Ten Outcomes That Transform a Leader’s Career and Life
As an executive coach, providing stakeholder survey results is one of the vital steps in my coaching process. This is a moment of truth – when the coaching client decides to accept the feedback and move forward in the coaching process. The client and I then work together to select the areas they want to develop further as well as the strengths they want to keep or amplify.
I’m fortunate that the vast majority of executives I’ve coached value the feedback; I typically hear that they’ve never received so much information to really help them grow and become a better leader. I remind them as they move up in any organization, they typically get less feedback on how they are doing on both areas of strength and what can be improved.
Ultimately, this becomes the inflection point where insight becomes growth, and growth becomes forward movement with positive impact.
Across coaching research and decades of practitioner experience, one theme is unmistakable: leaders who act on stakeholder input accelerate their development faster and more sustainably than those who rely on self‑reflection alone. When they translate feedback into new behaviors—and make those changes visible—the benefits ripple across their careers, teams, and personal lives.
Here are the ten outcomes that leaders are most likely to experience when they put stakeholder feedback into action:
1. Stronger, More Trusting Relationships
When leaders listen, adjust, and follow up, stakeholders feel respected and valued. Trust deepens. Communication becomes easier. Collaboration becomes smoother. This is the foundation of psychological safety—and high‑performing teams.
2. A Measurable Increase in Leadership Effectiveness
Stakeholder‑based coaching models show that the most reliable indicator of leadership growth is how others perceive behavioral change over time. When leaders apply feedback, stakeholders notice improvements in communication, influence, and decision‑making.
3. Higher Team Engagement and Performance
Behavioral shifts—especially around clarity, recognition, and empowerment—have a direct impact on team motivation. Leaders who improve how they show up create teams that are more aligned, more energized, and more accountable.
4. Enhanced Executive Presence and Credibility
Nothing elevates a leader’s presence more than demonstrating humility, self‑awareness, and adaptability. When stakeholders see a leader evolve, their confidence in that leader grows. Credibility rises. Influence expands.
5. Better Alignment with Organizational Priorities
Feedback often highlights gaps between a leader’s current behaviors and what the organization needs from them. Acting on that input helps leaders better align with culture, strategy, and expectations—making them more effective and easier to support.
6. Accelerated Career Advancement
Organizations promote leaders who grow. When stakeholders consistently observe positive change, leaders become top candidates for expanded scope, succession pipelines, and high‑visibility assignments. Growth becomes a differentiator.
7. Fewer Blind Spots and Better Decisions
Feedback reveals patterns leaders can’t see on their own. Feedforward offers practical suggestions for future behavior. Together, they reduce blind spots, sharpen judgment, and help leaders avoid costly missteps.
8. Greater Resilience and Adaptability
Leaders who embrace feedback build a mindset of continuous improvement. They become more agile in the face of change, more open to latest ideas, and more confident navigating complexity. This adaptability is now one of the most valuable leadership currencies.
9. Improved Relationships and Personal Well‑Being
As leaders adopt healthier communication habits—listening more, reacting less, showing appreciation—stress decreases and relationships improve. Many leaders report that the same behaviors that strengthen their teams also strengthen their personal lives.
10. A Reputation for Growth, Accountability, and Humility
Perhaps the most career‑defining outcome: leaders who visibly act on feedback earn a reputation as coachable, accountable, and committed to excellence. This reputation follows them across roles, across companies, and across their careers.
The Bottom Line
Stakeholder feedback and feedforward aren’t just tools for performance improvement. They’re catalysts that can positively transform your career.
When leaders act on what they hear—and close the loop with the people who offered input—they create a virtuous cycle of trust, performance, and personal growth. Their teams feel it. Their organizations feel it. Their families often feel it too.
And leaders who do this firmly establish themselves as people others want to follow.
Executive coaching is a proven resource that helps leaders get the feedback they need and act on that feedback in ways that improve their performance, team dynamics and organizational outcomes. Contact me if you want more information on an executive coaching process that can help you or your organization achieve greater outcomes.
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Lance Hazzard, PCC, CPCC, is a Master Certified Executive Coach and Executive Team Coach helping people and organizations achieve success. Lance and Eric T. Hicks, Ph.D., co-authored Accelerating Leadership, published in June 2019. Lance is Executive Coach and President at Oppnå® Executive & Achievement Coaching. More information on the book, Lance and Oppnå® Coaching can be found at the links below: