Byron's Babbles

Isn’t it funny how obvious and oblivious are so close? — Author unknown

So excited to host this guest post from Bill Treasurer about his great new book A Leadership Kick In The Ass. 

Sometimes leaders lose perspective on how they are performing and engaging with members of their team. In these instances, my work with leaders can involve inviting the leader’s direct reports to purposely kick him or her in the keister.

One of the most effective ways of doing this is having the leader go through a 360-degree feedback process, where the people they are leading rate the leader’s style and performance. The raters often include the leader him- or herself, as well as the leader’s boss(es), peers, and direct reports— hence a “360-degree” view.

The feedback uses an anonymous survey consisting of quantitative data and qualitative (open-ended) questions. The idea is that people are likely to give more honest answers if they don’t feel threatened that the leader will retaliate against them for their honesty. 

“A leader’s self-perception can be quite biased, so involving the broader perspective of others can be a useful development tool.” ~ Bill Treasurer 

While 360-degree surveys aren’t perfect, having administered hundreds of them over the years, I’ve seen them result in positive leadership change. Sometimes dramatically so.

To be sure, it takes courage to subject oneself to a leadership 360. The feedback can be raw and hurtful. In rare instances, raters will use the process as a way to get back at a leader they don’t like. But mostly the feedback is helpful, because it allows the leader to illuminate blind spots that may be blocking his or her effectiveness.

To make this exercise successful, leader have to loosen the grip on their need to be right or perfect and admit that they are the main source of their problems and ineffectiveness. This is the courage of capitulation, disarmament, and surrender. Your old ways have lost, and unless you adopt new ways of leading, you will continue to lose over and over again.

“What makes an ass kicking so painful (and useful) is that it shines a red-hot light on the parts of yourself that are holding you back and legitimately need development, often the aspects of yourself that you’d rather avoid or didn’t even know existed.” ~ Bill Treasurer

Think back to the last time you learned a lesson the hard way. How did you react? Did you make changes to become better and stronger? Or did you entrench yourself in the conviction of your rightness?

The journey to the center of one’s self is the most important voyage you’ll ever take. It’s how you become a whole person, truly knowing the full dimensions of your talents, idiosyncrasies, and deepest desires.