Leadership in a Five-Minute Feedback Moment

(Blog #3)

Leadership moments are not always grand. In fact, some of the most impactful moments happen in just five minutes, often when we least expect them. Today, after observing a lesson, I had a short corridor conversation with the teacher. No formal meeting. No written report. Just a moment to connect and offer feedback.

In that brief exchange, I chose to focus on one thing the teacher had done exceptionally well, a small interaction with a quiet student that had clearly made a difference. I named it. I explained why it mattered. I encouraged them to keep building on it.

The response was immediate, a smile, a visible lift in confidence. Later that day, the teacher messaged to say how motivating the feedback had been, not because it was elaborate, but because it was seen.

This reminded me again ………. leadership is as much about noticing as it is about directing. When we take the time to notice what others are doing well, and when we say so clearly, we plant seeds that can grow far beyond that five-minute conversation.

So today I ask:

What small moment of feedback could you give, today, that might stay with someone far longer than you realise?

Sometimes, five minutes is all it takes to change a day, or a mindset.

Mark Pollitt, Founder of Seeds of Knowledge