How do others experience me as a leader?

Asking that question out loud requires courage. Sitting with the answers requires even more.

When I first encountered the Leadership Circle Profile (LCP), I wasn’t thinking about certification nor was I even a certified coach. I was working at a nonprofit, supporting a leadership team through change, and we had brought in external coaches. Every coach I met through that engagement told me the LCP was their favorite leadership assessment. 

Hearing this again and again over the past 10 years, I finally decided to get certified. 

What surprised me most wasn’t the data. It was the vulnerability of the experience. Completing the LCP felt like holding up a compassionate mirror—one that showed both my strengths and the places where I was getting in my own way.

And I realized: this is work best done with a guide. A coach who can sit beside you, help you make sense of the insights, and honor the courage it takes to see yourself clearly.

Why the LCP Goes Deeper Than Most 360 Tools

Most 360 assessments tell you what people see on the surface. The LCP helps you see why you show up that way.

It connects your best leadership behaviors with the protective patterns that emerge under pressure and reveals the beliefs driving both. It’s the difference between hearing “She’s controlling” and understanding “She believes if she doesn’t handle it, it won’t get done right.”

The LCP shows your leadership identity, not just your leadership actions. And because it reveals the inner landscape behind your outer behavior, the insights feel both tender and transformative.

What the LCP Helped Me See (And What I Did With It)

The strengths I already knew

When I completed my first LCP, I saw qualities I recognized: my commitment, my care for people, my drive for high standards.

The patterns I didn’t always acknowledge

But I also saw what I hadn’t wanted to name—my instinct to over-function, my desire to protect others from discomfort, my tendency to shoulder more than was mine alone.

Seeing these patterns wasn’t easy. It required humility and honesty. But it also felt freeing.

The shift that followed

With my coach, I began to ask: What if I trusted my team to handle the discomfort? What if my job wasn’t to carry everything, but to create the conditions where others could step up?

Those questions changed how I led. I started delegating differently. I stopped rescuing. I learned to tolerate the brief discomfort of letting someone struggle toward their own solution.

The LCP gave me language for things I had felt but couldn’t explain. And that clarity became the starting point for real growth.

Why Leaders Choose the LCP at Key Inflection Points

Over the years, I’ve seen the LCP serve leaders in moments that naturally call for reflection, courage, and support.

When you’ve shifted from peer to manager

Stepping into management is inherently vulnerable. You’re redefining your identity, your relationships, and your influence. The LCP helps you ask: Who am I as a leader? What habits do I want to build? A coach helps you explore these answers with curiosity, not judgment.

When you’re a year into a new leadership role

Your board or supervisor wants you to gather feedback. Your team is forming opinions about your leadership. You’re setting goals for year two. Asking for feedback at this moment requires real courage. The LCP provides the structure, a coach provides the safety.

When you feel stuck at the individual contributor stage

You know you can lead at a higher level, but you’re not sure what’s getting in the way. Getting feedback is vulnerable, but also empowering. The LCP gives you a map of your leadership landscape. A coach helps you walk it with confidence and grounded support.

The LCP Works Best When You Don’t Have to Do It Alone

The LCP asks you to look honestly at your strengths, your patterns, and your blind spots. That kind of reflection is brave. And asking for feedback from colleagues, supervisors, and direct reports is even braver.

This is why I believe so deeply in pairing the LCP with coaching support. You deserve a space where the insights can be explored gently. Where your courage is acknowledged. Where growth unfolds without shame.

If you’re at one of these inflection points, or if you’re simply ready to see your leadership with more clarity and less judgment, let’s talk. The LCP works best when you don’t have to make sense of it alone.