Read more about the article Leadership Feedback: 3 Powerful Ways to Uncover Blind Spots and Accelerate Your Growth

Leadership Feedback: 3 Powerful Ways to Uncover Blind Spots and Accelerate Your Growth

In my years as an executive coach, I’ve worked with many leaders – some at the top of their field, others newer to their roles – who have one thing in common: something, often invisible, is holding them back from reaching their full potential. Sometimes, it’s a habit, a belief, or simply a blind spot they can’t see on their own.

Take a moment to think about the best leader you’ve worked with. What set them apart? Was it their infectious optimism, the way they united people behind a vision, or how they encouraged you to stretch well beyond what you thought possible?

That’s the kind of leadership we remember. But here’s the truth I often see: even the most admired leaders still have room to grow. What distinguishes the best isn’t perfection – it’s their willingness to keep learning and evolving.

Sometimes, areas for improvement are readily apparent, but more often, they’re hidden, yet impacting everything from team morale to business results. The good news? Being curious and willing to listen, you can uncover those blind spots and use them to drive your personal growth.

So, where are you now in your leadership journey? Are you actively seeking feedback, or maybe you’ve received some surprising comments you’re not sure what to do with? You may sense there’s more you could be but haven’t quite figured out what’s standing in your way.

Here’s what I’ve learned: introspection matters but real progress begins when you invite feedback from others—the people who see you lead every day. That’s where fundamental transformation starts.

Blind Spots:  Hidden Opportunities for Leadership Growth

Blind spots are just parts of ourselves we can’t see. I’ve worked with leaders who thought they were being crystal clear but whose teams felt uninformed. Others considered themselves decisive but were seen as impulsive by some colleagues. Recognising these gaps in perception is the first step to becoming an even stronger leader.

Research from the Center for Creative Leadership shows that most leaders – at least half – have one prominent blind spot affecting their work (CCL, 2020). So, you are not alone in this journey of self-discovery and growth!

Korn Ferry categorises blind spots into three buckets: trouble connecting with others, difficulty inspiring or developing people, and having a narrow focus rather than seeing the big picture. No matter where your blind spot lands, recognising it is already a leap forward.

If you want to keep growing – and help your team do the same – the most effective move is to ask for feedback from those who work alongside you every day.

The Power of 360-Degree Feedback

So, how do you uncover what you don’t know? That’s where 360-degree feedback comes in. It’s one of the most powerful tools I use with my clients. By gathering insights from your direct reports, peers, manager, customers and others, you gain an honest and empowering picture of your leadership impact.

The Johari Window is a great model for this: it’s a four-box model that reminds us that others may see aspects of ourselves that we haven’t recognised yet. That’s why feedback is so powerful -it uncovers your hidden strengths and blind spots.

Three Proven Ways to Gather Leadership Feedback

Here are three proven methods I recommend to the leaders I coach:

  1. Online 360 Surveys: These confidential surveys let colleagues rate you on key leadership behaviours and share anonymous comments. Because it’s safe and private, the feedback is often candid, giving you invaluable insights.
  2. Stakeholder Interviews: You can have a coach conduct one-on-one interviews with your team members, peers, and managers. The stories and suggestions that emerge can be eye-opening, and more nuanced than the results of surveys.
  3. Enlist a Buddy: Choose one or two trusted colleagues to observe you during meetings or crucial moments and give you their honest impression afterwards. A supportive partner can help you spot your routine habits, celebrate your strengths, and make steady progress in a low-pressure way.

How to Turn Leadership Feedback Into Action

Getting feedback is just the first step. Look for patterns in the data: What strengths do people consistently mention? Where are your opportunities to improve? Then, act on what you find.

Pick one or two areas to focus on and build a specific plan to advance your capability. And remember, asking for feedback is a hallmark of leaders who are committed to growth – for themselves, their teams, and their entire organisation.

Ready to discover what’s been holding you back, and what’s possible when you move past it? Dive into 360-degree feedback and watch your leadership flourish.

Continue ReadingLeadership Feedback: 3 Powerful Ways to Uncover Blind Spots and Accelerate Your Growth
Read more about the article Proven strategies for success after receiving 360 feedback

Proven strategies for success after receiving 360 feedback

Now you’ve had your 360 feedback, how do you feel about it? Content? Elated? Disappointed? Whatever you feel, hopefully you received it well, meaning that you engaged in thoughtful conversation with your feedback coach and considered what you would do with the data.

Of course, you want to know how people rated you and whether you agree with them. But, what about your raters – what’s in it for them?

Everyone involved has an interest in the outcome, and some will be looking for a payoff from the effort they put into responding to your 360 survey.

  • One person may simply have a genuine desire to help you grow professionally. Another may be hoping you make a change in the way you work.
  • There could be a colleague who wants you to collaborate more with their team, or a direct report who wishes you would speed up your decision making.
  • Then, there’s your manager who has to deliver a business goal and needs you to prioritise your work in support of that objective.

Here are three things you can do with your stakeholders’ expectations in mind.

1. Look as Deep as Possible

We don’t get 360 feedback too often, so look as deep as possible. Explore the data, dive in, and consider every angle.

Think about all the people who rated you. What do they appreciate about you? What would they like you to do differently? If you are not clear on the meaning of anything in your report, take action to understand it:

  1. Start by examining the key messages and write them down on post-it notes.
  2. Sort the notes according to what’s important to address and what’s not.
  3. Prioritise the important items and think who could shed light on what they really mean.
  4. Set up times with two or three people who know you well to seek their input.

Remember you are on a mission to maximise your self-awareness, so overcome any temptation to justify yourself or blame your circumstances. In other words, don’t be defensive!

2. Follow Up with Your Raters

At the very minimum, thank all your raters for completing the 360 survey. Even better, tell them how useful the feedback has been and open up to them on the key themes and what you plan to work on. Being seen to take it seriously has significant benefits:

  • Your raters will feel rewarded for their effort and be likely to support you in the future.
  • People will more easily notice the improvements you make if they know what you are working on.
  • You will be a role model for others in self-development.

Ask those close to you for some suggestions on how you could be more effective. For example, if you have a difficult message to deliver to your new team, check in with someone who knows you (and them!) for ideas for the best approach.

Enlist an unofficial coach or mentor to help you monitor your progress. The colleague who sits quietly while you address the board on your proposed digital strategy could be your ‘eyes and ears’ on how well your presentation was received.

3. Leverage Your Strengths

Look at your feedback for what it is. Check the balance of positive and negative. Think of it this way, the positives tell you what to keep doing, the negatives tell you what to stop doing.

It’s tempting to go straight for negative messages, and even get stuck on them! But go easy on yourself. No one is good at absolutely everything. What matters is having the right balance of skills for the demands of your job. And, of course, managing any weaknesses that could get in your way.

If you want to excel as a leader, you need to fully understand your strengths and use them wisely. A Gallup survey found that simply knowing your strengths can boost your productivity by almost 8%. Imagine what you can do if you really put them to work.

So study your 360 report to identify which skills people have rated the highest:

  1. Make a list of your top ten.
  2. Recall how you used them when you were at your very best.
  3. Make a note of opportunities to apply them in the coming days and weeks.

Why are your strengths so important? We know from our 360 database that the most successful executives have five to seven strengths that rate in the top 10% compared to all other leaders.

Final Thought

A focus on raising your performance in a critical area of capability from talented to outstanding involves a personal vision of excellence and a commitment to continuous improvement… and this takes your development plan to a whole new level!

Continue ReadingProven strategies for success after receiving 360 feedback
Read more about the article 3 Ways to Maximise the Benefit from your 360 Degree Feedback Report
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3 Ways to Maximise the Benefit from your 360 Degree Feedback Report

So you have participated in a 360 degree survey on your leadership skills, several people who know you well have rated your skills and you are ready to receive the feedback.

Well, are you? Ready, that is?

Maybe you’ve had feedback before and you know the drill. You’re going to sit down with a feedback coach and go over the results in your 360 report. Which of the following describes what you are feeling right now?

  • “Hopefully there won’t be any surprises and I can get back to work.”
  • “I need to find something to work on in time for my review with my manager.”
  • “I’m intrigued to know if people think I have done well building my team”.

Whatever your thoughts about 360 or your level of motivation to receive and act on feedback, there are career-building opportunities in your report. You just have to find them!

Look for Key Themes

What trends are you seeing in the data? Do people see you stronger strategically or operationally? How’s your ability to motivate others? Is there a perception you step up to conflict or shy away from it?

  • Look at the pattern of scores. Understandably, higher scores concentrated on a few skills will be evident for a linear career in one discipline, whereas a broader spread will result from a variety of diverse jobs and assignments.
  • Pay special attention to the highest rated items, say your top five or six. They sum up your ‘personal brand’ and are vitally important. Having the right strengths will open doors for you to new opportunities.

What do these themes say about your performance in your current role and the implications for your next move or future career?

Are you seen the way you want to be seen? What do you need to address to get you from here to where you want to be?

Read the Data

Quantitative data, in the form of actual skill ratings, are very useful. It’s always good to see the numbers! You can compare the highs and lows and see how people view your relative strengths and weaknesses.

High ratings across the board are a good endorsement of your overall ability. If, on the other hand, you have some very low ratings, people are sending a clear message that they want more from you. Don’t ignore them!

Qualitative data in the form of written comments are invaluable. If people acknowledge your strengths and suggest ways in which you could improve, it adds real depth to the feedback.

If this option is available in your 360 survey tool, make a point of asking raters to add comments when you invite them to participate in rating you.

Seek Out Differences

Some differences in the way others see you are to be expected. After all, your raters interact with you in different situations and each one brings their own opinion and perspective. If you have significant variations though, consider why.

First, look for the gaps between your ratings and those of others. This is the real biggie! Do you see yourself the way others do? If there are significant gaps, you could be at risk of seriously over or underestimating your ability.

  • Our 360 database tells us that most people have 3 or 4 blind spots – skills where they rate themselves higher than others do. What matters here is the size of the gap, the smaller the better.
  • On the other hand, hidden strengths are skills others rate higher than you. It can be a nice surprise to know what people value about what you do, especially if they’ve never told you!

Next, look for gaps between your raters or rater groups. Where they exist, explore the reasons.

  • Maybe you show different faces to different people, consciously or not. If people believe you favour some team members over others, think of the implications for your reputation as a leader.
  • If you have big gaps in perception within a group of raters, say your direct reports, think about what you need to do about it.

360 feedback is an excellent way of road-testing your level of your self-awareness.

Lack of self-awareness will inevitably hold you back or could even stall your career. It will certainly limit your ability to coach and develop others, lowering your effectiveness as a leader.

Final Words

Over the last decade we have observed that 360 feedback can have a very powerful impact on people. For some it’s confirmation that they are on the right path, with only a few tweaks needed in their management style.

For others it’s a game changer that offers a roadmap to make real improvements in performance or job prospects, or even rescue difficult relationships with other people.

We like to see 360 feedback as a GPS system for a person’s career. Used properly it will help you reach your destination. Even if it does occasionally tell you to perform a U-Turn at the next opportunity!

Continue Reading3 Ways to Maximise the Benefit from your 360 Degree Feedback Report