With just over a month remaining in the year, many organizational leaders are already preparing for new team structures and fresh starts in the coming spring.
To ensure a strong start, it is essential to understand how you are currently perceived by your team members—and to begin preparing now. In this article, I introduce a practical way to build confidence as a leader before the new year begins, so you can step into your next role with clarity and credibility.
(CheckPoint360°™ (CP360), introduced below, is conducted entirely online.)
What This Page Covers
- Why now is the right time to understand how your team sees you
- The expectations team members often hold—but managers may not hear
- Seeing your leadership clearly through 360-degree feedback: CheckPoint360°™
- What matters most: what you do after gaining insight
- Take action now—turn awareness into concrete change
- How to create a strong leadership “start dash” next spring
1. Why Understanding “How You Are Seen” Matters—Especially Now
As you lead your team day to day, have you ever found yourself thinking:
- “I’m not sure what my team members are really thinking anymore.”
- “Our one-on-one meetings don’t feel fully aligned.”
In many cases, these feelings stem from a gap between a manager’s intention and how that behavior is received by team members—an invisible gap.
For example:
- A manager believes they are “empowering” their team, while employees feel they were suddenly left on their own.
- A manager believes they are “communicating,” while employees feel explanations are insufficient and unsettling.
These misalignments often occur without ill intent on either side. Yet over time, they can erode trust and engagement.
2. The Expectations Managers Often Don’t Hear Directly
Many managers feel they are already making a sincere effort to engage with their teams. At the same time, team members may be holding unspoken expectations such as:
- “I wish my manager would listen more.”
- “I want clearer direction.”
- “When my strengths are recognized, I feel motivated to do more.”
- “I want an environment where I can ask for help without hesitation.”
Ironically, managers who are conscientious and committed to their teams are often the least aware of how their actions are perceived.
That is precisely why taking time to objectively understand how you are seen can become a powerful catalyst for your next stage of growth.
3. Seeing the “Real You” Through 360-Degree Feedback: CheckPoint360°™
This is where CheckPoint360°™ (CP360) becomes especially valuable.
CP360 collects feedback from multiple perspectives—your direct reports, peers, supervisors, and yourself—to visualize your leadership behaviors. It is not an evaluation tool, but a development-focused assessment designed to support insight and action.
By making previously unseen patterns visible through data, CP360 offers leaders a rare opportunity to recognize blind spots and growth opportunities they may not have noticed on their own.
For details, please visit the dedicated CP360 page via the banner.
4. What Matters Most: What You Do After Gaining Insight
The true value of CP360 lies not in the results themselves, but in how you respond to them.
Kazuko Motoki, founder of ODCatalyst, works as a coach, career counselor, and leadership development specialist, providing ongoing support to help leaders translate insight into concrete behavioral change. CP360 is designed not to end with awareness, but to move decisively toward action.
Whether your goal is to:
- Strengthen trust with your team
- Make one-on-one meetings more effective
- Increase team autonomy and engagement
- Develop the next generation of leaders
Every one of these outcomes begins with the leader’s own awareness and willingness to change.
5. Take Action Now—Turn Insight into Behavior Change
It is easy to reassure yourself that “things are fine for now.” Yet during that time, the gap between expectations and reality may quietly widen.
With CP360, you can clearly identify the difference between how you see yourself and how others experience your leadership—and use that insight to create a practical action plan.
✔ Strengthen trust with your team immediately
✔ Improve one-on-ones and team productivity
✔ Build a reliable pipeline of future leaders
If these resonate with you, delaying action only postpones progress.
Now is the time to take the first step.
6. Creating a Strong Leadership Start Next Spring
As mentioned earlier, next spring you may be welcoming new hires or team members who have transferred into your group. You will once again be called upon to lead—often under high expectations.
To begin those new relationships with trust and credibility, understanding your leadership from your team’s perspective now and making adjustments in advance is one of the best preparations you can make.
Why December Is the Optimal Time to Start
CP360 is a survey designed to generate deep insight, and it requires sufficient time to complete thoughtfully.
- Survey response period: Approximately 1–2 weeks to gather feedback from supervisors, peers, and team members
- Analysis and preparation: An additional 1–2 weeks to finalize and deliver your feedback report
By applying in December, you can receive your feedback in early to mid-January—giving you ample time to reflect, plan, and begin making changes before the new fiscal year gains momentum.
December application → Feedback received in early–mid January
January–February → Action planning and implementation
Spring → Lead your new team with confidence and clarity
Rather than postponing with “I’m fine for now,” why not take action today to make your next leadership opportunity truly successful?
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