The CED serves as an administrative leader and coordinator for formulating, developing, implementing, and evaluating county Extension programs and coordinating personnel functions. In addition, the CED is a vital link between field staff and upper levels of administration. Thus, the leadership role of CEDs has become an increasingly critical element in the successful implementation of county Extension programs.
Leadership is an observable and learnable set of practices.
Identifying leadership styles, behaviors, and practices is valuable and important for contributing to the professional growth and development of individual CEDs and attainment of organizational goals. This was the impetus for a study which examined the leadership styles, behaviors, and practices of CEDs in the Pennsylvania Extension System. The population for the study was a census consisting of all 62 CEDs in Pennsylvania. Scores on the scale range from a low of 18 to a high of 144. A score of 64 or more is considered as a high score and is associated with the relation-oriented leadership style.