Individual development plan examples for leadership

Leadership Practice Inventory

Introduction

Leadership practice inventory (LPI) is a questionnaire containing 30 items with five

subscales that represent the five practices that describe exemplary leadership. The subscales have

six questions each with a scale of 10 points each. The LPI takes approximately 30 minutes to fill

and exists in an “observer” and “self” version (Quin et al, 2015). The first step of the test entails

the leaders evaluating themselves under the “self” version by giving themselves ratings in

relation to the frequency they think they engage in the 30 behaviors. Several other people,

preferably five to ten are selected by the leader and answer the same questions under the

“observer” rating the leader in accordance with how they think he engages in the thirty

behaviors.

My areas of strength

My greatest strength is inspiring others, which is all about formulating a plan for the

future and encouraging the followers to war towards it. From the LPI inspiration was one of the

strength that measured up. Some of the activities and behaviors I engage in that collaborate this

strength are, looking ahead by communicating the future. To be a leader I need to have a vision

which will be the basis for inspiring my subjects. Looking ahead and communicating the future

basically involves the formulation of future plans and setting of goals that we expect to meet in

the future. Leadership isn’t just about leading people, rather it’s about foresight of the upcoming

issues and opportunities and inspiring the followers towards that vision (Quin et al, 2015).

Describing ideal capabilities also falls under the strengths I possess. Under this category, I found

Katie M White
Wonderful to have this as a strength
Katie M White
Sounds like you are the ruler of the kingdom/ call them others or employees or followers
out that a leader needs to understand the capabilities of the followers as well as their own before

understanding the needs for these capabilities.

Encouragement is yet the other strength I possess that helps me become a better leader.

Followers gain their motivations and persistence from the leaders through frequent

encouragement. Followers need to understand that the leader is always with them and ready to

support them. Some of the behaviors that have signified my possession of this strength from my

PLI are, publicly recognizing alignment with values, in the sense that a leader needs to identify

the values needed by the team and encourage them to maximize on it. I have the behavior of

aligning these values with what is needed by my followers to maximize the opportunities that

come along. Praising people is also a common behavior that I possess. To encourage the

employees or followers, as a leader I need to acknowledge their contributions and praise them for

it. Praises make the followers or the subjects feel like part of something larger than themselves,

hence gives them the motivation to make more accomplishments and hence productivity (Posner,

2016).

The ability to challenge skills and abilities among the followers as well as myself is also

listed as one of my strengths as a leader. To challenge skills and capabilities entails making tests

and evaluations that keeps the team's abilities in check and also giving the subjects an

opportunity for improvement. I also follow through with my promises and accomplish my goal.

This strength is propagated by consistent behavior of fulfilling my promises to the team as well

as the people I interact with. Consistency in following through with promises and agendas fosters

both trust and confidence on the followers.

Katie M White
Yes, absolutely, but not only capabilities, also their needs, wants interests, and perceptions
Katie M White
Yes, that the leader “has their back”
Katie M White
Great!
Leading by example is also one of the strengths I possess. Leading by examples means

that I perform duties and then let the followers also partake in it. In cases of an initiate, I lead

before asking the rest of the subjects to follow. Leading by example gives me a sense of control

over the followers. As a leader, my subjects need to understand that I am with them in all the

tasks they are expected to perform.

How to develop these strengths

The strengths I possess need to be developed and nurtured to make me a more effective

leader. This can be achieved through regular improvements to the skills I possess in relations to

the strengths. For instance, following through with my promises and goals fosters confident and

trust among the followers, this can be further developed by making it a habit. When consistency

becomes part of my character, the strengths I possess improve and hence there is development.

Encouragement of employees and followers is the other strength I possess. This strength can be

further developed by understanding the needs of the organization or team and figuring out what

they need and require. For the encouragement of followers to be effective, the leader needs to

understand the capabilities of his team at a personal level to help determine ways of encouraging

them (Posner, 2016).

Strength development is a gradual process that needs to be nurtured over time.

