Shakar,

Thank you for your comment and the opportunity to clarify ...

Yes, I agree we aren't in Shangri-La, nor should we ignore the often cutthroat corporate culture if one exists.  It's a shame that a leader's being authentic might be seen as "weakness" or lacking in confidence.

Asking "How am I doing?" would be done with the trusted few the leader originally asked the "What can I do better?" or "How can I improve?" question as a follow up and follow through.

Because of exactly what you point to, many leaders won't take on their own "Leadership 720" exercise as I refer to it in my program because it goes beyond a traditional 360 Assessment.

Most executives prefer to hire a coach or consultant to interview 5 -10 people of the leader's choice and offer who will as the questions I've summarized and offer the leader back the answers keeping the details of the responses confidential.  The leader then chooses to regard (or disregard in some cases) the themes, or overall consensus, his chosen interviewees offer.  I have not had an executive give me the name of a co-worker, friend, family member or boss who he felt would cut his throat given the chance.  So far, the process works very well.

What are your thoughts about how this process would work from your perspective?