Leadership and the Ongoing Journey of Growth

One of the most meaningful concepts I’ve taken from this course is feedforward.

At first, I wasn’t sure what made it different from feedback, but I quickly realized the distinction: feedback looks backward; feedforward looks toward who you are becoming.

As someone who naturally reflects on my work, whether I’m training teachers on VR, troubleshooting devices, or organizing Kolibri channels, this mindset resonated with me.

Feedforward isn’t about critiquing what went wrong but offering suggestions for what could go right next time. It shifts the focus from evaluation to evolution, and that shift has influenced how I see myself as both a learner and a leader.

Balancing Leadership With a Growth Mindset

In my role, I often navigate multiple leadership expectations, coaching, guiding, communicating, supporting, and sometimes giving direction. It can be challenging to balance the structure that educators depend on with the vulnerability required to grow.

Feedforward has helped me:

• stay open to improvement,

• avoid defensiveness, and

• welcome new perspectives without feeling diminished.

As a collaborative leader, I want to create a culture where others feel equally safe to learn, experiment, and adjust. That means modeling the mindset I want to inspire.

A growth mindset isn’t just something I believe in academically, it’s something I practice when I walk into each campus, sit with teachers, or try a new tool for the first time alongside them.

What Receiving Feedforward Has Taught Me

Receiving feedforward throughout the program, on my writing, my design choices, my leadership perspectives, has reminded me that I don’t have to be perfect to make progress.

What I've learned:

✔ Improvement doesn’t require criticism; it requires vision.

Feedforward gave me actionable next steps, not a list of mistakes.

✔ People often see potential in us that we haven’t named yet.

In several assignments, the suggestions I received reflected a version of myself I hadn’t fully stepped into.

✔ Growth becomes easier when we release the pressure to already know everything.

This has allowed me to show up with more confidence, not less.

✔ Feedforward is future-focused and so is leadership.

The goal is always to move forward, not stay anchored to what already happened.

How I Will Apply Feedforward to My Own Leadership Style

Incorporating feedforward into my leadership approach means intentionally shifting the way I communicate with others.

1. I will ask future-focused questions.

Instead of “What went wrong?” I’ll ask:

• “What could we adjust next time?”

• “What would make this easier for you going forward?”

2. I will affirm growth openly.

When someone is learning a new tool or process, acknowledging their progress and offering next steps encourages them to keep trying.

3. I will invite collaboration without judgment.

Feedforward fosters partnership rather than hierarchy, which aligns with my collaborative leadership style.

4. I will integrate feedforward into coaching teachers.

When training on Kolibri, VR, or Aztec, I can frame support around future improvements rather than past missteps. This invites confidence, not hesitation.

5. I will practice what I ask others to embrace.

If I want educators to learn out loud, I must be willing to do the same.

A Leader Who Grows Alongside Others

Ultimately, feedforward aligns with the kind of leader I hope to become, one who leads through partnership, communication, and intentional growth. It reinforces that leadership is not about having the perfect answer; it’s about creating the conditions where people feel encouraged to learn toward a shared goal.

Feedforward keeps me focused on becoming better tomorrow than I was today. And that, to me, is leadership at its best.

References

Dweck, C. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. Random House.

Goldsmith, M. (2002). Try feedforward instead of feedback. Leader to Leader, 25(1), 11–15.

Goleman, D. (2013). Focus: The hidden driver of excellence. HarperCollins.