Over the past two decades, I’ve coached and taught leaders across industries, continents, and career stages. Some were guiding large organizations through complexity. Others were just stepping into their first formal leadership role. But regardless of experience, the best leaders—the ones people remembered—shared one trait in common: they knew themselves.
That’s why I created the Ten P Model Squared™.
Originally born from my work on Joyful Work, this model has evolved into a more nuanced leadership framework—one that now lives at the heart of the Humanistic Leadership Model (HLM©). It’s designed not as a checklist, but as a mirror. A way for leaders to examine how they show up, make decisions, relate to others, and lead with intention rather than default.
It’s called “squared” because when you lead others, everything about you gets multiplied. Your energy, your beliefs, your blind spots—they don’t stay quiet. They ripple through teams, decisions, and culture. Leadership amplifies who we are.
The Ten Ps: A Glimpse into the Mirror
Each of the ten dimensions offers a lens into how self-awareness translates into human-centered leadership:
- Purpose – Do you know what drives you? Are you aligned with something bigger than yourself?
- Passion – Are you fueled by what you do, or merely going through the motions?
- Power – How do you use your influence? Do others experience your power as empowering—or as controlling?
- Presence – Are you actually with the people you lead? Or just near them while your mind is somewhere else?
- Persistence – How do you respond to resistance, fatigue, or challenge? Do you hold steady or burn out?
- Perspective – Can you zoom out when needed? Or do you get caught in tunnel vision?
- People – How do you see and value others? Are relationships transactional or transformational?
- Pain – How has your past shaped your leadership? Are you aware of what still needs healing?
- Play – Do you make room for lightness, imagination, and joy? Or has leadership become all grind?
- Potential – Are you growing? Are you helping others grow?
Taken together, these ten reflections offer something rare in leadership development: honest self-inquiry. Not performance. Not perfection. But alignment.
When I run this exercise with leaders, I often ask: “Which of these are you proud of? Which feel neglected? Which do you resist?” The answers are never simple—but they’re always revealing.
For me? I’ve had seasons where I led with Passion and Purpose… but forgot to make room for Play. I’ve had times where my Presence was sharp, but I didn’t slow down long enough to revisit Pain. That’s why I call it a mirror. Not to judge, but to notice.
Why It Belongs in the HLM© Framework
Within the Humanistic Leadership Model, self-awareness is the entry point—and the Ten P Model Squared™ is the tool that gives it shape. It’s the kind of reflection leaders rarely take time for, yet often need most.
These ten Ps don’t sit in isolation. They influence how you engage in Systems Thinking, how you show up in Humanistic Leadership, and how you Lead, Manage, and Coach. They shape the trust you build, the culture you create, and the sustainability of your own leadership.
And they help you do something powerful: lead yourself first.
Because if you’re not aware of what drives you, triggers you, grounds you, or burns you out—how can you possibly sustain others?
A Final Word
If you’re a leader reading this and you’re curious where to begin, don’t try to master all ten. Start with the one that tugs at you. Or the one you’ve been avoiding. Sit with it. Ask what it’s trying to tell you.
Better yet—ask someone close to you how they experience that “P” in you. That feedback might be uncomfortable. It might also change everything.
The Ten P Model Squared™ isn’t a theory. It’s a leadership mirror. One that reminds us:
We’re not just here to lead people.
We’re here to be the kind of people others want to follow.
And that begins not with strategy or structure—but with self-awareness.
If this reflection resonated with you, I’d love to hear how you use self-awareness in your own leadership. The Ten P Model Squared™ is just one of many tools I use inside the Humanistic Leadership Model (HLM©)—a framework I’ve been building for over two decades to help leaders lead with soul, not just skill.
—Craig Nathanson