How to Get Real Feedback for Leadership Teams: A 360 Approach to 360 Reviews

For leaders to improve, they need feedback from the people they are leading. There's one problem: Direct reports rarely give their bosses honest feedback. In fact, Harvard Business Review cited a study where 80% of employees admitted their boss had faults—ones they openly discussed with each other. But none of them were willing to share that feedback directly with their leader.

I know what you’re thinking: If my leaders were really that bad, someone would speak up, right?

Actually, they won’t. And here’s why.

One: They’re fully aware of the power imbalance. Two: Whether it’s likely or not, they fear retaliation (#corporatetrauma). Three: They don’t want to risk offending the person who makes decisions about their promotions, raises, and their ability to take vacation days.

Peer-to-peer feedback efforts encounter different challenges. Colleagues are often hesitant to give honest feedback due to fear—fear of social rejection, damaging professional relationships, or facing political fallout.

A Case Study and Suggested Approach

These were the invisible roadblocks faced by a group of director- and VP-level leaders at a midsized company. They called me in to help them overcome these challenges and solicit honest, candid feedback for this leadership team.

Their previous attempts to gather feedback, via an in-house survey, produced only surface-level responses. As they reviewed their (very limited) data, they realized there were growth opportunities their team members simply weren’t voicing.

Clearly, administering 360s was the answer. But any tool—360 or otherwise—only works if people actually use it effectively.

So before sending out the platform links, we had to teach everyone how to give, receive, and act on feedback.? Longer story short: we needed to take a 360 approach to administering 360s.

Here's how we did it.

Step 1: Create a Safe and Transparent Process

We introduced the 360-review initiative in a virtual town-hall-style discussion. This allowed us to explain the ‘why’ behind the process, setting the stage for trust and buy-in. To reinforce credibility, we demonstrated the 360 feedback platform. Most importantly, to build a sense of safety and trust, we highlighted the anonymity features. Leaders and employees alike needed to see, not just be told, that their responses would remain confidential.

Step 2: Teach Employees to Give Effective Feedback

Feedback, when done poorly, can be vague, overly negative, or downright mean. To prevent this, we distributed a pre-recorded training module on how to give feedback effectively. Employees were guided on how to be radically candid without being rude. They were also given examples of constructive feedback versus vague, unproductive, or overly critical comments. This training ensured that the feedback leaders received was meaningful, actionable, and aligned with the company’s core values.

Step 3: Prepare Leaders to Receive and Respond to Feedback

Leaders are people too. They have feelings, and yes, those feelings can be hurt. Leaders often struggle with feedback, especially when it highlights areas of weakness. So, before launching the 360s, we conducted training sessions for senior leaders on how to absorb and respond to feedback in ways that were both professional and emotionally intelligent. A key focus was defining retaliation—what it looks like and how to avoid it. We also provided scripts for ways to respond to common scenarios that might arise, as well as real-life examples to help leaders navigate difficult feedback they might receive.

Step 4: Administer the 360 Reviews

With the groundwork in place, we rolled out the 360-degree reviews. To ensure high participation rates, we actively monitored response submissions and sent targeted follow-ups. We nudged individual employees to complete their feedback within the designated 10-day window (#accountability). Waiting for feedback can be nerve-wracking, so we kept communication clear and reassured leaders throughout the process.

Step 5: Host One-on-One Debriefs

After collecting the responses, I met with each senior leader individually to debrief their results. These conversations focused on helping them recognize their strengths and areas for improvement. Feedback—especially critical feedback—can be emotionally challenging, even for the most seasoned leaders. That’s why in these conversations, I allowed as much time as necessary to process emotions.? I wanted to be sure that they acknowledged and worked through their feelings, instead of subconsciously acting out on them with their team.

Step 6: Create Action Plans for Real Change

Feedback without follow-through is useless. To that end, each leader identified 2-3 high-priority behaviors to stop, revise, or adopt. To foster accountability, leaders were required to communicate their key takeaways to their teams. (Not: I know who said what about me. Instead: This is what I’ve learned, and here’s what I’m doing as a result.) This communication is important as it models self-awareness and illustrates each leader’s commitment to growth. Each leader also outlined the specific actions they would take in the next 30 days to address areas of improvement.

Step 7: Host Ongoing Coaching and Accountability Meetings

To ensure sustained progress, I met with each leader weekly for the following month. These sessions allowed us to review their action plans, track their positive behavioral changes, and provide course correction when necessary. Leaders were asked to cite specific instances where they had initiated changes based on their 360 feedback. We reinforced progress, nudged where needed, and celebrated successes.

The Results

The results of the approach used with this specific leadership team were clear:

? We achieved a 90% participation rate from direct reports.

? Each leader left with a well-defined action plan tailored to their specific growth areas.

? 80% of leaders showed observable behavior changes—most in the first week immediately following the 360 debriefs.

Additionally, there was a marked decrease in escalations to HR, signaling an overall improvement in team dynamics and leadership competency.

How You Can Apply this Approach

To get similar results for your leaders, begin by acknowledging that asking direct reports and peers to share potentially unpopular feedback feels is risky to them. Then, take a 360 approach to your 360 reviews. First, educate your audience to address the fears and hesitations surrounding feedback. Second, provide structured training to ensure that feedback is candid while remaining appropriate. Third, build accountability into the process by debriefing with each senior leader and following up in regularly scheduled meetings.?

For a free consultation on how to get feedback for your leaders or team members, reach out to me on LinkedIn.