Developing Leadership and Managing Change in Health Promotion Programs

This essay delves into the crucial concepts of leadership and change within the context of health promotion programs. It begins by establishing the significance of leadership in guiding and directing teams towards achieving organizational goals, particularly in healthcare settings. The essay then explores various leadership styles, including situational and contingency leadership, analyzing their strengths and weaknesses and their applicability in different scenarios. Furthermore, it examines organizational change models, specifically the Lewin Change Model and the Kotter 8-Step Change Model, outlining their respective stages, strengths, and weaknesses. The essay emphasizes the vital role of leadership in implementing changes within health programs, including how leaders set goals, address challenges, and promote health initiatives effectively. The conclusion underscores the interconnectedness of leadership and change, highlighting the importance of adapting leadership styles and utilizing appropriate change models to successfully navigate the evolving landscape of health program management.

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Developing Leadership for
Health Promotion

Table of Contents
Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................
BACKGROUND.............................................................................................................................
DISCUSSION..................................................................................................................................
SITUATIONAL LEADERSHIP............................................................................................4
CONTINGENCY...................................................................................................................4
LEWIN CHANGE MODEL..............................................................................................5
KOTTLER 8 STEP CHANGE MODEL.........................................................................6
ROLE OF LEADERSHIP AND LEADING CHANGE IN HEALTH PROGRAMS..........7
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................
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INTRODUCTION
Leadership plays an important role in all aspect of life. This is because a great
leader guides and direct employees to attain goals and objectives in effective way.
Moreover, public health professional is also required to know about leadership. It
enables in providing training to staff who are engaged in providing health care
services. Besides that, professionals must also be aware about various leadership
skills. This gives them overview what traits and characteristics are required to lead a
team and become a good leader. With that they try to gain and learn those skills.
However, as health professionals have to deal with different situation thus leadership
skills play a vital role in it. The skills allow them to handle and manage situation
properly (Corrin. and Papadopoulos, 2017).
In this essay it will be described about concept of leadership and change.
Besides that it will be discussed about two models of leadership and their pros and
cons. Alongside, it will be explained about models of organisational change and its
pros and cons and role of leadership in change and in health programs.
BACKGROUND
Leadership refers to influencing an individual to achieve goals and guide
business to organise things (Corbin, 2017). Here, a leader guide and direct people to
attain common goal.
A change is notion which allows in developing of particular ideas through which
improvement is done (Bratton, 2020). Change is dynamic in nature and making
difference in situation.
Change leadership means ability to influence others to respond to change and
implement it (Pederso. and Rootman, 2017). Through leadership change is
successfully implemented.
DISCUSSION
In every organisation there is a particular leadership style which is followed. It
depends on nature and need of organisation that what type of style is suitable and
how it is applied. There are various types of leadership styles available (Corbin,
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2017). Each one differs from one another on basis of their features and is applied
depending on situation. Apart from that, use of style is also dependent on traits and
characteristics of leader. This means that what style is suitable on leader. However,
the various leadership models which can be suitable in health care sector is defined
as below (Yammarino and Tsai, 2020).
NHS Healthcare Leadership Mode
Healthcare leadership model is based on the concept that help for individual
people, who are working in health & care to become as better leaders. It is useful for
everyone whether staff member in organization to handle their leadership
responsibility of not. Usually, it is described thing that can see leaders doing at work
and organized in better way.
The leadership model can utilize by organization to identify the behavior affect of
culture or climate, whether, it is directly establish a coordination patients, service
user of not. It realize what it should handle or behave on the basis of patient
experience.
 Strength- The quality of care provided and manage or control quality by
service provider. The nature or effect of positive leadership. This type of
leadership model is always inspiring or motivating individual staff members,
where they can easily improve service and patient care.
 Weakness- Another way, it has been identified that weakness of leadership
model which means difficult to handle the business complex situation in step
