The use of multi‐source feedback has proliferated in the United States in recent years; however, its usefulness in other countries is unknown. Using a large sample of American managers (n=3793), this study first replicated earlier studies demonstrating that simultaneous consideration of self and other ratings of leadership skills is important for managerial performance ratings. In addition, the impact of self–other agreement on performance was investigated among 2732 managers in five European countries (U.K., Germany, France, Denmark, Italy). Results indicated that the effect of self and other ratings in the prediction of performance differs between the U.S. and the European countries in that the simultaneous inclusion of both self and other ratings is generally less useful in those countries than in the U.S. Further, the effect of self–other agreement varies among the European countries. Implications for multi‐source feedback interventions as well as multi‐national personnel management are discussed.

A study was conducted that examined which managerial skill dimensions were critical for effective leadership for managers in the USA and seven European countries. The results suggested more similarities than differences across countries. Specifically, a core group of two skill dimensions emerged as critical for effective leadership across countries and operationalizations of criticality. These dimensions were analyze issues and drive for results. However, results did differ depending on how criticality was operationalized. The findings of the study suggest that: users of 360-degree feedback instruments should not rely solely on perceived importance of a skill dimension to aid in ratings interpretation, and the ability to solve complex problems and learn quickly on the one hand and being hard-working and persistent on the other hand are prerequisites for effective leadership, regardless of whether you are leading in Pittsburgh or in Paris.