With under a month remaining until the country goes to the polls, we’ve considered what the leaders of the two main parties could learn from their 360 degree feedback reports.
Are there any nuggets of wisdom for Ed Miliband or David Cameron – any hidden strengths to harness or perception gaps to address in order to gain votes and influence people?
The business world widely appreciates the value of 360 degree feedback for developing capabilities and behaviours of leaders. Could it offer similar benefit to political leaders too?
What would Ed and David learn about themselves and how colleagues, peers and voters perceive them if they were to take part in a 360 process? We’ve speculated on this very question – read on to see how they fared.
Steady Ed
We know that Ed Miliband is “tough enough” to be prime minister – he told us (and Paxman) so. Just don’t ask him to take on a bacon sandwich… But what else would his 360 degree feedback report reveal?
His 360 scores would reflect a solid, if not spectacular, performance over the last parliament with a couple of notable strengths and several development areas to focus on.
He’s been commended for his steadying influence and ability to lead change during a difficult period. And he has also won praise for a collaborative style of leadership – these are both good strengths for him to build on.
People were less convinced, though, with his ability to deliver results. Some comments cited a lack of confidence in his policies – particularly in relation to business and the economy.
Ed Miliband_360report.pdf
Consistent Cameron
Eton-educated and with media and banking friends in high places, David Cameron was never likely to be a universally popular prime minister. Five years of austerity won’t have helped that. But he has taken tough decisions and has revived the ailing economy, so what would his 360 degree feedback report reveal?
His 360 report would show a positive overall performance with several areas of strength to harness and a couple of areas where scores are below average and must be addressed.
He’s rated highly for his strong leadership, ability to build a strong team of ministers and deliver results despite the challenges and conflicts of being in coalition.
However, people rated him significantly lower for his lack of a connection with voters and his style of leadership. David Cameron_360report.pdf
References:
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jul/23/ed-miliband-old-new-labour-strategy
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/101913f6-acc1-11e4-beeb-00144feab7de.html
http://www.britpolitics.co.uk/academic-articles-all/evaluating-david-cameron-as-prime-minister
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/59249478-9266-11e4-b213-00144feabdc0.html#axzz3U0JcJ5Xb
*Please note: The contents of both reports are entirely fictitious and have no direct links to Ed Miliband, David Cameron, the Labour or Conservative parties.
