Leadership and Effecting Change in Public Health

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Leadership and Effecting Change in Public Health

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Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................2
Public Health Leadership...........................................................................................................2
Leadership VS Management..................................................................................................4
Are Leaders Born or Made?...................................................................................................4
Barriers to Leadership............................................................................................................5
Part 2..........................................................................................................................................5
Part 3..........................................................................................................................................6
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................8
References..................................................................................................................................9

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Introduction
This paper discusses about perspective of Helen, a 35-year old General practitioner
(GP), on public health issues related to sanitation, infection control, housing, and
immunization. Helen has experience of five years as a GP and during her practice she focused
on primary care of individuals. She was also recognised for her services including increasing
awareness on cancer screening programs and enhancing child immunization rates. The
members of board also nominated Helen’s name for new officer for public health in the area.
This report presents leadership skills required for public health covering definitions, types,
styles, and key leadership skills. This report derives results from the provided scenario which
consist of issues such as Helen found that the area in which she is appointed as a public
health officer is diverse, ageing, and multi-ethnic community where public health agenda is
driven by traditional architects, town planners, and policy makers as well as the community is
resistive towards young female leaders. This report presents challenges faced by Helen in
order to become an influential leader and how she will make use of her leadership skills to
complete the task given to her and ensures good health and sanitation for the population of
the area.
Public Health Leadership
There are many definitions related to the leadership which includes ability of a person to
guide and influence people and his/her followers; the ability of building confidence and
boosting enthusiasm into people who needs them in order to achieve the target; or it can be
defined as an act that inspires others to respond in a shared direction (Rowitz, 2013).
According to Rowitz, however there are differences between being a business leader and
a public health leader but ‘leadership is leadership and no matter in which system a person is

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working’. He has identified and defined 16 principles of public health leadership and these
principles help in understanding the role of these leaders and what are the additional
attributes needed for public health settings. Rowitz provided the definition for the public
health leaders as those who are decisive, change agents, visionary, risk takers, and good
communications (Rowitz, 2013). Public health leaders are committed towards their work of
improving the health of people and keep strong beliefs in their values of making changes in
the lives of everyone in the country. Some other characteristics of public health leaders
include: they are politically perceptive, respectful to various cultures, patiently listen to the
people and try to understand what they are trying to say, emotionally intelligent, future
focused and resilient, and they love to serve people (Parris & Peachey, 2013). They know the
importance of collaboration and relationship building for the public health work.
Rowitz defined five levels of the leadership according to its complexity and size. These
levels of leadership are helpful in developing a framework for the ability and strategies are
needed to be an effective leader. These levels are:
1. Personal leadership development: a person takes the role of leadership individually
and believes that leadership can be learnt (Blumenthal, Bernard, Bohnen & Bohmer,
2012).
2. Leadership at the team level: Leaders work with a team of some people.
3. Leadership at Agency level: A leader has to work within a complex system and
bring changes in the health and well-being of individual and populations.
4. Leadership at Community level: Leaders work with and within community to effect
change.
5. Leadership at Professional level: Work in the multi-disciplinary nature of public
health to influence change.