The Leadership Model That Changed How I See Myself
Joon
2 Apr 2026
Views 244
I had a wonderful Tuesday. I got to stand in front of a room full of HR professionals at the Offpiste HR Conference and talk about something that genuinely excites me: the Leadership Circle Profile.
I was there alongside the amazing team at Hans Coaching, presenting the Leadership Circle to an audience of people who spend a lot of time or even their careers thinking about how to develop other people.ย
And the energy in the room? Electric!ย So many questions. So much curiosity. It reminded me of why I fell in love with this tool in the first place.
I've had the privilege of debriefing around 70 Leadership Circle Profiles since getting certified in 2023. Seventy conversations. Seventy moments of sitting across from a leader โ sometimes directors, sometimes new in people leading โ and watching the penny drop. That never gets old.
But let me back up. Because if you're not familiar with the Leadership Circle Profile, you might be wondering: what actually is it?
It's not just an assessment. It's a map.
Most leadership assessments tell you what you're doing. The Leadership Circle Profile tells you why โ and more importantly, it shows you the developmental path forward.
At its core, the model distinguishes between two fundamentally different orientations to leadership: Reactive and Creative.
Reactive Leadership
Reactive Leadership isn't bad leadership. It's actually quite human. When we lead reactively, we're operating from a place of self-protection โ trying to achieve results, maintain approval, or stay safe. These behaviors often look effective on the surface. The reactive leader who pushes hard for results gets things done. The one who is always agreeable keeps the peace. But underneath these patterns is a subtle anxiety: What will happen if I don't?
Reactive leadership is consuming โ for the leader and for everyone around them. It's leadership that's driven by fear, even when it doesn't look like fear from the outside.
Creative Leadership
Creative Leadership is something different. It's leadership that comes from an inner clarity of purpose and values โ not from the need to protect or impress. Creative leaders aren't passive or conflict-averse. They're often extraordinarily demanding. But they operate from a different source. They know what they stand for. They're genuinely curious about others. They're willing to be changed by the conversation.
Linked to business performance
Here's what makes the Leadership Circle model particularly powerful: the research behind it shows a clear, compelling link between creative leadership and actual business outcomes. Teams led by creative leaders outperform. Organizations become more agile. People stay. Not because the leader is "nice," but because they create an environment where others can do their best thinking.
This is what I mean when I talk about sustainable leadership for a VUCA world โ volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous. Reactive leadership is a short-term strategy that eventually breaks down. Creative leadership is built for the long game.
I'll be honest: when I first went through my own Leadership Circle debrief, it humbled me. I saw my own reactive patterns clearly โ the drive for competence, the discomfort with vulnerability (hello, my recent Co-Active Leadership Program injury), the subtle need for control. Recognizing those patterns didn't make them disappear overnight. But naming them gave me a choice I didn't have before.
That's what this work is about. Not fixing leaders. Expanding their range.
This was me in 2023 - VERY task-driven and big gaps between how I see myself vs how others see me! ๐
If you're an HR professional, or a leader yourself, and this resonates โ I'd love to talk more. The Leadership Circle is one of the most powerful conversations I know how to have.
Joonyoung Kim is an executive leadership coach and founder of Mindesign. She works with leaders on resonant productivity and creative leadership โ the kind that sustains rather than depletes. Based in Korea, working with people everywhere in English and Korean.
I had a wonderful Tuesday. I got to stand in front of a room full of HR professionals at the Offpiste HR Conference and talk about something that genuinely excites me: the Leadership Circle Profile.
I was there alongside the amazing team at Hans Coaching, presenting the Leadership Circle to an audience of people who spend a lot of time or even their careers thinking about how to develop other people.ย
And the energy in the room? Electric!ย So many questions. So much curiosity. It reminded me of why I fell in love with this tool in the first place.
I've had the privilege of debriefing around 70 Leadership Circle Profiles since getting certified in 2023. Seventy conversations. Seventy moments of sitting across from a leader โ sometimes directors, sometimes new in people leading โ and watching the penny drop. That never gets old.
But let me back up. Because if you're not familiar with the Leadership Circle Profile, you might be wondering: what actually is it?
It's not just an assessment. It's a map.
Most leadership assessments tell you what you're doing. The Leadership Circle Profile tells you why โ and more importantly, it shows you the developmental path forward.
At its core, the model distinguishes between two fundamentally different orientations to leadership: Reactive and Creative.
Reactive Leadership
Reactive Leadership isn't bad leadership. It's actually quite human. When we lead reactively, we're operating from a place of self-protection โ trying to achieve results, maintain approval, or stay safe. These behaviors often look effective on the surface. The reactive leader who pushes hard for results gets things done. The one who is always agreeable keeps the peace. But underneath these patterns is a subtle anxiety: What will happen if I don't?
Reactive leadership is consuming โ for the leader and for everyone around them. It's leadership that's driven by fear, even when it doesn't look like fear from the outside.
Creative Leadership
Creative Leadership is something different. It's leadership that comes from an inner clarity of purpose and values โ not from the need to protect or impress. Creative leaders aren't passive or conflict-averse. They're often extraordinarily demanding. But they operate from a different source. They know what they stand for. They're genuinely curious about others. They're willing to be changed by the conversation.
Linked to business performance
Here's what makes the Leadership Circle model particularly powerful: the research behind it shows a clear, compelling link between creative leadership and actual business outcomes. Teams led by creative leaders outperform. Organizations become more agile. People stay. Not because the leader is "nice," but because they create an environment where others can do their best thinking.
This is what I mean when I talk about sustainable leadership for a VUCA world โ volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous. Reactive leadership is a short-term strategy that eventually breaks down. Creative leadership is built for the long game.
I'll be honest: when I first went through my own Leadership Circle debrief, it humbled me. I saw my own reactive patterns clearly โ the drive for competence, the discomfort with vulnerability (hello, my recent Co-Active Leadership Program injury), the subtle need for control. Recognizing those patterns didn't make them disappear overnight. But naming them gave me a choice I didn't have before.
That's what this work is about. Not fixing leaders. Expanding their range.
This was me in 2023 - VERY task-driven and big gaps between how I see myself vs how others see me! ๐
If you're an HR professional, or a leader yourself, and this resonates โ I'd love to talk more. The Leadership Circle is one of the most powerful conversations I know how to have.
Joonyoung Kim is an executive leadership coach and founder of Mindesign. She works with leaders on resonant productivity and creative leadership โ the kind that sustains rather than depletes. Based in Korea, working with people everywhere in English and Korean.