The concept of the “distributed self” suggests that our identities and behaviors are shaped not only by our individual traits and characteristics but also by the social and cultural contexts in which we exist. This idea is particularly relevant to the practice of interview-based 360 surveys, as it recognizes that leadership is not just an individual activity but a social one that is shaped by the perceptions and experiences of others. By gathering feedback from a range of stakeholders, interview-based 360 surveys provide a more comprehensive and nuanced view of an individual’s leadership performance, capturing the diverse perspectives and experiences that contribute to their distributed self. This approach encourages individuals to reflect on their impact on others and to develop a more complex and nuanced understanding of their leadership style, ultimately leading to improved performance and greater success in their roles.
The concept of the “distributed self” has its origins in a number of different fields, including social psychology, cognitive science, and philosophy. One influential scholar in this area is the philosopher Andy Clark, who has written extensively on the idea of “extended mind” and the ways in which our cognition is distributed across the external world, including tools, technologies, and other people. Other scholars who have contributed to this area of research include the cognitive scientist Edwin Hutchins, who has studied how social and material structures shape cognitive processes, and the psychologist James Gibson, who developed the concept of “affordances” to describe how the environment shapes our perception and action. Overall, the concept of the “distributed self” is a complex and multifaceted idea that has been explored by scholars across a range of disciplines.