CHAPTEE HI 

 ORGANIZATION AND LEADERSHIP 



IN any discussion of the county agent as a rural leader 

 and organizer, this fundamental premise should be recog- 

 nized at the outset : Practically every community has within 

 itself the inherent ability and leadership to discover and to 

 bring about the solution of its own problems. Every county 

 agent should approach problems of organization and leader- 

 ship from this standpoint. Unless he does, he is likely to 

 fail in what should be his largest objective, namely, the 

 development of strong, self-reliant men and women and of 

 good rural citizenship in the open country. 



This is, of course, the first essential of a democracy. If 

 the local units or community groups are not able to work 

 out their own problems, then democracy fails at its roots. 

 All permanent improvement lies within. It is only leaven 

 that it is sometimes necessary to supply from without. 



THE SELF-HELP PRINCIPLE 



The way to most effectively help a man is to teach him 

 to help himself. This self-help principle underlies all good 

 organization and leadership. Self-help means doing things 

 for one's self and thereby acquiring ability to solve one's 

 own problems. Too much help from the outside or help of 

 the wrong kind may mean lessened ability to deal with 

 one's own problems. This is not only lack of progress; it 

 is going backward. 



If results in any community are entirely dependent 



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