutinizing.

6. Delegation of Tasks

Praise: Thank you for being intentional in how you assign work. It’s clear you understand our individual strengths, and I’ve felt both challenged and fulfilled by the projects you’ve given me. Even during busy times, I’ve been able to manage the workload in a way that feels balanced and aligned with what I do best.

Constructive Feedback: I’ve noticed that certain high-performing team members, myself included, seem to be carrying a heavier portion of critical tasks. While I’m proud to contribute and appreciate your confidence in me, the distribution has started to feel a bit unbalanced. I’d value a conversation around how we can more equitably delegate work across the team while still honoring each person’s strengths.

Tips for Receiving Upward Feedback as a Leader

Receiving upward feedback can be one of the most valuable tools for leadership growth—but it’s not always easy. It takes humility, curiosity, and a commitment to continuous improvement. How leaders respond to feedback sets the tone for whether employees feel safe sharing it in the future. Here are six best practices to help leaders receive upward feedback well:

1. Listen with curiosity, not defensiveness

Even when feedback is tough to hear, resist the urge to justify or explain right away. Focus on understanding the message first, and ask clarifying questions when needed. Listening with genuine curiosity builds trust and shows employees that their perspective is valued.

2. Assume positive intent

Most feedback—especially when it’s constructive—comes from a desire to improve the team, the relationship, or the work. Even if it’s delivered imperfectly, assume the employee’s intent is to help, not to criticize.

3. Thank the employee for their honesty

It takes courage to share feedback with a manager. A simple “Thank you for being open with me” goes a long way in reinforcing a feedback-friendly culture.

4. Reflect before reacting

Give yourself time to process the feedback. Not every suggestion requires an immediate response or action, but reflection can help you uncover themes and determine how to move forward with intention.

5. Follow up—and follow through

Let your team know what you’re doing with their input. Whether it’s a small change in your approach or a larger improvement plan, visibly responding to feedback reinforces accountability and encourages future openness.

6. Seek feedback consistently, not just during reviews

The best leaders normalize feedback as part of everyday conversations—not just something that happens once or twice a year. Ask for feedback regularly during 1-on-1s, pulse surveys, or check-ins, and model the behaviors you hope to see across your team.