Real-world examples of leadership skills feedback in 360-degree reviews

Strong examples of leadership skills feedback in 360-degree reviews (ready to use)

Let’s skip theory and get straight into what people are actually trying to write: clear, specific comments. Below are real-style examples of leadership skills feedback in 360-degree reviews that you can copy and adapt.

Example of positive feedback on strategic thinking and vision

Manager → Senior Leader
“Over the past year, you’ve consistently translated the company strategy into clear priorities for our team. For example, when we shifted focus to customer retention in Q2, you re-organized our roadmap within a week and communicated the ‘why’ in a way that everyone understood. As a result, our renewal rate improved by 11%. One area to build on is involving frontline team members earlier when you’re shaping strategy, so their insights can inform your initial direction, not just the execution plan.”

Why this works: it ties leadership skills to outcomes (renewal rate), gives a concrete example, and includes a respectful growth point.

Example of balanced feedback on decision-making under pressure

Peer → Peer (Cross-functional Leader)
“You stay calm when we’re under time pressure, which helps the rest of us focus. During the October incident response, you quickly pulled the right people into a war room and made a clear call on which customer issues to prioritize. That said, there were a few moments when decisions felt top-down, and some of us didn’t understand the trade-offs until later. Going forward, even a quick 2-minute summary of options and rationale would help others learn from your thinking and feel more included.”

This is one of the best examples of leadership skills feedback in 360-degree reviews because it praises composure while nudging toward more transparent decision-making.

Example of feedback on communication and clarity

Direct Report → Manager
“You’ve become much clearer about expectations this year. The new practice of starting our Monday standup with the three priorities for the week has reduced confusion and rework on the team. I also appreciate that you’ve started summarizing decisions at the end of meetings. One thing that would help even more is sharing written follow-ups after bigger decisions, especially for teammates in other time zones who can’t always join live.”

This kind of comment shows leadership skills in action: structure, clarity, and awareness of a distributed team.

Examples of leadership feedback on coaching, mentoring, and developing others

In 2024–2025, companies are emphasizing leaders as coaches, not just task managers. Many performance frameworks and 360 tools now include specific questions about mentoring and psychological safety, echoing research from organizations like Harvard Business School on the impact of supportive leadership.

Here are several examples of examples of leadership skills feedback in 360-degree reviews focused on people development.

Example of positive feedback on coaching style

Direct Report → Manager
“You consistently make time for my growth. In our 1:1s, you ask questions that help me think through problems instead of giving me the answer right away. For instance, when I was struggling with the Q3 presentation, you walked me through how you’d structure the story rather than rewriting it yourself. That helped me feel more confident and I’ve reused that approach since. I’d love to continue getting this kind of coaching, especially around influencing senior stakeholders.”

Example of constructive feedback on delegation and trust

Peer → Team Lead
“You care deeply about the quality of our work, and it shows in the final results. However, you often jump in to fix details yourself, especially close to deadlines. That can make it harder for others to build new skills and own outcomes. For example, during the April product launch, you rewrote several team members’ work the night before release. Going forward, it would help if you could delegate earlier, set clearer quality standards, and let people iterate with your feedback instead of stepping in at the last minute.”

This is a good example of leadership skills feedback that combines respect for standards with a nudge toward more empowerment.

Example of feedback on building psychological safety

Direct Report → Manager
“I feel safe raising concerns with you, even when the news isn’t good. When I flagged the data quality issues in September, you thanked me in front of the team and helped us fix the problem instead of focusing on blame. That response made it easier for others to speak up, too. One opportunity is to invite quieter team members into discussions more intentionally, maybe by asking for their views in advance or during smaller group settings.”

Psychological safety has become a widely discussed leadership topic, supported by research from sources like Harvard’s Edmond J. Safra Center and similar studies, and it increasingly shows up in 360-degree feedback forms.

Hybrid work and change: modern examples of leadership skills feedback

Leadership in 2024–2025 often means navigating hybrid work, rapid change, and uncertainty. The best examples of leadership skills feedback in 360-degree reviews now mention remote collaboration, flexibility, and communication across distance.

Example of feedback on leading hybrid teams

Peer → Department Head
“You’ve made a real effort to include remote team members. For instance, you switched our weekly check-in to a video-first format and started rotating meeting times so colleagues in Europe and Asia can attend at least twice a month. That’s improved participation and reduced side conversations in the office. One improvement area would be documenting decisions in a central place so people who can’t attend still have the same information, not just what they hear informally.”

Example of feedback on managing change and uncertainty

Direct Report → Manager
“The last six months of reorganization have been stressful, and your honest updates have helped. You’ve shared what you know and what you don’t, and you’ve been transparent about timelines and risks. That openness has reduced rumors and made it easier to stay focused on our work. At the same time, sometimes the volume of updates can feel overwhelming. It might help to group changes into a weekly summary with clear ‘what this means for us’ bullet points.”

This example of leadership skills feedback shows how to acknowledge strong communication while offering a practical tweak.

