STRENGTHENING LEADERSHIP PROGRAMS THROUGH COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS OF COOPERATIVE EXTENSION AND RESEARCH FACULTY

Abstract

There is an ongoing need for community leadership development programs particularly in rural communities. Cooperative Extension leadership programs have focused on building leadership skills to enhance the capacity of communities to address the challenges of the postmodern era and the demands of a globalized world. To justify the resources needed to meet the leadership development needs, extension must demonstrate the effectiveness of leadership development programs. The Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI) developed by researchers at North Carolina A&T State University in collaboration with Virginia Polytechnic Institute State University will provide extension practitioners with a valid and reliable instrument to assess the performance of leadership development programs.