What is Feedback?

Feedback is empowering your team to ask questions, make suggestions, raise concerns, and/or challenge ideas.

When we look at the leadership of Jesus, we see He allowed people to ask questions, make suggestions, raise concerns, and challenge ideas. An example of this is in the miracle of the centurion’s servant (Matthew 8:5–13; Luke 7:1–10).

In Matthew’s account of this story, a centurion came to see Jesus  to ask Him to heal his paralyzed servant. Jesus offered to go to the centurion’s house to heal his servant. When we look at many of the healing miracles of Jesus, we see that He primarily healed people in person. However, the centurion challenged this idea. He stated, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it” (NIV, v. 8-9).

While he was challenging Jesus, his feedback was not rooted in disrespect. It was against Jewish law for a Jew to enter the house of a Gentile (Acts 10:28). Because of this, the centurion’s concern was likely out of respect for Jesus and Jewish law. The centurion suggested that Jesus simply heal his servant right then and there. 

Jesus didn’t dismiss the centurion’s feedback. Instead, He received it. Jesus turned to His disciples and stated, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith” (NIV, v. 10). By doing this, Jesus showed His disciples that they could learn from the centurion’s faith. He then turned to the centurion and said, “Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would” (NIV, v. 13). 

It is important to note that the centurion did not correct Jesus or teach Him anything new. Jesus was not wrong for wanting to go to the centurion’s house, nor was He unaware of the authority He had. The centurion simply offered feedback and Jesus received it and used it to teach His disciples about faith (v. 10-12). 

As Christian leaders, we aren’t perfect. We don’t know everything like Jesus. If He could receive feedback, then so can we. Just as the centurion’s faith taught the disciples, your team can likely teach you something. 

Think about it: Is your team empowered to ask questions, make suggestions, raise concerns, and/or challenge ideas? How would you answer that question? How would your team answer it?

A Leader Worth Imitating, Principle 19: Feedback