Example of feedback on resilience and emotional leadership

Peer → Peer (Project Lead)
“You set a steady tone during setbacks. When we missed the initial launch date in March, you didn’t panic or blame anyone. Instead, you calmly walked us through what happened, owned your part, and helped us reset the plan. That helped the team move from frustration to problem-solving. One thing that could strengthen your leadership further is sharing a bit more about how you personally handle stress; modeling that could normalize self-care for the team.”

This type of comment reflects a growing trend: treating emotional intelligence and well-being as real leadership skills, not soft add-ons. Organizations like NIH and Mayo Clinic highlight the impact of stress on performance, which is starting to show up in leadership expectations and feedback.

Examples of leadership skills feedback on inclusion and cross-functional collaboration

Modern 360-degree reviews almost always ask about collaboration and inclusion. Here are more examples of examples of leadership skills feedback in 360-degree reviews that touch those themes.

Example of feedback on inclusive leadership

Peer → Senior Manager
“You’re intentional about hearing different perspectives before making decisions. In the Q1 strategy workshop, you made sure each region had time to share challenges before we finalized priorities. You also corrected a dismissive comment in the moment, which signaled that respect is non-negotiable on this team. A next step could be to track who’s getting stretch assignments and ensure opportunities are distributed more evenly across the group.”

Example of feedback on cross-team collaboration

Manager → Manager
“You’ve become a strong connector between Product and Sales. The monthly ‘voice of customer’ sessions you initiated have helped us spot issues earlier and adjust our roadmap accordingly. For example, your summary of feedback from healthcare clients led us to prioritize accessibility improvements, which contributed to a 9% increase in satisfaction scores. To build on this, consider documenting recurring themes in a simple dashboard so we can track trends over time.”

Example of feedback on conflict resolution

Peer → Peer
“When tensions rise between teams, you’re often the person who steps in to facilitate. During the pricing disagreement in July, you kept the conversation focused on data and customer impact rather than personal preferences. That helped us reach a decision without damaging relationships. One area for growth would be stepping in a bit earlier, before conflicts escalate, and setting clearer ground rules at the start of tough discussions.”

These are the kinds of real examples that bring leadership competencies to life: they describe specific behaviors, context, and impact across teams.

How to write your own examples of leadership skills feedback in 360-degree reviews

Seeing ready-made comments is helpful, but you’ll probably need to tailor them. Here’s a simple way to create your own examples of leadership skills feedback in 360-degree reviews without sounding generic or harsh.

Think in three parts:

1. Behavior
What did the person actually do or say? Focus on observable actions, not personality. For instance, instead of “You’re a natural leader,” try “You stepped in to coordinate the release when the original lead was out, and you kept the team informed every hour.”

2. Impact
What changed because of that behavior? Did the team hit a deadline, avoid a risk, reduce confusion, or improve morale? Being specific about impact makes feedback more meaningful and fair.

3. Future
What should they continue, stop, or adjust? Phrase this as a suggestion, not a demand: “One thing that would make this even more effective is…” or “A next step could be…”.

Here’s how that structure looks in practice:

“When our system went down in May, you quickly organized a cross-functional response team and assigned clear roles (behavior). That helped us restore service within four hours and reduced customer complaints compared to previous incidents (impact). To make this even stronger, consider documenting the playbook you used so others can follow the same approach next time (future).”

This simple pattern will help you generate your own best examples of leadership skills feedback in 360-degree reviews, tailored to your organization and culture.

If you want to go deeper on feedback skills in general, many universities publish guidance on constructive feedback and leadership development, such as resources from Harvard University and similar leadership education programs.

FAQ: examples of leadership skills feedback in 360-degree reviews

Q: What are some short examples of leadership skills feedback I can plug into a 360 form?
Short, specific lines you can adapt:

• “You consistently clarify priorities when scope changes, which keeps the team focused.”
• “You listen carefully before making decisions, but sometimes delay choices longer than needed; setting clearer decision deadlines could help.”
• “You advocate for the team’s workload and push back on unrealistic timelines, which protects quality and morale.”

Q: How do I give constructive feedback on leadership without sounding harsh?
Anchor your comment in facts and shared goals. Use phrases like “I’ve noticed…”, “The impact is…”, and “One thing that would help is…”. Avoid labels like “bad leader” or “not strategic” and describe behaviors instead: “You often cancel 1:1s at the last minute, which makes it harder for me to raise issues early.” This keeps the focus on actions and effects.

Q: Can I use the same example of feedback for multiple people?
You can reuse structure and phrasing, but you should always customize the specifics. Generic, copy-paste comments feel insincere and can damage trust. Swap in real projects, dates, and outcomes so each person’s feedback reflects their actual leadership behavior.

Q: What’s an example of leadership feedback for someone new to managing?
Try something like: “In your first six months as a manager, you’ve created a predictable 1:1 rhythm and regularly ask for input before making decisions. That has helped the team feel heard during a lot of change. A next step is to set clearer performance expectations with each person so they know what good looks like in their role.” This balances encouragement with a concrete growth area.

Q: How often should we collect 360-degree leadership feedback?
Many organizations run a full 360 process once a year and supplement it with lighter, informal feedback throughout the year. The key is giving people time to act on feedback between cycles. Leadership development is ongoing, and examples of leadership skills feedback in 360-degree reviews are most useful when they lead to specific experiments, habits, and follow-up conversations, not just a yearly report.