According to my PLI report, the strengths such as encouragement are based on the needs of the

institution I am leading as well as the understanding of the team and their strengths and

weaknesses. Encouragement only works when the people involved have a better understanding

of the aspects of their abilities and need to be motivated to do more. Leading by example is a

strategy or strength used by leaders to motivate their followers to perform their duties

Katie M White
Not sure I would expect this/ control is not what modeling the way is about. It’s about setting examples, teaching but allowing others to find their own way based on personal and shared values. It isn’t about controlling others
Katie M White
Unusual choice of words again
Katie M White
You talk about possessing these strengths but not about what in your background experience or upbringing might have helped you develop these. I want to know why you think you scored as you did in both the strengths and weaker areas of the LPI. You don’t talk about the areas of the LPI where you didn’t score as well.
Katie M White
Absolutely!
Katie M White
You probably know “capabilities” already. Those are the things people are hired for; generally are part of the job description. You want to know more about each individual personally, what motivates them, how they like to receive praise – that’s what you are after here. That isn’t capabilities and skills you’ve been talking about. This knowledge helps you to design encouragement and praise in ways that help to spark the intrinsic motivation of these individuals. Do you see this? That is different from what I am reading here.
Katie M White
Absolutely/ so your own supervisor and mentor can help mentor you in this area of development
Katie M White
yes
effectively. In most cases, examples set by leadership determine whether the subjects will follow

them or not.

People tend to follow leaders who are self-motivated and have the courage to take on the

task they expect the followers to perform too. To develop this strength as a leader I need to

understand the needs of the followers and the strategies formulated. I then have to implement the

strategies by setting an example in the process. The followers will be more encouraged to follow

a leader who takes initiative. Skill development also entails seeking knowledge on how to

improve the strength that I possess. I understand that there are numerous leadership conferences

help all over the country from time to time to inspire potential leaders into maximizing on their

skills. Attending such a conference will also help me build up and develop the strengths that I

possess.

Development of these strengths is diverse and complex. Strength building is

characterized by giving the leaders a chance to exercise leadership. Over time the leadership

strengths will be developed and will mature within the leaders. As a leader, in this case, I

understand how strengths are maximized in leadership, I will, therefore, seek a better

understanding of leadership to help me capitalize on the strengths I have.

Goals for development

Development goals for leadership skills are diverse; however, they all revolve around

improving the skills and behaviors that leaders have. In my case development goals will be set to

help manage the skills I have as well as the improvement of my strengths and weaknesses. Goals

for development will also aim and the addition of leadership skills that will be relevant to me as a

leader. Some of the few development goals for leaders are:

Katie M White
True
Katie M White
Yes
Katie M White
Good
Katie M White
Okay but what are yours specifically for which you can develop an action plan
Strategic thinking

As a leader, strategic thinking will be an important aspect of my position. Strategic

thinking is the ability to see the bigger picture and broaden the perspectives as well as my line of

thinking. As a leader, I am expedited to understand the needs of the institution or organization I

am leading as well as the potential of the employees before critically coming to strategic goals

that will elevate both my position and the position of the followers. With strategic thinking, I

will be able to understand better and strategize better based on the broader needs of the

institution.

Strategic thinking is also a skill that once developed a leader is capable of solving issues

that may arise in their leadership. The development of this skill entails rational thinking,

accumulation of relevant knowledge as well as being well conversant with contemporary issues

around the world. Strategic thinking also revolves around making decisions based on facts at

hand rather than emotions. The decisions made by the leader are often affected by the way

theyinteract with other people in society. In leadership, strategic thinking comes in handy

whenever there is a crisis in the institution or organization. In such cases, decisions need to be

made and all these rest on the leader. With critical thinking skills, the leader is able to identify

the problems being faced and establish a string of solutions to deal with all the issues involved.

Listening

I hope to learn to pay more attention to others and demonstrate to them my interest in

their conversations as well as their duties and responsibilities. Listening skills enhances smooth

communication which in the long run fosters cooperation among teams. Becoming an effective

listening entails, the use of body language when communicating as well as analyzing the body

Katie M White
Choice of word problem/ not sure what you are trying to say; maybe required instead of expedited
Katie M White
Not sure I understand this/ elevate as in promote or feed one’s ego – seems like this is quite a self-serving goal to have in mind! Don’t you want to use strategic thinking and develop strategic goals to further the work of the institution, help it to better serve its clients and fulfill its mission?
Katie M White
You make it sound like the leader has all the answers/ that is the opposite of what K&P and many of the authors we read describe
language of the person speaking to help gauge the conversation. Followers or subjects are

sensitive towards the leadership’s perception of their issues. Like any leader, I will do well to

listen to the issues the employees or subjects’ face as well as their opinion on various matters in

the organization or institution. As a leader, being a good listener is rather important. Followers

tend to associate themselves with leaders who care, in my case, caring will incorporate listening

to the ideas and issues faced by the subjects and find ways to deal with them.

