The Leadership Circle Profile™ (LCP) stands as one of the most comprehensive leadership assessment tools available today. Unlike traditional 360-degree assessments that measure only competencies, the LCP offers a unique lens through which to view leadership effectiveness by measuring both internal assumptions and external behaviours.
Understanding the Leadership Circle Profile™
At its core, the LCP is a leadership assessment tool that provides leaders with insights into their leadership effectiveness through the eyes of those they lead. It measures two primary leadership domains: Creative competencies and Reactive tendencies. This dual focus helps leaders understand not just what they do, but why they do it.
The framework: Creative and Reactive dimensions
The Creative dimensions of the profile reflect leadership competencies that contribute to a leader’s effectiveness. These include:
- Relating – how a leader connects with others
- Self-awareness – understanding of one’s impact and emotions
- Authenticity – leading with integrity and openness
- Systems awareness – understanding organisational dynamics
- Purpose – clarity of vision and direction
The Reactive dimensions reveal internal assumptions that limit effectiveness:
- Controlling – driving through force or coercion
- Protecting – maintaining distance and hiding vulnerability
- Complying – gaining worth through others’ approval
How the assessment works
The LCP gathers feedback through an online assessment completed by the leader, their manager, peers, and direct reports. What makes this tool particularly powerful is its ability to display results in a circular graph that immediately highlights the relationship between Creative and Reactive tendencies.
The visual representation helps leaders quickly grasp:
- Their predominant leadership style
- Areas of strength and development
- The balance between Creative and Reactive tendencies
- How others perceive their leadership impact
From insight to development
The real value of the LCP lies in how it transforms awareness into action. The assessment provides a clear pathway for development by:
1. Creating awareness Leaders receive detailed feedback about their leadership impact, often revealing blind spots and highlighting strengths they may not have fully recognised.
2. Understanding patterns The assessment helps leaders see connections between their internal assumptions and external behaviours, revealing how thought patterns influence leadership effectiveness.
3. Identifying development priorities By clearly showing the gap between current reality and desired leadership effectiveness, the LCP helps leaders prioritise their development efforts.
4. Measuring progress When used as part of an ongoing development process, the LCP can track changes in leadership effectiveness over time.
Making sense of the results
The LCP presents results in a compelling visual format that plots leadership dimensions in a circle. This unique presentation helps leaders:
- See the relationship between different leadership aspects
- Identify patterns in their leadership style
- Understand how various dimensions interact
- Recognise the balance between Creative and Reactive tendencies
Using the profile for development
The LCP serves as a powerful foundation for leadership development. It can be used to:
- Create focused development plans
- Guide coaching conversations
- Support leadership training programmes
- Foster self-awareness and growth
- Track progress over time
Supporting ongoing growth
Leadership development is an ongoing journey. The LCP provides a framework for this journey by:
- Establishing a baseline for development
- Identifying specific areas for growth
- Measuring progress over time
- Supporting continuous learning
The impact on leadership effectiveness
Research shows that leaders who operate primarily from Creative competencies tend to be more effective. They:
- Build stronger relationships
- Create more engaging work environments
- Drive better business results
- Lead more successful transformations
- Foster innovation and growth
The inner work for leading well
The Leadership Circle Profile™ represents a sophisticated approach to leadership development. By providing deep insights into both behaviour and the assumptions that drive it, it offers a pathway to more effective leadership.
For organisations investing in leadership development, the LCP provides a comprehensive framework for understanding and developing leadership capability. Its ability to reveal the connection between internal assumptions and external behaviours makes it a valuable tool for creating lasting change in leadership effectiveness.
The journey of leadership development is ongoing, and tools like the LCP provide the insights and structure needed to make that journey more focused and effective. As organisations continue to navigate increasingly complex challenges, having leaders who understand themselves and can adapt their leadership style becomes ever more crucial.
