A study is presented which attempts to investigate the interrelationships between certain assumptions about the nature of people held by the county extension leader, his sources of job satisfaction and dissatisfaction, and his performance of his function of leading the county staff. Data was collected by means of a questionnaire from 81 county leaders and by a rating of the county leaders as administrators by their immediate supervisors. A review of the literature was also conducted. The chi square was used to test the relationship between variables as hypothesized in five hypotheses. Results are given. Conclusions include: (1) County extension leaders in Mississippi are extremely achievement conscious; and (2) Graduate study is related to assumptions about the nature of people. (CK)