Today I wanted to explain a little more in detail on the Leadership Circle Profile 360 Assessment tool that we use in our coaching practice and one that factors into it a critical element that many leadership assessments miss.
There is no question that we practice in a feedback rich environment.
Unlike CEOs of large corporations who often find themselves living in a bubble and isolated from useful feedback because of the enormity of their organizations, as healthcare clinicians, we benefit from the smaller size of our practices.
Feedback is readily available to us. Because we have no hierarchical structure through which feedback is filtered and diluted before it reaches us, we can benefit from this wonderful source of information.
Hogan and Hogan’s study1 reported in the International Journal of Selection and Assessment claims that one of the best and most reliable indicators of leadership effectiveness is feedback received from direct reports (i.e., our staff).
Yet we find that, too often, we turn our backs or disregard this vital and readily available information.
How can we possibly know that we are being effective leaders unless we ask those we lead?
Every executive coach knows to ask their client for feedback so we can become the best possible coach for that client. The same should be true for leaders.
Not everyone responds to a cookie cutter approach to coaching or leadership. Leadership must be nuanced to fit the needs of the followers.
This is not to say that leaders must be chameleons and change their identity to meet the needs of others. In fact, our authenticity plays a vital role in our ability to lead. What we are proposing here is that leaders become agile enough to try different authentic approaches to leading others.
Every doctor will greatly benefit from unfiltered feedback, however, some doctors may have issues that prevent them from receiving honest and unfiltered feedback if they have not created a psychologically safe culture in which staff members can speak openly without fear of reprisal. Unfortunately, they may never receive this vital feedback.
So, how do they know if they are leading effectively or what needs to change if their leadership is lacking?
Line of Sight Coaching utilizes what we believe to be the best possible leadership assessment available today.
The Leadership Circle Profile 360 is a scientifically based assessment that has been shown to highly correlate with leadership effectiveness. It is an assessment tool, we are both certified to deliver.
The Leadership Circle 360 Profile assessment not only has the doctor conduct a leadership self-assessment, but the staff and other practice stakeholders complete their own assessment of the leader’s capabilities.
The resulting data gives the doctor a bird’s eye view of their leadership, as seen through the eyes of those they lead.
The results offer both quantitative data and qualitative information, derived from the assessment and written testimony by the evaluators. Most importantly, the evaluators responses are anonymous so there is no fear of providing honest feedback.
For those truly interested in becoming the best leaders possible for their practice, the information a Leadership Circle 360 Profile can provide is invaluable.
Coaches will often zero in on those areas that indicate significant differences between the doctor’s self-evaluation and the staff’s anonymous evaluation.
These areas of discrepancy are often caused by blind spots or self-limiting beliefs that are unknown to the doctor, yet they significantly diminish our ability to lead effectively. Once these limiting factors are uncovered, the doctor, in conjunction with their coach, can develop a leadership development plan that addresses these areas and design corrective behaviors that are nuanced to fit the doctor’s specific leadership style.
The benefits of becoming a better leader are significant.
Numerous studies have shown that well-led practices are:
- More productive and profitable.
- Attracting and maintain the very best staff.
- Create strong cultures that endure and serve as a sustainable competitive advantage in the healthcare marketplace.
If you are interested in having a better practice, one that brings you joy, fulfillment, and the lifestyle you desire, please contact us with any questions you might have regarding this valuable tool.
We offer a complimentary discovery session and can review the benefits of a Leadership Circle 360 Profile and how it can help you. Click here to book your session today.
1 Hogan, R., & Hogan, J. (2001). Assessing Leadership: A View from the Dark Side. International Journal of Selection and Assessment, 9, 40-51.

Dr. Joel Small and Dr. Edwin McDonald, the founders of Line of Sight Coaching, are dental practitioners, authors, speakers and Business Leadership Coaches who work with healthcare professionals to help them build more successful practices so they can live the balanced life they seek.
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