Recent research analysing 360 degree feedback data from over 11,000 leaders has revealed key insights into leadership effectiveness, and more importantly, ineffectiveness. By examining how individuals scored on a wide range of 360 feedback questions for leadership, the study identified the behaviours most frequently associated with the bottom 10% of performers.
These findings can help organisations refine the questions they include in 360 feedback questionnaires to ensure they are targeting the leadership capabilities that matter most.
What makes a poor leader? Insights from 360 feedback
The analysis revealed a consistent pattern of behaviours and traits among the least effective leaders. The worst leaders, according to their 360 feedback results, tend to:
- Lack energy and enthusiasm: they view new initiatives as burdensome, rarely volunteer, and can drain energy from a team. One leader was described as having the ability to “suck all the energy out of any room”
- Accept mediocre performance: they lower expectations to make targets easier to achieve, following the mantra “underpromise and overdeliver”
- Lack vision and direction: focused only on execution, they struggle when required to navigate ambiguity or chart a new course
- Show poor judgment: they make decisions that others see as misaligned with the organisation’s goals or values
- Avoid collaboration: they act independently, isolate themselves from peers, and fail to tap into the collective strength of the leadership team
- Fail to walk the talk: they set standards but don’t follow them, undermining their credibility and integrity
- Resist new ideas: they reject suggestions from others, preventing innovation and continuous improvement
- Don’t learn from mistakes: rather than reflecting and adapting, they hide failures and brood over setbacks
- Lack interpersonal skills: they may be overly aggressive or emotionally distant, making them hard to work with and unapproachable
- Neglect the development of others: focused on their own success, they invest little in coaching or mentoring their teams
What this means for 360 feedback design
While 360 degree feedback must always reflect the context and goals of each organisation, this research raises an important question:
Should all 360 feedback questions for leadership include some universal elements that reflect the foundations of effective leadership?
It’s clear that certain leadership traits - like integrity, collaboration, and accountability - are critical across sectors, roles, and cultures. Including these core competencies in every 360 feedback questionnaire could ensure you’re not only aligning with organisational strategy, but also protecting against some of the most damaging leadership behaviours.
