360 reviews for executives
The more authority someone has, the fewer people are willing to tell them the truth — and the more a blind spot costs when it's wrong. That combination is exactly why executive 360s matter more, and are harder to run well.
At the top, feedback gets filtered through politics, deference, and self-preservation. Anonymity is what makes it usable.
Why a 360 matters for executives
Candor is scarce at the top
People manage up. An executive's read on how they're landing is often the most distorted in the building, precisely because so few will risk correcting it.
Blind spots scale with authority
A manager's blind spot affects a team; an executive's affects a strategy, a culture, and everyone downstream of both. The stakes on getting it seen are higher.
How they show up in the room is the job
For senior leaders, presence, decision-making, and how they handle disagreement often matter more than any single deliverable. Those are exactly what a 360 measures.
Questions worth asking
- 01When this leader is in the room, does it become easier or harder to say what you actually think?
- 02How does this executive handle disagreement — do they invite it or absorb the room toward their view?
- 03Where is this leader's judgment strongest, and where does it get ahead of the evidence?
- 04Does this leader's stated priorities match where their attention and questions actually go?
- 05What does this leader need to hear that people are unlikely to tell them directly?
Common pitfalls
Only including people who report up
Direct reports alone will be careful. Include peers and, where it fits, board members or key partners for a fuller, less deferential picture.
Letting the feedback stay abstract
Senior 360s drown in adjectives. Push for specific moments and behaviors, not 'visionary' or 'needs to communicate more' — vague feedback can't be acted on.
FAQ
Who should be included in an executive 360?
A mix that isn't all subordinates: direct reports, peer executives, the person they report to, and sometimes board members or close external partners. The peer and upward voices are what prevent a purely deferential result.
How do you get honest feedback about a senior leader?
Strict anonymity and enough reviewers that no quote is traceable. If people believe the leader could identify them, they'll soften everything — and the report becomes a comfort blanket instead of a mirror.
Is a 360 useful for a CEO or founder?
Especially so — founders and CEOs get the least honest feedback of anyone. A well-run, anonymous 360 is often the only unfiltered signal they receive all year.
Run a 360 for executives
360Growth turns anonymous feedback into an AI-synthesized Growth Guide in days — not weeks of manual work.