Fear No Tool! The Leadership Practices Inventory
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Click here to view and download this month’s worksheet(s) to utilize on your own or with a Group and/or Team.
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“The more we research and write about leadership, the more confident we become that leadership is within the grasp of everyone.”
James M. Kouzes & Barry Z. Posner, The Leadership Challenge, Sixth Edition
We begin the final quarter of 2023 exploring The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership as defined by authors and researchers James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner. Kouzes and Posner have spent decades identifying and sharing how anyone can learn to lead. This is outstanding and encouraging news for anyone in a leadership role!
Our objective with the Tool of the Month in 2023 was to explore the four self-awareness tools we utilize in our coaching practice on a deeper level. The four tools included the DiSC Communication Profile (Q1), the Change Ready Profile (Q2), the CliftonStrengths tool (Q3), and now the Leadership Practices Inventory tool. Our 4th quarter review of the LPI will encompass the following:
October – The LPI Purpose
November – The LPI Process
December – Implementing LPI Exemplary Leadership Practices
Although the LPI is the least frequently used in our practice, it is one of the tools that can provide the most valuable insight. Few leaders arrive at the point where they voluntarily seek this level of feedback without an external factor(s) compelling administration. “Feedback is the breakfast of champions,” as Ken Blanchard shares, yet there is no question seeking feedback can be intimidating and uncomfortable.
We recognize the LPI instrument/tool is not for the faint of heart however, it is important to remember to fear no tool. The encouraging thing about feedback is it truly helps you understand the needs of others as they perceive them, not how you perceive them and not how you think they should be perceived. If a leader is an encouragement camel for example – a small amount of praise over an extended period is sufficient – they may simply be unaware or under aware of how vital praise may be to those they are leading. This is just one of many examples of how it may be challenging for leaders to give others what they themselves do not need.
As individuals who tend to be highly self-sufficient, subject matters experts with little need for external motivation, leader managers tend to excel at participating as contributors who take initiative and are self-directed. Therefore, it may be challenging for highly motivated subject matter experts to recognize what other team members may need from them in terms of caring, clarity, communication, and consistency. Feedback is the vehicle to provide keen insight into the preferences of others and can be a gift to discover clarity, insight, and information. The purpose of the Leadership Practices Inventory tool is to provide insights into what others need from the leader and how frequently the leader is fulfilling those needs.
Leadership is a conscious choice and researchers Kouzes and Posner have empirical globally based evidence to support that belief. There is no question leading, and leading well, is the most challenging choice one can make. When choosing to lead well, a leader no longer enjoys the luxury of deciding what others need. Thirty years of research by Kouzes and Posner has identified the essential practices a leader must engage in to create an environment where team members can be and become the most effective versions of themselves.
The 5 Leadership Practices Inventory Exemplary Practices are:
Modeling the Way – Embodying the characteristics you expect from others
Inspiring a Shared Vision – Casting a dream or a vision of what could be
Challenging the Process – Seeking opportunities to generate improvements
Enabling Others to Act – Empowering others through collective action and effort
Encouraging the Heart- Demonstrating gratitude for people’s contributions and creating a sense of community
Modeling the Way – perhaps the most challenging of the 5 Practices, as Modeling the Way means others are watching a leader’s behavior. Kouzes and Posner state, “Exemplary leaders know that if they want to gain commitment and achieve the highest standards, they must be models of the behavior they expect of others.” Setting the tone, standards, and pace start with the daily behavioral practices and habits of a leader.
Inspiring a Shared Vision – “you can’t command commitment; you have to inspire it.” Leaders who engage in a parental style of leadership frequently engage in command and control as an approach to ‘getting team members on board.’ When leaders learn to inspire a shared vision effectively, team members embrace hope for the future which generates the creation of energy and momentum rooted in shared purpose and passion.
Challenge the Process – resourcefulness in action – finding new ways to solve old problems and taking risks. This may look like helping team members navigate change, become comfortable being uncomfortable, and saying yes to leaving “this is the way we’ve always done it” behind. Challenging the process means creating an environment where others are willing to join the leader on the learning journey and develop resiliency and foster innovation. When a leader and their teams are comfortable challenging the process, failing forward becomes recognized as the pathway to effectiveness, results, and desired outcomes.
Enabling Others to Act – building trust by demonstrating caring – caring enough to delegate. Caring enough to take the time to inform, train, equip, educate, and allow others to act. Enabling others to act is the ultimate demonstration of trust. Leaders may hesitate to trust others with outcomes as the leader does not feel in control of the process and the quality of the process. When we fail to enable others to act, we take away the learning. Leadership is not about being the best or smartest person in the room, it is about truly empowering others to try new opportunities, learn new skills, explore new horizons, and this ultimately ensures the long-term sustainability of an organization.
Encouraging the Heart – recognizing others for the contribution they make that is meaningful to them. We all do the same thing for different reasons. If leaders only affirm and validate team members based on what motivates the leader, the leader may not be providing a team member with what uniquely encourages that individual. Celebrating milestones is as important as cheering progress. Highly self-motivated and self-directed leaders may seldom need encouragement and cheerleading. Highly self-sufficient leaders tend to be encouragement “camels,” where a little encouragement goes a long way. Other team members may be encouragement “bunnies,” needing frequent doses of encouragement. A leader’s primary role is to provide others with what they need to do their best and give their best. Validating, affirming, and genuinely praising others for their intrinsic value and the talents they bring to the team. Ken Blanchard has said, “encouragement is oxygen for the soul,” feed a person’s soul and you positively impact the quality of their work and the quality of their life.
As we wrap up, remember, fear no tool! Be a champion and seek feedback to give you the answers to the test. The test of what other people need to be at their best – to feel valued, appreciated, challenged, and inspired. We hope you will join us next month as we will examine the LPI process and methodology. Fear no tool, embrace the Leadership Practices Inventory and you will excel at embracing the Leadership Challenge!
-LS
This Month’s Worksheet
Click here to view and download this month’s worksheet(s) to utilize on your own or with a Group and/or Team.
Recommended Quarterly Reading
The Leadership Challenge
by James M. Kouzes & Barry Z. Posner
2024
Managing From The Inside Out
Winter 2024
February 7, 14, 21, 28
March 6, 13, 20
AM Classes: 8:30-11:30 A.M.
Spring 2024
May 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
June 5, 12
AM Classes: 8:30-11:30 A.M.
Fall 2024
October 2, 9, 16, 23, 30
November 6, 13
AM Classes: 8:30-11:30 A.M.
Register today to engage in professional growth and development as a Leader Manager and join us for Managing From The Inside Out! Simply email Katie Williamson at katie@lauraschanz.com to reserve a seat for yourself or a Team Member. The 2024 Registration Fee is $1,395.