Rethinking the 360 Review: Is There a Better Way?

Feb 03, 2025

In today’s leadership landscape, the 360 review is often treated like the gold standard of feedback. It promises insight, accountability, and a full-circle view of how a leader is perceived by those above, beside, and below them.

On the surface, that seems like a good thing. And in many ways, it can be.
But without the right foundation, a 360 review can do more harm than good.

The truth is: A 360 review doesn’t build trust. It measures it.

A 360 review doesn’t build trust. It measures it

It’s often framed as a developmental tool, but at its core, it’s diagnostic. It offers a snapshot of how others currently perceive a leader — not a process for helping that leader grow.

Trust is built in real time — through consistent behaviour, open dialogue, psychological safety, and shared vulnerability. A 360 simply reflects the trust that already exists.

If that trust is strong, the feedback can be honest, useful, and well-received.

But if trust is lacking, the data can be politicized, emotionally loaded, and even damaging — turning what should be a developmental tool into a source of confusion, resentment, or emotional fatigue.

That’s why a 360 should never be the first step. It should come after trust has been cultivated — used to deepen awareness and reinforce growth, not to “fix” what hasn’t been addressed in conversation.

The Intended Purpose of a 360 Review

When used strategically, a 360 can:

Enhance self-awareness by comparing internal and external perceptions
Uncover blind spots that affect leadership effectiveness
Provide balanced feedback from a range of perspectives
Guide development priorities with input from across the organization

When the conditions are right, it can be a powerful catalyst.

But too often, organizations treat it like a shortcut to culture change or a quick fix for leadership issues.

It’s not. It’s just a tool — and tools are only effective when used with care, context, and competence.

When a 360 Review Backfires

Drop a 360 into a low-trust culture, or give it to a leader who isn’t emotionally prepared, and it stops being developmental. It becomes a psychological ambush.

Even the most confident, competent leaders can be shaken by 360 feedback. The combination of anonymity, perceived criticism, and an overload of data can create defensiveness, overwhelm, or withdrawal.

From a neuroscience lens, this is predictable.

When feedback feels like a social threat, the brain triggers a cortisol response, activating the limbic system. That stress response hijacks the prefrontal cortex — impairing empathy, reflection, and problem-solving.

Instead of curiosity, you get protectionism. Instead of growth, you get guardedness.

It’s not uncommon for individuals to feel:

Defensive
Disheartened
Disconnected

Instead of “What can I learn?” the focus becomes “Who said this about me?”

And in workplaces where direct communication is avoided, the 360 becomes a proxy for honesty. Rather than fostering clarity, it can reinforce secrecy, passive conflict, and eroded trust.

The Bias Behind the Numbers

Although the 360 process aims to be objective by gathering multiple perspectives, every rater brings their own personal lens. Their feedback is shaped by:

Their experience with the leader (which may be limited or emotionally charged)
Their expectations of what leadership should look like
Their communication preferences and workplace values
Their own goals, frustrations, and insecurities

In other words, 360 data isn’t a mirror — it’s a collage. It’s a human, subjective collection of experiences and perceptions filtered through emotion and context.

That doesn’t make it unreliable — but it does mean we need discernment, not just data. Without strong facilitation and reflection, the feedback can be misleading, misunderstood, or misused.

The Myth of Linear Improvement

One of the most common (and flawed) assumptions is this:

"If we identify the gaps between how a leader sees themselves and how others perceive them, and close those gaps, performance will improve."

It sounds logical. But leadership doesn’t work that way.

Context matters. Culture matters. So do stressors, dynamics, and system-level issues. Performance isn’t always a reflection of perception — and perception isn’t always a reflection of truth.

Using a 360 to fix perception gaps without exploring deeper contributing factors is like patching up water leaks in a ceiling without ever inspecting the plumbing behind the walls. You might stop the dripping temporarily, but the root issue remains hidden — and will likely return, or cause even bigger problems down the line.

Real growth requires depth, not just diagnostics.

Real growth requires depth, not just diagnostics.

The Performance Review Parallel

This same principle applies to many formal performance reviews. They’re often treated like pivotal moments — but in isolation, they rarely drive meaningful change.

If the review is strong, the leader gets a dopamine boost — a short-term motivator that doesn’t necessarily lead to long-term development.

If the review is poor, cortisol spikes. The leader may feel anxious, disheartened, or disengaged — not motivated.

Performance reviews often measure outcomes without addressing what’s shaping them.

Just like the 360, the review isn’t where the real work happens.

It’s the day-to-day support, real-time feedback, context-rich conversations, coaching, training and culture that make the difference.

Emotional Intelligence Before Exposure

One of the most emotionally intelligent ways to use a 360 is to delay it.

In my coaching practice, I begin with the EQ-i 2.0 Leadership assessment. This is a powerful tool that helps leaders understand their emotional emotional intelligence competencies, benchmarked against other leaders. It allows the leader to reflect privately, understand their patterns, and begin developmental work in a psychologically safe, private space.

It invites reflection before exposure. It helps leaders understand their patterns and strengths — before hearing how others experience them.

This approach aligns with the brain's capacity for neuroplasticity — its ability to form new neural connections through practice, reflection, and reinforcement. By building awareness and resilience first, leaders are better equipped to process 360 feedback with openness rather than reactivity.

Once leaders have had time to process their EQ insights, and begin working on their development, then we consider a 360.

At that point, the leader is better resourced, more resilient and ready. Not just to hear - but to work with it, without internalizing it as shame or failure.

Real Feedback Happens in Real Time

What if we didn’t rely on formal 360s as our only mirror?

What if we created cultures where feedback is:

Feedback is normalized, not feared
Ongoing, not episodic
Shared directly, not anonymously
Framed as a gift, not a threat
Anchored in emotional intelligence and trust

In this kind of environment:

Leaders are approachable and model vulnerability
Conversations are safe, people talk to each other rather than about each other
Coaching is proactive, not reactive
Development is human

When this kind of culture is in place, a 360 is no longer a wake-up call.
It becomes a reflection of what’s already in motion.

Use the 360 Strategically — Not as a Substitute

To be clear: I’m not anti-360.
I use them. But I use them strategically and carefully.

In my work, I typically begin with emotional intelligence assessment and coaching.

Only once a leader has built awareness, resilience, and momentum do we introduce a 360 — to validate progress or deepen insight.

It’s never the first move.
It’s a milestone, not a launchpad. A snapshot, not the story.

Final thoughts …

Feedback doesn’t have to be a surprise.
Development doesn’t have to be dramatic.
And leadership doesn’t have to be lonely.

Let’s build cultures where feedback is part of the rhythm — not an interruption.
Where growth is layered, not rushed.
Where conversations matter more than reports.

And where the 360 — when used — is not a blunt instrument, but a meaningful checkpoint in a much bigger journey.

Don’t wait for a 360 to tell you who you are.

Start building self-awareness and leadership resilience now — with an EQ-i 2.0 assessment and personalized coaching.

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