Moving toward - Moving against - Moving away

An aspect of the Leadership Circle Profile I appreciate is that it's an integrative model drawing on a broad range of psychological and leadership theories. Rather than endorsing a single approach, the LCP harmonizes some of the most noted concepts in the field.

Theories from Peter Block, David Burns, William and Cindy Adams, Robert Fritz, Peter Senge, Ken Wilber, Robert Kegan, and Lisa Lahey are all woven into the fabric of the LCP.

One of the most influential (and under-appreciated) theories comes from Karen Horney. A mid-20th century psychologist, Horney believed our anxieties stemmed from the personal choices and strategies established in childhood: a child can move toward people (complying), against them (controlling), or away from them (protecting).

I highly recommend exploring Karen Horney's work for anyone interested in the psychological foundations of the Reactive - and the human desire to move toward wholeness. I have left a link in the comments below for a place to start.

Aside from being a brilliant thinker and powerful voice challenging Freud’s ideas about women, Horney was a remarkable human being.


"To learn how to listen to the delicate vibrations of my soul, to be incorruptibly true to myself and fair to others, to find in this way the right measure of my own worth."
— Karen Horney's New Year's Eve resolution in 1904 at the age of 18 (from Adolescent Diaries of Karen Horney)

Yes, at 18.