Enduring resource for leadership development.

The Leadership Practices Inventory, print and CD, 2003, 242pp., Pfeiffer/Wiley (800-274-4434, www.pfeiffer.com), $75.

Just for fun, I searched Amazon.com for books on leadership. My search returned more than 66,000 books! At first I was a bit surprised, but, the more I thought about it, the less the large number amazed me. We can't escape it: leadership is touted at every turn. Practically every organization--government, sports, entertainment, science, you name it--extols the significance of leadership.

Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner, authors of the book and video The Leadership Challenge [link to review], created the Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI). They began researching leadership in the 1980s, and instead of highlighting celebrities in power positions, they focused on real people in various industries--"ordinary people who get extraordinary things done in organizations." Their research indicated that leadership is an observable set of skills and abilities that individuals, both new and seasoned, can use to turn challenging opportunities into successes.

Based upon their research, Kouzes and Posner created their model, "The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership." They identified distinct "practices" in which leaders engage. When performing at their best, leaders:

* Model the way,

* Inspire a shared vision,

* Challenge the process,

* Enable others to act, and

* Encourage the heart.

The five practices are the foundation of the LPI. The LPI includes:

* Facilitator's guide

* Participant's workbook 

* Leadership development planner

* LPI observer questionnaire

* LPI self-questionnaire

* LPI CD-ROM 

* The article "The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership"

* The Five Practices poster

* The Five Practices card

The LPI guide helps a facilitator conduct a workshop focusing on the LPI. The LPI can also be used for individual coaching sessions or other activities.

Leadership is about the relationships between those who aspire to lead and those who choose to follow. Leaders succeed or fail depending on the quality of their relationships with their teams. Kouzes and Posner found that the best leaders seek feedback. Leaders have relationships with direct reports, coworkers, bosses, and customers. The LPI provides 360-degree feedback on leadership behaviors from all those different perspectives. This feedback helps leaders see their strengths and weaknesses. Using this data, they can decide on those behaviors and skills they wish to improve.

RECOMMENDATION

The Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI) is a comprehensive, useful tool for any facilitator who wants to help leaders and prospective leaders develop and improve their behaviors and skills. The facilitator's guide is flawless. It provides concise, step-by-step instructions that guide the facilitator through the entire process: leadership research results, administering the LPI, selecting participants, planning the workshop, using the supplied scripts for workshop activities, teaching people to understand their feedback reports, using the workbook to analyze their own feedback, and developing action plans. It also has additional resources, a reading list, and, most importantly, what leaders need to do after the workshop to continue their development, and, what you, the facilitator can do to follow up.

The LPI is a must-have for facilitators, coaches, trainers, and consultants who support and develop leaders.

Leadership Practices Inventory star rating

CATEGORY

Holds reader interest  3.5
Instructional value    4
Self-study value       4
Value of content       3.5
Value for the money    4
Overall rating         4