7 Best-Selling Feedback Books Millions Love

Feedback Books recommended by Sheryl Sandberg, Hiten Shah, and Daniel Pink offer proven insights for better communication and leadership.

Sheryl Sandberg
Hiten Shah
Daniel Pink
Jeff Kinney
Dux Raymond Sy
Updated on June 28, 2025
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When millions of readers and top experts agree on a set of books, it reveals something critical about the value those works deliver. Feedback remains one of the most vital skills in leadership and personal growth, shaping how teams perform and how individuals evolve. These seven best-selling books have earned their place by offering clear, practical frameworks that readers trust and apply effectively.

Sheryl Sandberg, former COO of Facebook and founder of LeanIn.Org, praises Radical Candor for helping leaders inspire teams to do their best work. Similarly, Hiten Shah, a seasoned startup founder, highlights how this book reshaped his approach to candid communication. Daniel Pink, known for his insights on motivation and work, also recommends Radical Candor for its blend of empathy and directness, reflecting the broad appeal and credibility of this collection.

While these popular books provide proven frameworks, readers seeking content tailored to their specific Feedback needs might consider creating a personalized Feedback book that combines these validated approaches. Such customization helps bridge general wisdom with the unique challenges and goals you face in your Feedback journey.

Best for leadership feedback strategies
Sheryl Sandberg, former COO of Facebook and founder of LeanIn.Org, praises this book for its ability to help leaders build and inspire teams to do their best work. She highlights Kim Scott's insights drawn from her own leadership experience and sharp analysis, noting how they improve leadership and organizational effectiveness. Sandberg's endorsement aligns with the book's widespread acclaim and practical impact, especially for those managing people in tech and business. Alongside her, Amir Salihefendic, founder and CEO of Doist, also recommends the book, underscoring its relevance for leaders seeking to foster candid yet compassionate workplace communication.
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Recommended by Sheryl Sandberg

Former COO of Facebook and Founder of LeanIn.Org

Reading Radical Candor will help you build, lead, and inspire teams to do the best work of their lives. Kim Scott's insights--based on her experience, keen observational intelligence and analysis--will help you be a better leader and create a more effective organization. (from Amazon)

2019·336 pages·Management, Feedback, Leadership, Team Building, Communication

Kim Scott’s decades of leadership experience at giants like Google and Apple culminate in this approachable guide to managing with empathy and directness. You learn how to balance caring personally with challenging directly, avoiding pitfalls like obnoxious aggression or ruinous empathy, which often derail workplace communication. The book breaks down complex interpersonal dynamics into a straightforward framework that helps you build stronger teams and foster honest dialogue. If you want to improve your leadership effectiveness while maintaining genuine respect for your colleagues, chapters detailing the "Radical Candor" approach and its four quadrants offer actionable insights. This book suits managers eager to create a culture where feedback is both candid and compassionate.

New York Times Bestseller
Wall Street Journal Bestseller
Hudson and Indigo Best Book of the Year
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Best for receiving feedback well
Douglas Stone is a principal at Triad, an international corporate education and organizational consulting firm based in Cambridge, MA, and a Lecturer on Law at Harvard Law School. With over twenty years teaching negotiation at Harvard Law School and co-authoring the New York Times Business Bestseller 'Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most', Stone brings deep expertise to this book. His extensive experience working with corporations and families worldwide informs the practical insights and frameworks offered here, making it a valuable resource for anyone looking to better understand and engage with feedback.
2015·368 pages·Feedback, Communication, Leadership, Emotional Intelligence, Organizational Behavior

What started as an exploration of how people struggle to accept criticism became a detailed guide on mastering the art of receiving feedback with openness and insight. Douglas Stone and Sheila Heen draw on fifteen years of experience working with organizations and families to reveal why feedback often feels like a personal attack and offer tools to reframe it constructively. You learn to distinguish between different types of feedback, manage your emotional reactions, and engage more effectively in conversations that shape your growth. Chapters unpack common pitfalls and provide practical approaches grounded in neuroscience and psychology, making this a useful read for anyone navigating professional or personal feedback.

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Best for personal feedback plans
This AI-created book on feedback mastery is tailored to your leadership background and specific goals. By sharing your experience level and the feedback areas you want to focus on, you receive a book that aligns with your unique challenges. Personalizing this learning helps you develop the exact skills needed to communicate effectively and lead with confidence. It’s a focused way to deepen your feedback abilities without wading through unrelated content.
2025·50-300 pages·Feedback, Leadership, Feedback Techniques, Communication Skills, Team Motivation

This tailored book explores the art and science of effective feedback within leadership, focusing on your specific interests and goals. It examines how to deliver and receive feedback in ways that foster trust, inspire growth, and enhance communication. By honing techniques that match your background, it reveals personalized approaches to navigating challenging conversations and motivating teams. This exploration covers foundational principles as well as nuanced communication methods, encouraging leaders to develop authentic, impactful feedback skills. The book’s tailored nature ensures it concentrates on the feedback dynamics most relevant to your leadership context, making the learning experience both focused and highly applicable.

