An Evaluation of the Dolph Briscoe Jr. Texas Agricultural Lifetime Leadership Program

Abstract

Texas agricultural leadership has been promoted within Texas A&M University Extension since 1988. The importance of developing future leaders of agriculture was paramount for the advancement of agriculture practices and policies. This research focuses on the evaluation of the Dolph Briscoe Jr. Texas Agricultural Lifetime Leadership Program (TALL) Classes XIV-XVII attitudes and understanding of seven different leadership development constructs. A Qualtrics survey was administered to assess the graduates’ attitudes and those results were analyzed to determine common themes. This data provides the TALL program board of directors and founders vital information on the assessment and future implementations to improve leadership development. Findings revealed that COVID-19 impacted participants attitudes towards constructs, therefore future research assessments of this program should evaluate those differences. Gender attitude differences was a personal characteristic that could provide foundational research into leadership development and styles. Overall, feedback regarding the TALL program was very positive among participants. Opportunities to develop the TALL program to reach new heights can be derived from the statistically significant results.