The question every innovation leader should grapple with is, “How am I doing?”

Sure, you’ve got key performance metrics like revenues and market share that you can use and are also used by analysts and investors to judge your performance. And of course the one metric that matters more than any is profitability (or for a startup, expected profitability).

But what about the intangibles?

What about employee engagement, or the values of both your brand and the brand of the organization? How can you evaluate your own performance in these bellwether areas that so often herald what the future holds?

How about inspiration, connection, adaptability, and respect? How do you gauge your effectiveness as a leader in those critical areas of the LeaderLogic Model?

One of the most common tools is the 360 review.

In everyday practice, the 360 review (the “360” refers to the number of degrees in a full circle, as in “from every direction”) is a feedback opportunity enabling a group of coworkers to provide comments and opinions on a colleague’s performance. The feedback is generally requested by the manager to whom the employee reports. Coworkers who participate in the 360 review usually include several peers, reporting staff, the boss, and functional managers with whom the employee works regularly. The 360 review focuses less on outright job performance and goal meeting and more on the skills and contributions that an employee makes to the team’s or company’s progress.

360 Review for the Innovation Leader

If you’re an innovation leader, it works the same way, with the obvious difference that you’ll have relatively fewer superiors participating (or if you’re the owner of the company, even no superiors) and more employees. It’s a process in which you evaluate yourself on a set of criteria, and then other participants—including board members and even members of your family—will evaluate you. Upon completion of the assessment, you’ll receive a gap analysis detailing how you perceive yourself versus how others perceive you.

Hopefully, your own assessment of your performance and character attributes will be in alignment with what others think about you!

If it’s in a survey form, the 360 review will include a set of statements that the respondent is asked to grade on a Likert scale, which usually comprises five choices for agreement or disagreement:

1 = Strongly disagree.

2 = Disagree.

3 = No opinion or moderate agreement.

4 = Agree.

5 = Strongly agree.

Statements to which you’re asked to respond may include these, which are in alignment with the LeaderLogic Model:

INSPIRE

• Understands and embodies the organization’s mission and values.
• Displays confidence when presenting ideas or expressing opinions to others.
• Leads with an authentic leadership style.
• Is present and accountable during times of crisis or transition.

CONNECT

• Proactively reaches out to peers and subordinates for feedback and to share information.
• Looks at situations from multiple viewpoints in order to gain perspective.
• Communicates openly and honestly with peers and subordinates.
• Offers employees challenging learning situations, specifically to build skills and produce bottom line results.

ADAPT

• Takes reasonable risks in order to improve the company.
• Makes a decision that might be unpopular if it is in the best interest of the company and its mission.
• Prioritizes company growth and explores new ideas for organizational development.
• Looks for new ways to achieve a competitive advantage in current business practices.

RESPECT

• Develops trust with employees and fosters trust among employees and between teams.
• Listens carefully to others to understand their needs and concerns.
• Demonstrates competence and credibility in his or her area of expertise.
• Attracts and retains top talent.

The goal? To ensure that you and your team are aligned with the organization’s mission and are focused squarely on winning the innovation race.