Tailored Guide
Feedback Dynamics
1,000+ Happy Readers
Best for managers coaching teams
What makes "Giving Feedback to Subordinates" distinct is its focused approach on the essential leadership task of providing performance feedback that truly helps your team grow. Published by the Center for Creative Leadership, this compact guide zeroes in on how managers can deliver clear, constructive feedback to those they supervise. It addresses the common challenge of balancing honesty with encouragement, showing you how to give feedback that drives skill development and professional advancement. If you’re responsible for managing others and want straightforward guidance on improving your feedback skills, this book offers proven methods that have resonated with many leaders seeking effective communication strategies.
Giving Feedback to Subordinates book cover

by Raoul J Buron, Dana McDonald-Mann·You?

1999·31 pages·Feedback, Leadership, Performance Management, Employee Development, Communication Skills

Raoul J Buron and Dana McDonald-Mann bring together their leadership expertise to focus tightly on the crucial skill of delivering effective feedback to subordinates. They emphasize how specific, well-timed feedback can help your team members improve performance, acquire new skills, and advance professionally. The book distills these lessons into a concise 31-page guide, ideal for managers who want clear direction without fluff. You’ll find practical emphasis on the content and timing of feedback, making it especially useful if you’re navigating the challenges of developing direct reports within your organization.

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Best for crafting effective messages
Feedback That Works by Sloan R. Weitzel stands out in the crowded field of feedback literature by focusing sharply on how you can construct and present feedback so it’s actually heard and acted upon. Published by the Center for Creative Leadership, this 48-page guide distills essential principles into a straightforward framework for improving your feedback conversations, especially in professional contexts. It addresses a critical but often overlooked challenge: making feedback more than just a routine exchange, turning it instead into a powerful developmental tool. Whether you are a manager or team leader, this book offers clear strategies to help you build your message carefully and deliver it effectively, helping others benefit meaningfully from your input.
2000·48 pages·Feedback, Communication, Leadership, Performance Management, Employee Development

Sloan R. Weitzel challenges the common belief that giving feedback is straightforward by revealing how subtle nuances in delivery shape its effectiveness. Drawing on insights from the Center for Creative Leadership, this concise guidebook breaks down the components of crafting feedback that truly resonates, helping you refine your message to foster growth and understanding. Chapters emphasize clarity, tone, and timing, showing you how to avoid common pitfalls that diminish impact. If you’re looking to improve your communication in professional or developmental settings, this focused volume offers practical methods to enhance how you build and deliver feedback messages.

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Best for turning feedback into change
Joseph R. Folkman’s book presents a practical framework for turning feedback into lasting change, addressing a crucial challenge in leadership and organizational development. It appeals to those looking to deepen their understanding of feedback processes and apply them effectively in their teams and personal growth. The book’s structure, centered around 35 actionable principles, offers a clear path for improving how feedback is given and received. This work stands out for its focus on real-world impact rather than abstract theory, making it a useful guide for anyone committed to enhancing workplace communication and culture.
2006·224 pages·Feedback, Leadership, Organizational Change, Communication, Employee Development

After analyzing countless organizational case studies, Joseph R. Folkman developed a focused guide that breaks down how to convert feedback into meaningful change. You’ll learn 35 distinct principles that clarify why feedback often fails and how to harness it to improve both personal growth and workplace performance. The book benefits anyone from managers aiming to cultivate a feedback-rich culture to professionals wanting to enhance their interpersonal skills. Specific chapters, like those detailing the psychological barriers to accepting feedback, offer practical understanding rather than vague platitudes. If you want concrete insights into feedback dynamics without fluff, this book provides a direct, experience-based roadmap.

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Best for daily skill advancement
This AI-created book on feedback skills is crafted around your current experience, interests, and objectives. By focusing on your specific feedback challenges and goals, it offers a clear 30-day path with daily exercises tailored to your needs. Personalized insights help you build confidence and effectiveness in both giving and receiving feedback, making the learning process relevant and engaging for you. This focused approach ensures you practice what matters most to your growth in communication.
2025·50-300 pages·Feedback, Feedback Fundamentals, Communication Skills, Emotional Intelligence, Active Listening

This tailored book explores a focused 30-day journey designed to elevate your feedback skills through daily, actionable practices. It examines the nuances of both giving and receiving feedback, emphasizing techniques attuned to your unique background and goals. By delving into communication dynamics, emotional awareness, and practical exercises, it reveals how personalized learning accelerates skill development effectively. Your experience and interests shape this book's content, making each chapter resonate with your specific challenges and aspirations. Such customization ensures that you engage deeply with proven concepts, enhancing your ability to foster productive dialogues and improve relationships in personal and professional settings.

