WRITTEN BY: Tim Windsor & Amanda Macdougall
The best leaders don’t just listen; they act. They process feedback and make meaningful changes. Then, they tell their teams, “This is what I heard, and this is what I’m doing about it.” That’s leadership. That’s accountability.
Let’s face it: mediocre leaders are everywhere and have one thing in common—they avoid the hard truths. They duck feedback, rely only on self-assessment, and stick to comfortable routines. But great leaders? They don’t just tolerate feedback; they crave it. They invite it. They thrive on relentless evaluation because they know it’s the only way to grow, lead, and win.
If you’re unwilling to embrace the truth about yourself, you’re coasting toward irrelevance. And in today’s hyper-competitive, ever-evolving business landscape, irrelevance isn’t just a career-killer—it’s a company-killer. Multi-rater, multi-dimensional feedback is the lifeblood of effective leadership and organizational success. It’s not a nice-to-have; it’s a must-have.
Why Multi-Rater Feedback Should Scare—and Excite—You
Let’s be honest: multi-rater feedback can be terrifying. Not many people enjoy hearing the unvarnished truth about their performance from peers, direct reports, or their leaders. But here’s the deal: the alternative—ignorance—is far worse. If you’re not actively seeking feedback from those around you, you’re flying blind.
And let’s not sugarcoat it: ignorance has consequences. Poor self-awareness leads to stagnation, killing careers, crushing teams, and sabotaging companies. Research published in the Journal of Applied Psychology found that leaders who use Multi-rater, multi-dimensional feedback improve their effectiveness by a staggering 28%.
Feedback isn’t an attack; it’s a gift. It shines a spotlight on the blind spots you’ve been ignoring and gives you the roadmap to fix them. Great leaders understand this. Weak leaders hide from it, convinced their way is the only way. Guess what? It’s not.
Inspires Teams And Their Leaders To Greatness
A Zenger Folkman study revealed that leaders who actively seek feedback rank in the 86th percentile for leadership effectiveness. Those who don’t? The 15th percentile. Read that again. Leadership IQ found that 92% of employees would stick with a company longer if their leaders sought and acted on feedback. When you ask for feedback, you’re not just improving yourself—you’re inspiring loyalty, trust, and engagement across your team.
When did you last ask someone, “What am I doing well? What am I doing wrong?” If it’s been a while, you’re leaving massive leadership potential untapped. Worse, you might unwittingly damage the team you’re trying to lead.
Your View of Yourself Is Distorted—Here’s Why
Here’s a simple truth: how you see yourself isn’t how others see you. Think about your hand. From your perspective, you see a palm. From theirs? The back of your hand. Two entirely different views. If you only rely on your perspective, you’re missing half the picture—or more.
Multi-rater feedback bridges this gap. It gives you an entire vantage point, capturing insights from yourself, peers, direct reports, and leaders. It’s the mirror you need to see not just your palm but the back of your hand, exposing the strengths you’ve underestimated and the weaknesses you’ve ignored.
Here’s the kicker: your strengths aren’t just about you but about how they benefit others. Your weaknesses? They’re not just personal flaws but can be liabilities if you are unaware of them, which can negatively impact your team, organization, and future. Multi-rater feedback lets you see the ripple effect of your actions—good and bad—on the people around you.
Standard Assessments Won’t Cut It—Customization Is Key
Off-the-shelf multi-rater assessments are acceptable—for average organizations. But to build an extraordinary culture, you need tools tailored to your unique challenges and goals. Research from Edge Training Systems shows that customized assessments improve employee engagement with feedback processes by 35%. That’s not a small number.
Generic tools might give you a broad view but miss the most important nuances. Your organization isn’t generic, so why rely on generic tools? If you’re serious about leadership excellence, invest in tools that dig deeper, adapt to your organizational DNA, and provide actionable insights—not just generic observations.
Final Warning: Mediocrity Is a Choice
Here’s the bottom line: great leaders are relentless. They refuse to settle. They embrace feedback, no matter how painful. They engage in multi-rater assessments, no matter how uncomfortable. And they demand accountability, not just from others, but from themselves.
If you’re not using multi-rater feedback to uncover your blind spots and amplify your strengths, you’re choosing mediocrity. And in a world where excellence is the price of admission, mediocrity is a dead end.
So, what’s it going to be? Will you settle for a distorted view of yourself or embrace the hard truths that lead to greatness? The choice is yours. Choose wisely.
