If you are a leader looking to grow in your role, the most productive way to supercharge your development is to start by understanding how your colleagues see you.

Many of the senior leaders we coach tell us that receiving this kind of feedback is one of the most game-changing aspects of their coaching journey and leadership growth. Their work reality includes navigating a complex network of relations with their boss, their direct reports, and their peers on the leadership team. What the feedback often reveals is that there is a gap between the way they think of themselves as leaders and how their stakeholders perceive them. This gives them more awareness of how they are showing up on the job and how that impacts team dynamics.

The gap shows them where the opportunities for their development as a leader lie.  

So how does leadership feedback work?

INTERVIEWS WITH A LEADER’S COLLEAGUES

The simplest and sometimes most effective way to get feedback is for the coach to have confidential conversations with all who work with you. Protecting the anonymity of the contributors allows them to share their views more openly, giving us information you normally wouldn’t have access to.

Questions might include:

1. What do you see as the client’s strengths?
2. How would you describe their leadership brand?
3. What would help them be a better leader?
4. If the coaching is successful, what behaviors might change?
5. Is there anything you would share that you won’t say directly to the client?

As your coaches, we summarize the feedback into a themed report that makes it immediately clear what you should focus on to grow as a leader to have the greatest impact on your career and the entire organization. We then work with you to create a development plan, often with 3 key objectives and corresponding action steps. We share the plan with your boss and/or coaching sponsor.

ONLINE 360 LEADERSHIP FEEDBACK

Also confidential, this assessment asks your colleagues to complete an online survey. This tool measures your abilities against a specific leadership model, which might focus on leadership competencies, emotional intelligence, or executive presence. The colleagues surveyed also get to respond to open-ended questions, usually about what you should start doing, stop doing, or continue doing. The responses are then shared with you exactly as they were written.

In this case too, the feedback helps us spot patterns, which then inform your leadership growth plan.

DISCOVERING YOUR LEADERSHIP’S GROWTH POINTS

One of our clients received very high leadership scores from his direct reports. However, he scored much lower with his peers and his stakeholders. Upon reflection, the client realized that he had prioritized his department team over building relationships with the other members of the leadership team. As a result of the input, he now schedules regular meeting with them and understands the importance of forging those bonds to ensure both his team’s success and his own.

HOW TO APPROACH A LEADERSHIP FEEDBACK 

Sometimes the feedback is hard to hear. We find that the more openness and curiosity leaders can bring to this process, the more they are able to shift their behavior and get massive results. Remember, the feedback is an opportunity to supercharge your growth as a leader. Seeking the support of your bosses, peers, and direct reports can ultimately lead to closer, more collaborative work relationships.

Are you interested in developing further as a leader? Are you curious to discover what your growth areas are? If so, give us a call.