Under Extreme Ownership, how should a leader handle critical feedback?

• A. Seek feedback only from subordinates.
• B. Decline feedback to maintain confidence.
• C. Welcome critical feedback to improve judgment and mission success.
• D. Feedback is unnecessary if you are confident.

Answer: (C)

Welcoming critical feedback is essential for a leader who practices Extreme Ownership. True ownership means your judgments and decisions are continually tested against reality, not assumed to be correct. By actively seeking and considering critical feedback from diverse sources—subordinates, peers, and superiors—you surface blind spots, validate assumptions, and sharpen your decision-making. This approach strengthens judgment and directly supports mission success, because adjustments happen before small issues become catastrophic, and actions stay aligned with the objective.

Seeking feedback only from subordinates limits perspective and can miss crucial strategic or upstream insights. Declining feedback to protect confidence and treating feedback as unnecessary when you’re confident both undermine learning and allow blind spots to persist. Confidence is valuable, but it doesn’t replace real-time input from others or the evolving nature of a mission.