Leadership Practices Inventory Report: Analysis and Action Plans

This report presents a comprehensive analysis of a Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI), based on the model developed by Kouzes and Posner. The student undertook the LPI assessment to evaluate their leadership skills across five key areas: Modeling the Way, Inspiring a Shared Vision, Challenging the Process, Enabling Others to Act, and Encouraging the Heart. The report details the student's self-assessment, identifying strengths and weaknesses in each practice area. It includes reflections on personal scores, providing insights into how the student leads by example, motivates towards common goals, challenges existing processes, enhances employee performance, and maintains employee satisfaction. Furthermore, the report outlines two detailed leadership development action plans. The first action plan focuses on inspiring a shared vision and modeling the way, with specific strategies and timelines for improvement. The second action plan addresses enabling team members to act and challenging existing processes, also providing actionable steps and timelines. The report concludes by emphasizing the importance of continuous self-assessment and development in becoming an effective leader, and the need to adapt to the changing dynamics of the workplace.

Running Head: LEADERSHIP PRACTICES INVENTORY
Leadership Practices Inventory
Name of student:
Name of University:
Author note.

1LEADERSHIP PRACTICES INVENTORY
Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................2
Results of Kouzes & Posner Leadership Practices Inventory.........................................................2
1) Structuring a Path....................................................................................................................3
2) Motivating Towards a Common Goal.....................................................................................3
3) Challenging Existing Processes...............................................................................................4
4) Enhancing Employee Performance.........................................................................................4
5) Maintaining Employee Satisfaction........................................................................................5
Leadership Development Action Plans...........................................................................................6
Action Plan 1...............................................................................................................................6
Action Plan 2.............................................................................................................................10
References:....................................................................................................................................13

2LEADERSHIP PRACTICES INVENTORY
Introduction
The Leadership Practices Inventory is a leadership model designed by James M.Kouzes
and Barry S. Posner. Theory states that leadership is not a quality acquired from birth or
transmitted through DNA information. Leadership is independent of racial, regional, religious, or
ethic boundaries. There is no relation of leadership with having a power and a high status.
Anyone who has the inherent aptitudes and set of skills to inspire and mentor others towards a
common objective qualifies as a leader.
Results of Kouzes & Posner Leadership Practices Inventory
The LPI model can be classified into five main categories bed on the nature of qualities
asked for and the type of responses they might fetch. They are:
 Model the way
 Inspire a collective vision
 Challenge the process
 Enable others to act
 Encourage the Heart (Kouzes and Posner 2012).
I took the LPI test a few days ago in order to find out where I stand in this competitive world
where it is quite tough to become a true leader. I wanted to know what leadership skills I already
possess and what skills I can further work upon to grow into an effective leader. My personal
scores and reflections according to the LPI criteria are as follows.
1) Structuring a Path
As far as leading my subordinates by example is concerned, I am moderately confident.
However, as a leader, I ascertain it that I receive the same performance and dedication from the

3LEADERSHIP PRACTICES INVENTORY
employees, while maintaining the quality of work. I try my best not t make promises I cannot
keep. When I make a commitment to my colleagues, I make sure to fulfil it to the best of my
abilities. I am also quite open to criticism and feedback, be it positive or negative. I make it a
point to ask other employees what effect my actions are taking on their work (Kapp 2012). If a
change is required to be made, I do it as far as the situation permits. I conduct team meetings
now and then, to correlate the company’s aims to the general team attitude. I believe that
leadership is a quality that involves not only power over others, but also a sense of responsibility.
A leader needs to understand skills and feelings of his workers and set his targets and strategies
accordingly (Kouzes and Posner 2017). Hence, I am fairly confident on my innate leadership
philosophy.
2) Motivating Towards a Common Goal
I do not converse a lot about upcoming procedures for work. I do not particularly devote
a lot of time to researching magazines, blogs, publications, and the web for new trends and
practices of work. Knowing and communicating futuristic processes and equipments is essential
to become a successful leader (Miner 2015). I definitely need improvement in this field.
Visualizing the future is something I do now and then but not very often. As an able leader, I
need to set aspiring targets for myself and my subordinates as well. This could help motivate the
employees to work for a better future, with tangible results and rewards (Arbak and Villeval
2013). This is an area I might improve upon also encouraging my employees to share their own
respective dreams about the picture. Martin Luther King Jr. motivated millions with his famous
‘I have a dream’ speech, whereby he taught the Black American to fight for his rights (Garrow
2015). Quite often, I try to initiate my subordinates into the organisation’s future aims by helping

