Contributions of Pre-Collegiate and Collegiate Leadership Experiences to Alumni Leadership Development

摘要

There is a need for strong leaders in the agricultural industry, and organizations are looking for college of agriculture graduates who demonstrate strong leadership abilities. This descriptive study illustrates the most formative leadership-buildingexperiences of college of agriculture alumni. Based on Ajzen's (1991) theory of planned behavior, researchers sought to describe the leadership experiences of undergraduate positional leaders at a land grant university; Compare collegiate leadership experiences based on pre-collegiate activities; Identify experiences participants believed had the greatest impact on their leadership development; and Describe participants' self-perceptions of specific leadership skills. College of agriculture alumni reported the highest pre-collegiate participation in 4-H and the FFA. The collegiate organizations they participated in the most were the Agriculture Honors Society (AGHON) and Ag Hill Council. Former 4-H and FFA members were more likely to be members of college of agriculture organizations, more likely to be officers in collegiate organizations, and more likely to participate, lead, and receive honors in organizations outside of the college of agriculture. Alumni perceived that collegiate leadership organizations had the greatest impact on their leadership development, and they believed that honesty, integrity, and responsibility were the most important leadership traits they had developed.