Personal Development Reflective Paper
This paper is an opportunity to reflect on your leadership strengths and areas of improvement as indicated by your scores on the Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI), and to provide concrete methods for you to enhance your leadership skills.
INSTRUCTIONS: Read the Kouzes and Posner article Leadership Challenge, and watch the other videos for this week. Complete Kouzes and Posner’s Student Leadership Practices Inventory (Self) instrument (listed under Required Readings/Materials on your syllabus). Transfer your scores from the 30 statements on the LPI to the appropriate question number on the table below. Add up the scores in each column to find your total score for each leadership practice.
Write a minimum 2-page paper (single-spaced and 12 point type) that answers the questions posed below. Tie in explicit reference to our course reading materials as relevant to your analysis. When doing so, italicize specific concepts or terms used and cite the readings/videos (at least 2 or more cites) or the relevant authors of the theories used. Given that I am familiar with all references from this course, you can simply put the authors’ names in parentheses to cite.
1. Divide your paper into five sections and label your subheadings using the five practices of the LPI: Challenging the Process, Inspiring a Shared Vision, Enabling Others to Act, Modeling the Way, and Encouraging the Heart. Next to the subheading, give your score for that practice on the LPI.
2. Under each subheading for the five practices of the LPI, discuss your areas of strength and opportunities for improvement. Feel free to provide examples from your work experiences as to your strengths and identified opportunities for development. Consider how the readings/videos in the class might provide insights as you reflect on your LPI scores.
3. The next section of your paper should have the subheading “Perceptions of Others.” Share your scores on the LPI instrument with two individuals who you trust to provide you with candid feedback. Indicate who you shared your scores with on the instrument. The individuals may be a parent, spouse, sibling, friend, boss, coworker, or former colleague. Ask for their perceptions of your leadership abilities and areas that you might concentrate on to improve, as well as for suggestions on how to enhance your leadership skills.
4. The next section of your paper should be labeled “Action Planning.” Select one dimension of the LPI in which you want to improve. Discuss why you selected this dimension, and describe actions steps to take that you think would help further develop your leadership skills on this dimension.