4LEADERSHIP PRACTICES INVENTORY
them identify with the bigger picture of the company’s progress. I ask the employees
individually their own aims for the future and how it corresponds with the company’s targets.
3) Challenging Existing Processes
As a leader, it is a requisite to constantly improve and enhance my personal set of skills
and the way I work. I make it a point to ask my team-members to devise innovative and novel
methods of performing tasks. I take a single project as reference and ask all the members to give
their subjective opinions on the solution (Braun et al. 2013). I conduct team discussions as to
why a path of operations would be suitable and why another would not. To that effect, I look for
solutions outside the company’s confines, consulting other leaders, employees, and often making
foeld trips to similar institutions to adopt innovative techniques. Many a time, planning and
execution don’t go hand in hand, and when a project fails, I try to extract the maximum lessons
to follow for the future. A true leader never loses- he wins or he learns (Hirak et al. 2012).
Pragmatism is one of my strengths and I always set realistic targets which can be acquired with
the resources at our disposal. However, this does not stop me from taking calculated risks for
better results.
4) Enhancing Employee Performance
Quite often, I interact with random team-members and ask them to share their own
opinions about the way we work. I entertain different points of view and try to extract the best
out of each to form a collective whole. All employees are treated with respect and I try to address
employees by their first names (Latham 2014). However, I give subordinates moderate amount
of freedom to put such myriad opinions into practice, as too much freedom tends to create
confusion and disarray at times. I cannot improve drastically in this field as it is subject to
varying aptitudes and skills.

5LEADERSHIP PRACTICES INVENTORY
5) Maintaining Employee Satisfaction
I make it a point to always congratulate a member for a good job by verbal chats, text
messages, e-mails etc. I see to it that everyone is aware of my trust in their abilities and this gives
their confidence a boost (Men 2014). I always try to devise innovative ways to accolade
successful employees like token gifts, incentives, fun activities etc. I openly praise code-
upholders and star performers, so that they act as examples for others to follow, although I can
improve in this area (Jones 2012). After a successful project, I don’t always stand on ceremony,
but share a quick ‘congrats’ with each team-member, reminding him how valuable he is.
Although I am a fairly practical leader, I need to work on these skills a bit more in order to make
my team-members feel included in the organisation’s plans.

6LEADERSHIP PRACTICES INVENTORY
Leadership Development Action Plans
Action Plan 1
The plan covers a time period from 01/08/2017 to 15/09/2017.
Leadership Practices- 1) Inspire a Shared Vision 2) Model the Way
Leadership Behaviours- 1) Discussing future trends about our work. 2) Describing a spellbinding
vision of the future.
SMART Goal in Focus:
 Specific- It is always sensible to lead by example and have a good foresight of what can
be achieved.
 Measurable- I should find that my subordinates are inspired at the prospect of a better
future, which they are discussing.
 Achievable- Since no tangible resources required, it is attainable.
 Realistic- The organisation encourages such innate development of leaders.
 Time-specific – Time is not a hurdle in such a goal of reassessing my style of work.

7LEADERSHIP PRACTICES INVENTORY
Leadership Strategy Action Steps Timeline Support
Experience:
I intend to discuss futuristic
operations to enhance our
functioning.
 Look up blog sites and
video sites for inspiring
ideas to innovate our
working process (Heizer
2016).
 Keep in touch constantly
with members of the
technology department,
inquiring them about new
equipments and gadgets
available in the market.
 Initiate discussions with
another team member and
take his or her opinion as
to how to implement new
technology and processes
into our operations.
August 1 to
August 25.
 Mostly
self-help.
 Mr. Dent
and Todd
from the
Technical
Support
Team.
 Team-
members.
Example:
I want to act as an example
for the employees, so that
they know what is expected
of them as well.
 Take over a task from
subordinates, and solve it
in my way, the way I want
others to follow and
operate.
August 15
to
September
15.
Self-help. Special
focus on new
employees.

