A New Perspective on Tomorrow's Leaders: FFA and Followership

Known for their promotion of premier leadership, the FFA Organization has been known to produce leaders of quality. Followership is a large part of being a leader, knowing how to lead and understand whom you are leading. This thesis looks to highlight the need for follower-focused leadership. It is a descriptive study designed to explore the ways in which Texas FFA Chapter officers view followership. It also examined the perceptions of Texas FFA Chapter officers in relation to how often certain followership behaviors occur within their chapters. Agricultural science teachers were notified to give their chapter officers the opportunity to fill out the mailed surveys. This study uses a valid and reliable researcher designed questionnaire. Surveys include a quantitative Likert scale design as well as an open-ended question regarding good follower qualities. Findings suggested that officers surveyed showed a limited knowledge of followership. However, they did designate followers as playing a role within their chapter. Followership education could enhance the already existing leadership development within the FFA Organization, as leaders learn to focus on whom they are leading.