Your leadership role as an Extension council member

Serve Missouri. Deliver Mizzou.

Whether it is how Extension’s customers’ needs and expectations evolve, how our system is funded, or how technology is being used to deliver research-based educational programs to the local level, today’s modern Extension service looks very different from what it has been in years past. As an elected Extension council member, you play a very important role in leading and shaping Extension services for future generations in your own local communities. This session introduces you to five competencies of leadership and how they relate to your leadership role as an Extension council member.

MU Extension and Engagement brings MIZZOU to you. The Smith-Lever Act of 1914 established the Cooperative Agricultural Extension Service, a partnership among federal, state and county governments requiring land-grant universities to extend their programs to all people, not just your typical, college-age student. This means the citizens of Missouri, through MU Extension and Engagement, benefit from the research, expertise, and resources MU brings to your local communities. MU Extension engages local communities to solve local problems. It is at the core of what we do. This module examines the values and guiding principles of MU Extension and Engagement and your role in modeling them in your local communities. We are not just the University of Missouri, we strive to be the University FOR Missouri.

View Module One (PPT)

Visions inspire others when they are ennobling; when the goals you are setting as a council are truly meaningful to those trying to achieve them. Module two examines your role in developing visions for your local communities and how to communicate them to inspire others to achieve them.

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Charles Darwin once said, “It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.” Effective leaders understand that in order to survive and thrive, organizations must evolve and change to meet the ever-changing needs of the environments in which they work. Extension is no different. This module examines your leadership role in challenging traditional ways of thinking and how Extension needs to innovate, change and grow.

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Empowerment can be defined as the process of increasing the capacity of individuals or groups to make good choices and to transform those choices into desired outcomes. Exemplary leaders ensure their followers clearly understand their expectations, have the knowledge, skills, and capacity to meet those expectations, and provide the necessary resources and environment people need to achieve desired results. Module four helps you as an Extension council member to foster collaboration with your followers to achieve success.

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Celebrations infuse life with purpose and passion. Celebrating others’ accomplishments builds momentum and reinforces our shared values. Additionally, the recognition serves as a teachable moment for others who witness it and can increase a person’s commitment to the goals you desire to achieve. This final module helps you as an Extension Council to build a sense of community with a culture of appreciation among your followers, partners, and constituents.

View Module Five (PPT)

Please download (select File in upper left menu and then Download) and complete this evaluation of the Council Leadership Training, and send it to the Extension and Engagement Specialist and/or Regional Director in your region.

View Evaluation (DOC)