Leaders who work in mid or large organizations have likely been exposed to a 360 review. Colleagues, direct reports, bosses all have the opportunity to share their opinions of the lucky candidate. With all that honest feedback landing in one fell swoop, it sounds like a good day to go back and hide under the covers.
The experience can be emotional and overwhelming, but as a leader this is one of the few times the information you receive will be agenda free and unfiltered. In the case of a 360 review, the feedback is anonymous and although there are exceptions, the feedback is typically a genuine reflection of how the rater views the candidate. The irony is that the real test of honesty is more for the candidate than the raters.
At Sage & Summit, our leadership development philosophy is: Inward – Outward – Forward. The premise is that understanding one’s self is a fundamental building block to being a strong leader. Knowing one’s self is not only understanding yourself, but also understanding how others perceive you.
With a minor twist, we can apply the proverb of the Emperor’s New Clothes to a leader receiving a 360 assessment. If you disregard, or discount the 360 results you are choosing to not see yourself as others do. This is a case of self-dishonesty not far off from the fate of the naked Emperor. Like it or not, others perceptions of you are reality – especially for a leader.
The second level of honesty from a 360 relates to self improvement. As a leader you are committed to continual self improvement. Information from a 360 can provide strong insights into your weaknesses as seen by others, and it can also highlight subtleties of your strengths that you can build on. As the 360 participant the mindset you bring to the party is everything. If you are being honest with yourself regarding continual self improvement the results can be a goldmine to help you make leaps forward. If you prefer to bury your head and discount or disregard the feedback, your self improvement may stall or even retreat.
With the right mindset, the feedback from a 360 review is neither positive or negative, it is the Emperor’s gold that will help you dress up your leadership capabilities.