Change leadership

Change leadership goals entail the transformation of ideas to modern leadership. The

dynamics, especially in the field of technology, has led to the diversification of leadership

(Northouse, 2017). It is therefore imperative that I adapt to the new changes in leadership trend

to help incorporate the most recent techniques in leadership for better performance. Change

leadership also entails diversification and changes in strategies used in leadership. Changes are

attributed to the needs of the organization. If the given leadership strategies do not seem to be

working, then the alternative changes in leadership strategies for better and more advanced ones.

Change is one of the most uncomfortable circumstances in most people’s lives. In leadership,

however, changes come with some level of disruption but also bring forth rewards. Changes in

leadership styles for instance from one style to a more advanced and effective style will change

the course of leadership. I intend to ensure that changes made in the leadership will focus on

aspects that improve the performance and effectiveness of the team as opposed to my personal

gain. As a leader, sacrifice is part of the job description as the needs of the followers will always

come first.

Development plan

Katie M White
Yes!
Development is a gradual process as mentioned earlier. To develop a perfect plan for the

development of leadership skills I need to understand the basis of leadership and the necessary

ideologies surrounding leadership in contemporary society (Kouzes and Posner, 2017).

Development plans need to be effective in the representation of the leadership that a leader is

planning to display to the followers. Research indicates that the development of leadership plan

revolves around the vision and mission of the group in questions and hence is determined by the

leader of the group. The decision I make as a leader will have to reflect my character as well as

my skills I leadership. Weak and unreliable decisions will definitely lower the ratings of the

leader under any circumstance. There are several steps that I need to consider to help guide me in

the development of a perfect plan of actions, these are;

Specific actions

An effective development plan needs to be composed of strategic actions that are precise

and straight to the point. Specific actions involve the formulation of visions that will be executed

by the leaders and his followers. The actions include a clear vision that is aligned with the

mission and vision of the organization or institution in question. The other action includes the

creation of a visions board that will incorporate all the plans the objective and goals of the

institution or organization (Kouzes and Posner, 2017). The significance of vision is diverse in

leadership, however, its main purpose is the setting up of a road map the will be needed by the

leader in the determination of his success or achievement. To develop leadership skills needs a

better understanding of what the leader is leading. In politics, for instance, all a leader needs to

understand the needs of his people to be able to formulate a plan that will incorporate all the

needs of the followers. With a perfect action plan such as a vision, the leader is able to develop

skills based on the experiences they undergo in an attempt to influence his people. The actions

Katie M White
Not sure what is meant here/ whose research are you speaking of specifically/ this doesn’t make sense to me – you are saying a leader can’t develop their own leadership development plan/ I’m confused here
Katie M White
Hmm, I don’t know that any plan is ever really “perfect”
also entail the agenda the leader has. To develop the goals I need to have clearly set goals and

objectives that will guide me through the whole process. In most cases, the formulation of

objectives and gals are a collective responsibility but spearheaded by the vision of the leader.

Improving leadership qualities is also an action plan that needs to be implemented. For

one to be an effective leader, improvement of the skills is imperative. Skills can be improved

through interaction with other leaders to learn their techniques. The skills can also be improved

through reading literature on leadership skills (Komivs & Wagner, 2016). The experiences and

testimony of other leaders can shed light into the leadership styles that need to be adopted. Other

development plans include the adoption of technology and incorporating it in leadership.

Globalization and technological advances have led to the diversification of leadership techniques

as well.

Resources needed

Development plans require resources to facilitate the success of the plan. Some of the

resources needed in the leadership development plan are funds. Funds are relevant in the cases

where I need to implement several strategies or put others in place. In leadership, expenses are

also imperative as the leader needs to run several projects from time to time, most of which

require funds. Other resource includes personnel most of which are workmates. Technology has

also affected leadership planning, therefore a secure system for formulation and implementation

of ideas need to be established, preferably automated (Frich et al, 2015). In this case a computer

system with a database that has all the information needed by the leader to execute his plans and

formulates more.

Katie M White
Ok but I thought you just told me what your goals were above/ so now what specific actions can you take to improve on those areas where you want to develop/ be very specific (e.g attend a leadership development workshop by 9 months from now/ use results of that to help me draft an assessment plan to use with my boss and my mentor to help me determine my progress and then reflect on changes I am making an reevaluate my plan…)
Katie M White
Ok, these things “can” be done by leaders but I want to know exactly what you are planning to do that will help you develop your leaderhsip
Katie M White
Ok but what for/ how do you intend to use funds to help you in your leadership growth/ you don’t seem to be talking about your own personal plan but sort of “leaders” in a generic sense
Other resources needed in plan development are literature on leadership and development.

