Examples of 360 Feedback Questions for Leaders – Learning from the Worst Managers
Designing an effective set of 360 feedback questions for leaders is not just about listing behaviours; it’s about focusing on what truly drives success.
One of the most powerful studies in this space comes from an analysis of over 11,000 leaders published in Harvard Business Review. It identified the “Ten Fatal Flaws That Derail Leaders” , common behaviours that consistently undermine effectiveness. By understanding where leaders fail, we can design better 360 feedback questions that help leaders succeed.
This article converts the lessons learned from the worst managers into examples of 360 feedback questions for leaders that underpin effective leadership and long-term success.
Why the Worst Managers Teach Us the Most
The analysis revealed a consistent pattern of behaviours and traits among the least effective leaders. According to their 360 feedback results, the worst leaders tend to:
- Lack energy and enthusiasm: View new initiatives as burdensome, rarely volunteer, and often drain energy from the team.
- Accept mediocre performance: Lower expectations to make targets easier, following the mantra “under promise and overdeliver.”
- Lack vision and direction: Focus solely on execution and struggle to navigate ambiguity or set a new course.
- Show poor judgement: Make decisions that are misaligned with organisational goals or values.
- Avoid collaboration: Act independently, isolate themselves, and fail to leverage the collective strength of the team.
- Fail to walk the talk: Set standards but don’t follow them, undermining credibility and integrity.
- Resist new ideas: Reject suggestions from others, limiting innovation and continuous improvement.
- Don’t learn from mistakes: Hide failures rather than reflecting, adapting, and improving.
- Lack interpersonal skills: Appear overly aggressive or emotionally distant, making collaboration difficult.
- Neglect developing others: Focus on personal success while investing little in coaching or mentoring.
These insights are invaluable for anyone designing a 360 feedback question set. Instead of relying on generic leadership traits, we can focus on the specific behaviours that represent the opposite of what the poorest people managers tend to do.
Example: Evidence-Based Leadership Feedback Questions
If you’re designing a 360 feedback tool for leaders, the examples below provide a research-informed baseline that works well across different roles and seniority levels. They ensure you cover the most critical leadership behaviours while leaving room to add role-specific or organisation-specific questions where needed.
| Leadership Theme |
Example 360 Feedback Questions |
| Energy & Drive |
- Brings visible energy and enthusiasm to new initiatives
- Creates a sense of urgency and momentum around key priorities
|
| Collaboration & Relationships |
- Builds strong, productive relationships across teams
- Actively fosters a culture of teamwork and knowledge sharing
|
| Openness to Feedback |
- Seeks, listens to, and acts on constructive feedback
- Actively uses feedback to improve personal effectiveness
|
| Inspiring & Motivating Others |
- Communicates a compelling vision that motivates others
- Provides a clear sense of purpose that energises the team
|
| Judgement & Decision-Making |
- Analyses complex issues and makes confident, well-informed decisions
- Demonstrates sound judgement under pressure
|
| Empowering & Delegating |
- Delegates effectively, allowing others to take ownership and grow
- Trusts team members to deliver and supports their success
|
| Strategic Focus |
- Thinks ahead and aligns decisions with long-term priorities
- Connects day-to-day actions to the organisation’s strategy
|
| Handling Difficult Situations |
- Addresses conflicts and underperformance openly and constructively
- Manages challenging conversations with empathy and clarity
|
| Developing Others |
- Supports the growth and success of team members
- Creates opportunities for others to learn and progress
|
| Integrity & Role Modelling |
- Acts consistently with organisational values and commitments
- Builds trust by being transparent, honest, and reliable
|
How to Use These Examples
When designing a 360 feedback question set for leaders, these examples provide a strong, research-linked baseline of leadership behaviours that apply across roles, functions, and seniority levels.
They help ensure your survey focuses on the critical behaviours that matter most for great leadership.
At the same time, the total number of questions leaves space to add role-specific or organisation-specific questions, creating a tool that is both robust and tailored.
Example 360 Feedback Questions for Leaders – Evidence-Based FAQ
Q. What are the best evidence-based 360 feedback questions for leaders?
A. The best 360 feedback questions for leaders focus on critical behaviours linked to effective leadership:
- Brings visible energy and enthusiasm to new initiatives
- Builds strong, productive relationships across teams
- Demonstrates sound judgement under pressure
- Communicates a compelling vision that motivates others
- Acts consistently with organisational values and commitments
Q. Which 360 feedback questions help identify leadership strengths and derailers?
A. The most effective 360 feedback questions highlight both strengths and potential risks in leadership:
- Seeks, listens to, and acts on constructive feedback (addresses resistance to feedback)
- Manages challenging conversations with empathy and clarity (addresses conflict avoidance)
- Connects day-to-day actions to the organisation’s strategy (addresses weak strategic focus)
- Provides a clear sense of purpose that energises the team (addresses lack of inspiration)
- Delegates effectively, allowing others to take ownership and grow (addresses micromanagement)
