Upward feedback: 22 employee examples to aid leadership development

The best leaders today actively seek input. This is known as upward feedback: constructive input from reports to managers, which helps build trust, drive engagement, and signal that employees’ voices matter.

With fewer than half of managers receiving formal management training,* upward feedback becomes a vital tool for real-time, on-the-ground development — and a way for leaders to grow based on how their teams perceive them.

In this piece, we’ll explain why upward feedback matters in 2025 and explore real-world examples (both positive and constructive) that reflect how it works across different workplace scenarios.
‍

🚀 Streamline upward feedback for your team

Discover how Leapsome Reviews can optimize upward feedback processes and enrich your approach to performance management.

👉 Explore Leapsome Reviews

*Gallup’s State of the Global Workforce Report, 2025
‍

What is upward feedback?

Upward feedback is when employees provide their perspectives and insights about their direct manager or supervisor, including feedback about performance, behavior, leadership style, and any areas for improvement. It’s the reverse of traditional top-down feedback.

Alongside peer-to-peer feedback, upward feedback is a central component of 360° reviews as it gives managers and leaders the opportunity to hear about the experience of their direct report firsthand. It also helps them build a more holistic picture of their performance from the people who see them working in their role every day.
‍

Why upward feedback matters in 2025

Today’s workforce — especially younger generations — expect open, two-way dialogue and an open feedback culture. Yet all too often, feedback is still a one-way street. As Amy Gallo, workplace dynamics expert and contributor at the Harvard Business Review, shares: “Honest upward feedback is essential to grow, but can be hard to come by. In fact, most managers complain they don’t get enough feedback from the people on their team.”

That said, the modern workforce is evolving. The siloed hierarchies of previous decades are softening, and younger employees’ confidence is growing. Indeed, 74% of the Gen Z workforce feels comfortable giving upward feedback to managers and supervisors. So, what do organizations have to gain from harnessing the potential of upward feedback? 

• Enhancing employee engagement by actively listening to direct report experiences and encouraging accountability at all levels.
  ‍
  
• Boosting employee satisfaction by empowering team members to have their say, which can, in turn, improve employee retention.
  
  
• Improving leadership development & effectiveness as managers have the chance to apply real-world insights and even incorporate them into their leadership development plans.
  
  
• Fostering continuous improvement and holistically supporting leaders’ personal development rather than relying on top-down feedback processes alone.
  

• Creating a culture of trust & open feedback by demonstrating that the voices of individual contributors are taken seriously and have an impact
  ‍

💡 “By giving the people who work directly with the manager a chance to provide them with unfiltered feedback on leadership topics, upward feedback enables frontline staff to advocate for positive change in their everyday experiences.”

— Rachel Bosch, Forbes Council Member and Founder of Fringe PD

22 actionable upward feedback examples from employees 

Writing upward feedback for a manager or supervisor might not feel intuitive to every employee, particularly if they want to share constructive comments. For team members who aren’t sure where to start, there are a few best practices to observe, like ensuring the feedback includes all the relevant information, bringing specific examples of the behavior they want to discuss, and giving managers insight into what they’d like to see change. 

To make this process easier, we’ve put together a number of examples across several real-world categories that come up regularly between team members and managers. 
‍

Category #1: communication style 

Positive upward feedback

“As a new starter, I really appreciate when you take the time to clarify something I don’t yet have the context to understand — whether it’s there and then in a meeting or afterward in a follow-up email. It helps ensure I’m on the same page as the rest of the team.” 
‍

Constructive upward feedback 

“After leaving our strategy meeting last month, I realized I was still unsure about the next steps. Perhaps we could end those conversations with a quick recap of key points or decisions to make things clearer. It might help others keep track of their priorities, too.”
‍

Category #2: support & employee development

Positive upward feedback

“Thanks for your support in connecting me with new learning opportunities and advocating for me to take on more stretch projects lately. That kind of encouragement helps me find the confidence to go beyond my comfort zone and build new skills.”
‍

Constructive upward feedback 

“Sometimes I’m not sure how I’m performing or what I could be doing differently to keep progressing. Could we arrange for me to have more regular feedback or updates on how I’m tracking against my development goals?” 
‍

Category #3: decision-making 

Positive upward feedback

“Last week, I was really grateful that you stopped to ask for my input before locking in project allocation for next quarter. Knowing that you wanted — and considered — my perspective makes my role feel a lot more collaborative.”
‍

Constructive upward feedback 

“The recent news about the team restructuring felt quite sudden, and there wasn’t much context for the changes. Even sharing a little bit of rationale would help me get on board more quickly and support shifts more confidently from the moment they’re announced.”
‍

Category #4: recognition & motivation

Positive upward feedback

“It meant a lot when you shined a spotlight on the success of my campaign launch in the team meeting last week, especially when you mentioned the late nights I’ve put in. That kind of recognition really helps me stay motivated when we’re busy.” 
‍

Constructive upward feedback 

“I sometimes feel like the bigger, more exciting client work gets a lot of recognition, while the quieter efforts happening behind the scenes might go unnoticed. Is there anything you could do to make sure that part of the team feels equally valued?”
‍

Category #5: team management & culture

Positive upward feedback

“I think you’ve done a really solid job helping us adapt our team rituals to the new hybrid setup — the virtual standups and check-ins still feel personal. It has helped us maintain a sense of team connection even though we’re not sharing an office daily.”
‍

