Last month, I attended “Leadership Practices Inventory: LPI”, a professional development course offered by Valdosta State University. A couple of weeks before the course, I was requested by the course administrator to ask a mix of six peers and superiors to take a survey about my leadership skills. The administrator stated that once aggregated, this information would provide a good balance between how I view my leadership skills versus how others view them. The LPI assessment breaks the scores into five different leadership practices: model the way, inspire a shared vision, challenge the process, enable others to act, and encourage the heart.

To “Model the Way” means you practice setting the example for others by aligning your actions with shared values and what you expect of others. Basically, practice what you preach. This practice also includes following through on the promises and commitments you make.

To “Inspire a Shared Vision” means you foresee trends that will affect the long-term interests of the team. If you are the “big picture” person of the group, it’s important to share your exciting image of the future.

To “Challenge the Process” means you search for opportunities by seizing the initiative and looking for creative ways to improve. Taking risks and stepping outside your comfort zone are both qualities of this practice.

To “Enable Others to Act” means you empower others by growing self-determination and promoting ability. Leadership is a team effort of collaboration, building trust, and facilitating relationships.

To “Encourage the Heart” means you show recognition and appreciation for personal excellence. A “thank you” goes along way. It’s important to creatively reward other members of your team for their contributions to successful projects.

I am happy that my co-workers primarily believe I enable them to act. I scored highest in treating others with dignity and respect, developing cooperative relationships, and actively listening. I also received high scores for challenging the process, modeling the way, and inspiring a shared vision. My highest scores for these areas are searching for creative ways to improve productivity, setting measurable milestones for projects, and following through on promises and commitments. I want to improve my ability to encourage the heart. This course taught me to actively appreciate my team by verbalizing my appreciation for their works before jumping into the next project. I work with an awesome group. I want them all to know that I appreciate their contribution and commitment.