Leadership development is a slow and gradual process and needs all the resources a leader can

get. Books and other literature materials on leadership skills and development will come in

handy for leaders in an attempt to diversity.

Timeline

The timeline is relevant in any form of the project including leadership development

plans. Timeline gives the leader an opportunity to evaluate the progress of the projects of the

plan in terms of time. In most cases, leadership development plans take several weeks (Lussier &

Achua, 2015). During this period, the separate tasks are allocated time, which adds up to the

whole plan. Having a clear timeline in the formulation of development plan ensures that the

results of the completion of the visions. A clear timeline is formulated based on the ideas put in

place, the vision as well as the objectives that need be met. In the development of a leadership

development plan, the timeline will help me as the leader. A clear timeline will also be the basis

of evaluation of the progress made by the leaders in varies aspects. Timelines guide the leader in

the development plan by ensuring the step are followed to the later in regards to the time

allocated to them. Different stages of the plan will be allocated time depending on the objectives

of the stage and the requirements of the steps, With clear and elaborate timeline the development

goals and plan will be executed in a proper and effective manner.

Evaluation of the progress

The evaluation process of the progress in the development plan is the assessment of the

accomplishments made as well as the determination of the success level of the project (Frich et

al, 2015). In a leadership context, evaluation entails analysis of the progress the leader has made

Katie M White
Yes, but I don’t see a timeline here/ best to put goals, action steps, timeline and how you will measure your progress into a table/ make it simple but very actionable
in terms of formulation and development of strategies that will help improve the leadership

skills. The evaluation process may involve the vetting of the leaders progress by other leaders. A

perfect evaluation takes into account all the weaknesses and strengths of the leader being

evaluated. In this case, the leadership plan will be evaluated through an analysis of the steps

accomplished and the degree of their accomplishment.

Mentor description

Mentors are part of the leadership training process. In most cases, mentors guide the

potential leaders all through their leadership careers (Ebrahimi & Azmi, 2015). In most cases,

mentors are leaders who have shown exemplary leadership skills. Mentors are instituted to help

other leaders gain their foot in the leadership sphere. With a proper mentor, the leader will have a

person to look up to whenever they are in crisis which is rather common among leaders. As a

leader, my mentor is my former employer. He is a man of integrity, resolves, and patience.

Under his leadership, I was able to determine my position and hence gain the desire to be a

leader someday. He was one of the greatest men I know and the best leader ever.

Strengths,

My mentor had great leadership qualities, most of which I admired and adopted. As a

leader, he was good at problem-solving. Whenever there were conflicts in the organization, he

stepped in and brought the parties together with a few wise and true words. He also showed

resolve when handling business and dealing with clients and stakeholders. My mentor was also a

man of integrity; he never swayed from his path and performed his duties with conviction. He

was also a risk taker and had the confidence to see all his projects and promises though. He was

trusted by everyone due to his honesty and transparency in all his dealings. Leadership is more

Katie M White
Good!
than just being honest, transparent and courageous, it is also about creating a vision and inspiring

other people to work towards it by the formulation of objectives and goal, which is what my

mentor was known for. The other strengths he had included communication skills and listening

skills. He made time for his employees and ensured he met their needs.

Their personal style

Democratic leadership style is the personal style for my mentor. He believes in the

freedom of expression and incorporates the ideas of other people his leadership. As a leader, he

was always objectives and never let emotions cloud any of his judgment. Democratic leadership

ensures that other parties such as stakeholders took part in the decision-making process thereby

coming up with strategies that were beneficial to the company as opposed to personal gain. The

leadership styles determine the success or failure of a leader in inspiring his followers to

accomplish the tasks given. However with an effective leadership and personal style a leader is

able to capitalize on the strengths they have and seek ways to improve the weaknesses they had.

