Feedforward: A New Tool to Add to Feedback
Leading with Energy and Intention
By Jeff Burstein | Coach
In the rhythm of leading teams through complex and often chaotic environments, we often hear the same refrain: "I'm just waiting for feedback." And as leaders, we get it and are sometimes the target of that refrain. Feedback is essential. It allows teams to improve, align, and course-correct. But in high-velocity, real-world systems, waiting can be a trap. Teams stall. Energy dissipates. Creativity slows. That’s where a new concept from our Qigong Leadership Practice enters the frame: Feedforward.
Feedforward isn’t a replacement for feedback. It’s a companion, a subtle shift in orientation that invites momentum, even while waiting. It asks: What can we move forward now while we wait for input on something else? It allows leaders to guide progress without always having answers in hand.
This is especially powerful in the context of our Qigong Leadership Method at L-EAF.org, which draws from the energy-cultivating philosophy of Qigong. If feedback is the mirror, then feedforward is the light that helps illuminate the path ahead.
To illustrate this, think about the Tesla Valve, a passive one-way valve designed by Nikola Tesla that allows fluid to flow easily in one direction while resisting flow in the opposite direction. It's elegant in its simplicity: no moving parts, just a smart design based on orientation. The very same channel can either accelerate or resist flow, depending entirely on orientation.
Feedback and Feedforward are like that. They're two orientations of the same alignment mechanism. Leaders don’t need a new system, they just need to flip the direction. In Qigong Leadership, we lean into cultivating the Feedforward practice because it helps us redirect energy with intention.
Why Feedforward Now?
Teams today aren’t struggling with effort. They’re swimming in it. What they lack is focused directionality, especially when systems slow down due to wait time, dependencies, or ambiguity.
In our coaching work in the L-EAF Lab, coach Simon and I have seen how feedforward can shift that dynamic in real time. It turns "idle time" into incubation time. It builds leaderful teams who aren’t just task-completers, but energetic navigators.
Two Simple Feedforward Moves Leaders Can Try Tomorrow
Here are two real moves we've used in our coaching that any leader can try:
1. The "What Else Can Move?" Prompt
"While you're waiting on feedback from me about that proposal, what’s something else that could be pushed forward this week?"
This question respects the pause, but doesn’t let it freeze momentum. It gives your team permission and clarity to redirect their energy instead of sitting in stasis.
2. "Show Me Progress When We Meet Again" Invitation
"When we meet again and I give you input on what’s currently blocked, what else can you show me that you kept moving forward in the meantime?"
This one sets an expectation of initiative. It encourages self-leadership and aligns beautifully with our student-led, purpose-driven models in the L-EAF Lab. What could that look like in your organization?
These are Feedforward moments. They don’t pressure; they unlock. And they work because they signal trust and direction, not just oversight.
Why It Matters in a Qigong Leadership Model
In Qigong, movement is medicine. Energy that stays in motion stays alive. Likewise, in leadership and in organization, guiding the flow of energy is often more impactful than managing the outcomes.
Feedforward is how we, as leaders, cultivate alignment through momentum. Not by pushing harder, but by sensing when energy is stalling and giving it a gentle nudge forward. It helps reduce hesitation, bypass bottlenecks, and keep creativity alive even in uncertain terrain.
So the next time your team is "waiting on feedback," try inviting a Feedforward move. Encourage them to move something else ahead. And when you do deliver your feedback, you won’t just be met with completed work, you’ll find a team that’s already moved into what’s next.
That’s Qigong leadership in action: sensing energy, honoring where it is, and inviting it forward with intention.
Want to explore Feedforward and other leadership micro-moves?
Join us at L-EAF.org to learn more about the Qigong Leadership Practice and how our Early Talent Incubator is transforming leadership, one small move at a time.
Jeff Burstein
CEO | Head coach, L-EAF.org