Act
How do you LEAD?
Individuals who lead engage in leadership and therefore are leaders. The three concepts are integrally connected. It is through the behavior of leading that leadership emerges within a group. Two scholars who have done significant research on leadership behavior are Barry Posner and Jim Kouzes. Through their research Kouzes and Posner (1994) identified The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership® and designed a Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI) to measure individuals’ use of them. Based on their original LPI, Kouzes and Posner have created a specific student inventory to assist college men and women to assess their leadership practices – this assessment is the Student Leadership Practices Inventory (SLPI).
Kouzes and Posner’s (1998) Exemplary Leadership Practices and the Student Leadership Practices Inventory (SLPI) are introduced below from an excerpt from their Student Leadership Practices Inventory Workbook.
Exemplary Leadership Practices
Kouzes and Posner’s Leadership Challenge
“Leadership is everyone’s business.” That’s the conclusion we have come to after nearly two decades of research into the behaviors and actions of people who are making a difference in their organizations, club, teams, classes, schools, campuses, communities, and even in their families. We found that leadership is an observable, learnable set of practices. Contrary to some myths, it is not a mystical and ethereal process that cannot be understood by ordinary people. Given the opportunity for feedback and practice, those with a desire and persistence to lead – to make a difference – can substantially improve their ability to do so.
The Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI) is a part of an extensive research project into the everyday actions and behaviors of all people, at all levels and across a variety of settings, as they are leading. Through our research we identified five practices that are common to all leadership experiences. In collaboration with others, we extended our findings to student leaders and to school and college environments and created the student version of the LPI. The LPI is a tool, not a test, designed to assess your current leadership skills. It will identify your areas of strength as well as areas of leadership that need to be further developed.
- Student - Leadership Practices Inventory
Students who have their SLPI password link now to take the inventory. Any student needing a passwork simply email leadplans@fsu.edu to request one.