Constructive upward feedback 

“There are times when it can feel a bit nerve-wracking to speak up or disagree in meetings. Is there a way you could encourage more open dialogue? I think this would help to create a stronger sense of safety and inclusion on the team  — especially when opinions differ.”
‍

Category #6: availability & responsiveness

Positive upward feedback

“I’ve had to ask a lot of questions while working on this new project, but when I’ve flagged something as urgent, you’ve been quick to respond, even if just to arrange a call. That reliability is really reassuring when I’m working on tight deadlines.”
‍

Constructive upward feedback

“I know when we’re busy, our 1:1s can take a back seat to free up time for client meetings, but they’re important for my progression and development. Can we try to rearrange our discussions rather than cancel them outright?”
‍

Category #7: emotional quotient (EQ) & empathy 

Positive upward feedback

“Since I came back from parental leave, you’ve been so understanding about my schedule — especially when things come up last minute. That flexibility and trust have made it a lot easier for me to come back to work without feeling awkward or like I’m letting anyone down.”
‍

Constructive upward feedback

“When I raised a concern about exceeding our budget yesterday, your response came across as a little dismissive. I know it was probably unintentional, but instances like that are discouraging and make it harder to speak up in the future.”
‍

Category #8: workload & resource allocation 

Positive upward feedback

“Thanks for checking in on me last week. I was feeling overwhelmed by my to-do list, and it really helped that you noticed and moved some deadlines around to give me more time.” 
‍

Constructive upward feedback

“I’ve been finding it hard to wind down after work recently, as we’ve had a lot of urgent tasks come in quite late in the day. Can we set clearer expectations around our working hours to help us set boundaries while making sure we still deliver great results?” 
‍

Category #9: change management 

Positive upward feedback 

“I appreciate how patient and hands-on you were in helping me figure out the best use cases for our new AI performance management tool. Your support helped me feel more confident using it and allowed me to better understand its value.”
‍

Constructive upward feedback 

“After we automated our HR reporting processes, I feel like the team was expected to get up to speed quite quickly without much time factored in for learning. Next time we change a process, could we organize a one-off workshop or write up a how-to deck to make the transition smoother? I’d be happy to take the lead.”
‍

Category #10: conflict resolution 

Positive upward feedback

“Thanks for stepping in to diffuse the tension within our team this week. Your ability to quietly intervene and address the issue early stopped things from escalating and helped the atmosphere return to normal.”
‍

Constructive upward feedback 

“When our client shared some really sharp, critical feedback, I knew it was based on a misunderstanding, but I didn’t feel fully supported by you. A bit of neutral support to clarify the situation would have made me feel psychologically safer and more confident explaining the mistake.” 
‍

Category #11: alignment with values & goals

Positive upward feedback

“I really admire how you’ve been making decisions that reflect our company values recently, particularly changing our recruitment policy to embody our DEIB principles. It reminds me why I’m proud to work here and makes me feel like our organization is doing something authentic and meaningful.”
‍

Constructive upward feedback 

“Our team’s focus on speed and efficiency sometimes seems at odds with the level of quality and care we value as an organization. What do you think about implementing measures to ensure we don’t compromise our standards?”
‍

How to manage the upward feedback process

Managing the upward feedback process properly, ensuring a structured process, maximizes its impact. As Rachel Bosch, Founder of Fringe PD, pointed out: “Unfortunately, most organizations aren’t set up for people to provide feedback to those who manage them or are their peers.” 

There are two key things that companies can do to build the foundation of a successful upward feedback process: 
‍

1. Ensure the psychological safety of team members

Upward feedback works best when it functions as part of a broader cultural commitment to open communication. In an environment that normalizes regular, structured feedback and offers employees at all levels the chance to contribute, team members are far more likely to feel secure sharing their insights without fear of judgment or retaliation. 
‍

2. Leverage purpose-built feedback tools

Harness the power of purpose-built tools like Instant Feedback, which allows lower and mid-level employees to promptly and confidently share their input in a professional virtual environment. Similarly, Leapsome Reviews can efficiently facilitate upward feedback as part of a broader performance review — this module encourages engagement, and foster accountability. Our Reviews module enables businesses to build bespoke upward review processes for individual teams, with access to feedback templates for guidance and people analytics that enable managers to spot trends and take meaningful action.
‍

Make upward feedback work for you with Leapsome

When used properly, upward feedback is a powerful tool that helps leaders grow and galvanizes employees by giving them the chance to advocate for positive change that can impact the everyday reality of their roles. 

With Instant Feedback, professionals at all levels are equipped to deliver feedback in real-time, removing barriers to transparency and helping to foster a culture of continuous development. Instant Feedback can also be used in tandem with Leapsome Reviews, which empower organizations to build custom upward feedback processes, and swiftly implement them company-wide so they can truly reap the benefits. This module not only automates feedback collection to maximize uptake, but also ensures insights are as unbiased as possible and identifies patterns in manager performance that can be used to inform leadership development goals.

‍Ultimately, the right solutions can transform upward feedback from useful commentary to actionable insights that can inform leadership development frameworks.

💪 Employee feedback makes for great leaders

Give professionals the tools they need to share valuable upward feedback in real time, with Leapsome Instant Feedback.

👉 Book a demo