Book excerpt: Root Down and Branch Out: Best Practices for Leadership Development Programs + Innovation ready: Learn from and root down in the high-impact practices in action at universities - and branch out from them with ideas you can launch in your own program + Research based: Be more scientific and gain insights from a University of Wisconsin study of high quality leadership development programs in US higher education + Grounded in real stories: Understand what works through reading quotes from over sixty students and practitioners from different leadership programs + Ready to apply: Use the charts and tools to apply the model and best practices to your own setting, workshop, course, program, institution, initiative, or organization + Assessment friendly: Use the included assessment sheets for program evaluation, development, reflection, idea generation, and improvement + Current and growing: New resources, activities, tips, guides, videos, networks, and updates are becoming available regularly at DarinEich.com/Book This book brings key findings to practice from a research study conducted to determine the most important characteristics of high quality leadership development programs. The author spoke with program developers, educators and participants from four programs to uncover what mattered most - what made the leadership programs most effective. From the study findings, the Grounded Theory Model of High Quality Leadership Programs was developed to outline the most important characteristics of effective programs that positively contribute to students' learning and leadership development. Charts also lay out the actions you can take and what types of outcomes these actions produce. The pieces of the model can be used as a checklist for things you could be doing in your program -- as catalysts for innovation. This practical knowledge can assist you, whether you are a program developer or teacher, in creating and administering high-quality leadership programs that enhance the learning and leadership development of your program participants.