Evaluating the Influences on Extension Professionals’ Engagement in Leadership Roles

Developing leadership within any type of volunteer organization can be a difficult task; however fostering commitment long term has been a proven key component to the sustainability of such organizations (Collins, 2001). Extension professionals rely heavily on their professional organizations to offer stability and professional development on a national basis, thereby strengthening the extension profession as a whole. Within the 4-H youth development field, this stabilizing organization is the National Association of Extension 4-H Agents (NAE4-HA). While over 1,200 extension 4-H professionals gather annually to engage in organizational activities at their national meeting, the board has found it increasingly more difficult to recruit and retain leadership at the national level. Previous research shows in order for volunteers to partake in leadership opportunities they must feel the benefits outweigh the costs (Inglis, 1994). In order to further understand the membership and determine their motivations a Delphi study was conducted to determine why the current NAE4-HA leadership team chose to step up and lead. As a result, professional development and recruitment efforts were suggested to assist in developing NAE4-HA leaders for the future, essentially enhancing leadership development within Extension professionals themselves and the communities they serve.