Tailored Guide
Feedback Skillbuilding
1,000+ Happy Readers
Best for continuous feedback use
Ongoing Feedback: How to Get It, How to Use It offers a focused approach to mastering the continuous feedback process vital for leadership growth and career transitions. Produced by the Center for Creative Leadership alongside Karen Kirkland and Sam Manoogian, this guidebook distills the essentials managers need to develop and refine their skills post-training or promotion. With its practical framework, it helps you understand how to solicit, interpret, and leverage feedback to track your progress and adjust your approach. This book is an accessible tool for anyone aiming to embed feedback into their leadership practice to meet evolving challenges more effectively.
Ongoing Feedback: How to Get It, How to Use It book cover

by Center for Creative Leadership (CCL), Karen Kirkland, Sam Manoogian·You?

2007·21 pages·Feedback, Leadership, Skill Development, Career Growth, Performance Tracking

The methods developed by the Center for Creative Leadership, Karen Kirkland, and Sam Manoogian address a common challenge for managers: how to effectively gather and apply ongoing feedback after a leadership development experience or career transition. This concise guide offers practical insights on developing new skills and honing existing ones through continuous input from colleagues and mentors. You'll find clear guidance on tracking your progress and identifying areas for improvement, making it particularly useful if you've recently stepped into a new role or faced fresh responsibilities. It's a straightforward resource for managers eager to integrate feedback into their growth without navigating complex frameworks.

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Best for improving feedback communication
Patti Hathaway’s "Giving and Receiving Feedback" offers a fresh perspective on feedback as a tool for growth rather than criticism. This revised edition presents a straightforward approach to transforming feedback experiences by removing negative associations and fostering constructive dialogue. The book’s concise format makes it accessible for anyone seeking to improve how they communicate in personal or professional settings. Its focus on practical communication strategies benefits leaders and team members alike, addressing the common challenge of navigating feedback with confidence and respect.
1997·112 pages·Communication Skills, Feedback, Personal Development, Interpersonal Relations, Conflict Resolution

What started as a mission to reshape how feedback is perceived, Patti Hathaway's book dismantles the typical negative baggage around this essential communication form. You’ll gain practical insights into transforming feedback from a source of anxiety into an opportunity for personal and professional growth. For example, Hathaway explores techniques that encourage openness and mutual respect, making it easier to both give and receive feedback effectively. This slim volume is well-suited for anyone looking to improve their communication skills, whether in leadership roles or everyday interactions, helping you navigate difficult conversations with confidence and clarity.

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Proven Feedback Methods, Personalized

Get popular strategies that fit your unique Feedback challenges and goals.

Tailored feedback insights
Practical action steps
Focused learning paths

Trusted by thousands of Feedback enthusiasts and leaders worldwide

Feedback Mastery Blueprint
30-Day Feedback Accelerator
Strategic Feedback Foundations
Feedback Success Formula

Conclusion

This collection of seven best-selling Feedback books highlights several clear themes: the importance of balancing honesty with empathy, the value of mastering both giving and receiving feedback, and the power of ongoing dialogue for growth. If you prefer proven methods, start with Radical Candor and Thanks for the Feedback to build foundational skills. For validated approaches to message delivery and cultural impact, combine Feedback That Works with The Power of Feedback.

For managers specifically, Giving Feedback to Subordinates and Ongoing Feedback offer targeted guidance to enhance team development. Alternatively, you can create a personalized Feedback book to combine proven methods with your unique needs.

These widely-adopted approaches have helped many readers succeed in improving communication, leadership, and personal growth. Whether you're seeking to transform your workplace or enhance your interpersonal skills, this curated list offers reliable paths forward.

Frequently Asked Questions

I'm overwhelmed by choice – which book should I start with?

Start with Radical Candor if you're focused on leadership communication, or Thanks for the Feedback if you want to improve how you receive input. Both provide solid foundations relevant to most Feedback situations.

Are these books too advanced for someone new to Feedback?

No, these books range from introductory to advanced concepts, making them accessible to beginners while still offering depth for experienced professionals.

What's the best order to read these books?

Begin with Radical Candor or Thanks for the Feedback for core concepts, then explore Feedback That Works and The Power of Feedback for practical application and deeper insights.

Do I really need to read all of these, or can I just pick one?

You can pick based on your goals. Each book offers unique perspectives, but reading multiple will give you a richer understanding of Feedback dynamics.

Which book gives the most actionable advice I can use right away?

Feedback That Works and Giving Feedback to Subordinates focus on practical steps you can apply immediately in your communication and leadership roles.

Can personalized Feedback books complement these expert recommendations?

Yes! While expert books provide proven frameworks, personalized Feedback books tailor insights to your unique needs, combining broad strategies with your specific context. Try creating a personalized Feedback book for focused guidance.

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