The Real Value of a 360 Leadership Assessment

The Real Value of a 360 Leadership Assessment

At Encountas, we’ve delivered more than 2,000 leadership 360 Assessments across industries and leadership levels. What we’ve learned is simple: while leaders often enter the process with a degree of trepidation, the outcomes are consistently powerful.

It’s natural to feel uneasy. In most workplaces, “not being good at something” is seen as a weakness. Yet the truth is, no leader is flawless. A 360 Assessment isn’t about proving someone right or wrong, it’s about expanding perspective. It provides a mirror: your view of yourself, and how others experience you. Not as a verdict, but as data points that broaden understanding and create a powerful conversation.

‍Why it matters

• Research shows that leaders who regularly seek feedback are 4.6x more likely to be considered high-performing
• Yet only 26% of leaders believe their organisation provides effective feedback channels.

A 360 Assessment experience creates a structured, safe way to bridge this gap, transforming fragmented opinions into objective insight.

‍The Leader Experience

For leaders, the process is personal. Sitting with a coach to unpack the feedback is not about judgement, but about creating clarity and choice. And in many cases, the feedback is on the strengths of the leader. Some participant feedback.

‍“Overall I found the experience enlightening, it gave honest feedback from my peers and managers and gave me an opportunity to self-reflect on a whole new plane.”

“Great experience, it's something different that you'll experience in your working life and you'll find out more about yourself and what you've got, to be a leader in your field of work.”  

‍What makes a powerful 360 experience?

• Setting clear expectations upfront and understanding the “why” it’s important.
• The confidential debrief makes it safe to explore blind spots without fear of consequence.
• Validating strengths that leaders may have underplayed, giving them confidence to lead more boldly.
• Manager alignment ensures that feedback is translated into action, rather than left as abstract commentary.
• Having structured support pathways, such as access to EAP or wellbeing services, means participants know they’re not navigating this alone.

The result? Leaders leave the process, not diminished, but energised, with a clearer sense of how they are seen, where they can grow, and how to align more effectively with those they lead.

‍Leadership Growth

When leaders see their capability set out clearly and concisely, it becomes a scaffold for growth. They begin to understand not only where they excel, but also how their impact lands with peers, teams, and stakeholders. At Encountas, our model focuses on three levels of capability, Achiever (Self), Collaborator (Team), Transformer (Organisation), with a future lens on Community.

The conversations that follow are constructive and motivating. For example

• A leader who rates themselves high in “Strategic Thinking” but is rated low by peers may lack the skill or they may simply not be demonstrating it visibly.
• Leaders receiving feedback can feel defensive. We work on staying curious and seeking clarity before responding. This is a skill that can be used in the future.
• Our favourite is the manager alignment after every debrief. This ensures any differences are clarified and expectations agreed. This creates a clear, practical path forward, whether it’s building capability, creating opportunities to demonstrate skills, or learning to communicate impact more effectively.

‍“I’ve worked with hundreds of leaders using the CircleQ360. Often it’s the first time they’ve received structured, unfiltered feedback from their manager and peers. A chance to hear about what’s really happening –to hear about those things that are often left unsaid.

It can be a moment of clarity and confidence –participants can be clearer about those capabilities they are applying well, and identify those things they may have missed. Most leaders experience a renewed sense of achievement and commitment. For many it can be a positive new chapter in their leadership trajectory.”  

- David Lawson, Encountas Executive Coach

‍Leadership Assessments at Scale

When deployed across an organisation, the CircleQ360 and GovQ 360 Assessments provide organisation-wide intelligence. This enables leadership teams to see patterns and invest where it matters most. Some of the macro insights we’ve uncovered include:

• Collaboration barriers: opportunities for extended cross-team partnerships
• Psychological safety gaps: teams not feeling safe to speak up
• Hidden conflict: unresolved tensions blocking performance
• Engagement risks: factors undermining retention and morale

Scale doesn’t mean sacrificing quality. At Encountas, even in rollouts of more than 2,000 leaders, we keep our coaching and facilitation teams tight and consistent. This ensures insights are cohesive, participants experience continuity, and organisational themes are synthesised with precision.

‍360 Roadmap: Encountas Process

‍1. Launch  

• Kick-off session with all participating Leaders, with the sponsor present
• Establish shared purpose and expectations
• Meet the Team who will support all participants through the experience
• Articulate why the 360 is critical for organisational culture and performance

‍2. Engagement

• Centralised operations via the Encountas Hub (managing all components, limiting the ask on the internal project team)
• Ongoing reminders, follow-ups, escalations and support for participants

‍3. Individual Experience

• Confidential debrief with a leadership/executive coach
• Focus on insights, strengths, development areas and immediate actions

‍4. Manager Alignment

• Triad conversation: Participant, Manager, Coach
• Build curiosity, clarity and alignment
• Align on key priorities, goals, and organisational context

‍5. Organisational Insights

• Synthesis of macro themes across the cohort into actionable strategies
• Lead coach recommendations based on collective observations
• Insights presented to sponsor/leadership team to inform strategy

Do’s and Don’ts for 360 Success

‍DO

• Create a compelling “why” and normalise leadership as ongoing journey (no one is a perfect leader).
• Share the full process upfront, transparency builds trust
• Assure confidentiality of reports
• Provide clear pathways for additional support (e.g., EAP or wellbeing services) if the process raises personal challenges
• Keep coaching teams small and consistent to maintain quality and cohesion, even in large-scale rollouts
• Establish ongoing communities or peer circles to support reflection and growth

‍DON’T

• Release reports before the debrief (context matters)
• Pressure participants to share with Managers or other team members unless it is their choice.
• Underestimate how much time for logistics and engagement into the experience.
• Use assessments as a performance rating tool, it undermines trust and learning
• Engage more than 10 coaches at one time - it dilutes insight and makes organisational themes harder to synthesise.

In short, the true value of a 360 experience lies not in the numbers on a page, but in the conversations, clarity, and alignment it enables. When done well, it builds stronger leaders, stronger teams, and stronger organisations and builds an ongoing culture of feedback.

If you want to learn more about a powerful 360 experience for your leaders reach out to encountas.