How you will like to be mentored

I would like to be mentored through the One-on-one method where the mentor guides me

through the daily leadership routines. This type of mentoring will enable me to pick up some

leadership technique and learn at a quicker pace as well. Since leadership trends are dynamic too,

the one-on-one mentoring welcome n handy for me. Mentoring is a lifelong process in some

cases such as leadership (Day et al, 2014). The mentor needs to establish a personal relationship

with me to help manage my weaknesses and maximize my strengths in the process hence making

me a better leader. Since very leader has strengths and weakness, I would like to learn how my

mentor handles his weaknesses in leadership. I will also adopt this knowledge in handling my

weaknesses. Maximization of the strengths is also a common strategy among leaders; I would

like to learn how to capitalize on my strengths through my mentor.

Katie M White
Good! Glad you described your mentor and showed me how and why he suits you and your own leadership development
References

Day, D. V., Fleenor, J. W., Atwater, L. E., Sturm, R. E., & McKee, R. A. (2014). Advances in

leader and leadership development: A review of 25 years of research and theory. The

leadership quarterly, 25(1), 63-82.

Ebrahimi Mehrabani, S., & Azmi Mohamad, N. (2015). New approach to leadership skills

development (developing a model and measure). Journal of Management

Development, 34(7), 821-853.

Frich, J. C., Brewster, A. L., Cherlin, E. J., & Bradley, E. H. (2015). Leadership development

programs for physicians: a systematic review. Journal of general internal

medicine, 30(5), 656-674.

Komives, S. R., & Wagner, W. (Eds.). (2016). Leadership for a better world: Understanding the

social change model of leadership development. John Wiley & Sons.

Kouzes, J. M., & Posner, B. Z. (2017). The leadership challenge: How to make extraordinary things happen in organizations.

Lussier, R. N., & Achua, C. F. (2015). Leadership: Theory, application, & skill development.

Nelson Education.

Mendenhall, M. E., Osland, J., Bird, A., Oddou, G. R., Stevens, M. J., Maznevski, M., & Stahl,

G. K. (Eds.). (2017). Global leadership: Research, practice, and development.

Routledge.

Northouse, P. G. (2017). Introduction to leadership: Concepts and practice. Sage Publications.

Posner, B. (2016). Investigating the reliability and validity of the Leadership Practices

Inventory®. Administrative Sciences, 6(4), 17.

Quin, J., Deris, A., Bischoff, G., & Johnson, J. T. (2015). Comparison of Transformational

Leadership Practices: Implications for School Districts and Principal Preparation

Programs. Journal of Leadership Education, 14(3).

EVALUATION OF ASSIGNMENT 1

(Individual paper on your Leadership Practices Inventory results

and Leadership Development Plan)

Level of Achievement:

Elements of Evaluation Low High

1. The results of the student's Leadership 0 1 2 3 4 5

Practices Inventory are clearly stated.

2. Practices with high and low ratings are 0 1 2 3 4 5

Identified, and the reasons for these are

discussed.

Low ratings are described specifically/ rationale needed/ I’m looking for evidence of your reflection on the assessment

3. Specific leadership practices are identified 0 2 4 6 8 10

for improvement, and the rationales for

choosing these practices are presented.

(Credit for this item is weighted twice as high

as for items 1-3 and 6-7.)

thin on rationale

4. Specific plans are presented for improving the 0 2 4 6 8 10

practices chosen for improvement. (Credit for this

item is weighted twice as high as for items 1-3 and 6-7.)

Some ideas are baked into the narrative but it’s hard to tell when you are speaking about personal vs leaders in general/ not enough specificity to the action plan/ I want to see what YOU plan to do, not what you or others could do

5. The paper shows mastery of those portions 0 1 2 3 4 5

of The Leadership Challenge that pertain to

the practices discussed.

More showing me that you understand the 5 practices and 10 commitments would help; you could use more of the terminology of K&P

6. Paper discusses an ideal mentor, given 0 1 2 3 4 5

The student’s LPI and development plan

Great

7. The paper is well-planned, well-written, and 0 1 2 3 4 5

logically organized.

Word choice is problematic on occasion. Keep working on writing for clarity and understandability for your reader. Noof, This was a good paper, but I think it misses what was asked for in the instructions for the assignment. I want to see a personal leadership development plan that is based on the LPI assessment results and optionally other leadership assessments you may have done. I loved al the reference material you used, however, and certainly parts of the paper discussed concepts we have studied so far in this semester, but you tend to talk about “other” leaders or leaders in a expository or descriptive writing form rather than about yourself primarily. If you want to revise your paper and resubmit, I am happy to read it again and regrade it. I’d suggest you re-read the instructions at the back of the syllabus. Just let me know if you will be revising it. Total Points: 30/45