8LEADERSHIP PRACTICES INVENTORY
 Start blogs and chat
threads, where workers
can get familiar with what
is required (Venters,
Green and Lopez 2012).
Education:
I wish to present an
enthralling image of what we
can achieve in the future as a
team, in order to motivate the
members and also myself.
 Jot down several points on
why I am looking forward
to the future, and try to
make them interesting for
others.
 Imagine enticing visions
of the future for myself.
This might be a long
vacation at an exotic
tourist getaway; a
situation where both time
and money are available
in plenty.
 Describe it to my team
members in such a way
that they too, are inspired
at the prospect of a bright
future.
August 26
to
September
15.
All team-members.

9LEADERSHIP PRACTICES INVENTORY
 Encourage the employees
to share their own
respective visions of
future success.
 However, see to it that we
focus on the job at hand
instead of dwelling too
much in the future.

10LEADERSHIP PRACTICES INVENTORY
Action Plan 2
The plan covers a time period from 01/09/2017 to 15/10/2017
Leadership Practices: 1) Enabling team members to act; 2) Challenging existing processes
Leadership Behaviours: 1) Providing more choices to employees about how they work;
2) Enhancing my ability to experiment and take risks.
SMART Goal in Focus:
 Specific- The goals quite clearly state that I wish to facilitate the working of team
members; and to learn to take calculated risks at work.
 Measurable- I will know that my objective is accomplished when my team members
start innovating their working styles on their own in a positive way; and when I myself
can assess a situation and know which risk to take and which one not to.
 Achievable- These goals are certainly achievable as with a little time and practice, the
employees will get more efficient, and stop depending on me for orders all the time.
 Realistic- The target is quite practical, since situational emergencies are exactly the
reason why these goals have been set. As a leader I should be knowing how to deal with
failures.
 Time-specific- These goals are a bit more time consuming than the previous ones.
However they will not affect my other commitments.

11LEADERSHIP PRACTICES INVENTORY
Leadership Strategy Action Steps Timeline Support
Experience: I intend to learn
how to take measured risks at
work, knowing that there are
chances of failing.
 Indulge in frequent
conversations with the
management on how the
taking of risks will benefit
the organisation (Kreiser
2013).
 Dare to step out of my
comfort zone and take the
stakes a notch higher.
 Inform my team-members
of the risks I take.
 Above all, be calculative
about the risk, such that it
does not put the
organisation in jeopardy
(Renz 2016).
16/09/2017
to
15/10/2017
Operation
Head Mr.
Saunders;
Success
Manager
Mrs. Porter;
team-
members.
Example:
I want to give employees more
independence and choices in
determining their own style of
work.
 Identify the respective
skill-sets of each member.
 Now I can identify who
are the ones able to make
sensible decisions.
 Make my expectations
1/09/2017 to
15/10/2017.
Self-help;
team
members
(especially
ones with
over 2yrs
experience).

12LEADERSHIP PRACTICES INVENTORY
lucid in the beginning to
avoid further confusion.
 Assign outcome focused
targets to team-members
so that they can start
working in their
respective styles, yet
cognizant of the objective.
Education:
I want to see to it that employees
have ample chance of being
promoted and uplifted through
their jobs.
 Find out the individual
aptitudes of each member
and make out what kind of
higher post he is capable
of handling.
 Give them skill-specific
tasks to make sure their
work-growth.
 Assess each employee’s
development to the
criteria needed for a
higher post or opportunity
(Neubert, Wu and Roberts
2013).
 Create blog posts and chat
15/09/2017
to
15/10/2017.
Self-
assessment;
All team
members.

13LEADERSHIP PRACTICES INVENTORY
threads whereby each
employee can share what
skill he is developing and
also learn from others.
References:
Arbak, E. and Villeval, M.C., 2013. Voluntary leadership: motivation and influence. Social
Choice and Welfare, pp.1-28.
Braun, S., Peus, C., Weisweiler, S. and Frey, D., 2013. Transformational leadership, job
satisfaction, and team performance: A multilevel mediation model of trust. The Leadership
Quarterly, 24(1), pp.270-283.
Garrow, D.J., 2015. Bearing the cross: Martin Luther King, Jr., and the southern Christian
leadership conference. Open Road Media.
Heizer, J., 2016. Operations Management, 11/e. Pearson Education India.
Hirak, R., Peng, A.C., Carmeli, A. and Schaubroeck, J.M., 2012. Linking leader inclusiveness to
work unit performance: The importance of psychological safety and learning from failures. The
Leadership Quarterly, 23(1), pp.107-117.
Jones, D., 2012. Does servant leadership lead to greater customer focus and employee
satisfaction. Business Studies Journal, 4(2), pp.21-35.