by step manner. At certain point, it is very difficult to increase the efficiency
and performance while gaining more opportunities.
SITUATIONAL LEADERSHIP- it is model which focuses on the situation the
employee finds themselves in, with the leader adapting their leadership style to suit
this. The model suggests that depending on the complexity of the task and the
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behaviour of the team or individual, the leader can adapt their style from telling the
individual what to do, selling an idea to them, participating in the activity, or
delegating the activity. So, on basis of situation in organisation this leadership style
is followed. For instance- in case of emergency in like pandemic Covid 19 this style
is applied by public health officers (Corrin. and Papadopoulos, 2017). It enables
them to make changes in way of delivery care services and handling and managing
the overall situation. So, in that they are able to train staff that how to deal with
patients who are critical and those who are normal. Another instance is that in case
of ineffective training or conflict between management and employees leader can
follow this style. Therefore, with change in situation leader adopt this style (Robbins
and Davidhizar, 2020)
Strengths
It allows leaders to choose style as per situation which makes it comfortable
for them to lead and direct employees. Also, style allows leader to easily adjust in it
and creating a comfortable environment for staff to work in. Besides, staffs support
each other as well in performing task and attaining goals (Bratton, 2020).The
strength of this leadership style is that allows for leader to control complex situation
or condition in proper manner.
Weakness
By continuously changing style impact on employee performance and create
conflicts as well. Also, style is preferred only to attain short term goals. The leader
does not work when there are repetitive task done (Pederso. and Rootman, 2017).
CONTINGENCY- Contingency theory is considered as a special approach that
states that the success of a leader not necessarily depends on his capacities but
also relied on his or her abilities. There are various factors that are related to the
company culture, work environment as well as staff members that influence the
success of the manager within the process regarding leadership. According to this
theory Tesco groups impacts the decisions making or also handling various aspects
that are connected to existing positions. Contingency theory suggests that task-
orientated leaders, such as managers, perform better when the environment is
particularly in favor or not whereas relationship-orientated leaders perform better
when the environment is moderate (Corrin. and Papadopoulos, 2017)
Strengths
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It helps in understanding the situation and then applying of leadership style in
it. Another strength is with this it becomes easy to predict that in which situation what
style is used and how successful it will be. Here leader do not require being effective
in it (Bratton, 2020).
Weakness
It does not explain that why some leader cannot be effective in some
situations. By comparing both styles it is said that in situation one leader decides that
what style is preferred in it. However, in contingency the decision is not taken by
leader. It depends on their traits that what style can be used (Shields, 2020).
Moreover, it is found that change is necessary. It needs to be made frequently
within organization. By making changes it enables in providing care services in
effective way. This is because process of delivery service changes. But on contrary,
adopting of change is difficult. This is because there is overall modification in way of
operation and performing task. So, if change is not implemented successfully then it
leads to failure. Basically, in order to adopt change in successfully. The use of model
depends on nature and type of change to be adopted. The commonly used model
are described as
LEWIN CHANGE MODEL
In this it contain of 3 steps through which change in successfully
implemented. They are defined as
Unfreeze
This is first stage in which awareness is created that what change is going to
occur, where, and when why, etc. so, it gives overview about what is reason behind
change. For that communication is done and employees are informed about change.
Hence, it creates an environment of change in it (Pederso. and Rootman, 2017).
Change
In this step change is being initiated and employee starts working in it.
However, it requires time to adopt change. So, slowly environment starts changing
as well.
Refreeze
Here, people starts accepting change and working in that way. So,
organisation start refreezing it means that through change all tasks are performed.
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Strength
It is very simple to understand and apply this model in implementing change.
Lewis change model is basically concentrates on the actual feature of staff members
in organization who always oppose the change. This is one of the great strength of
this model to bring some innovative changes.
Weakness
The model is goal oriented but when applied it lacks human feeling which
results in generating negative outcomes in it (Webkamigad, 2017). At certain, it
would be generated a lot of complexity in front of staff members. Therefore, it is very
difficult to manage or control in proper manner.
KOTTLER 8 STEP CHANGE MODEL – these models consists of 8 steps to
implement change. It is mentioned as
Create urgency- here a sense of urgency is created that change is required. This is
useful in moving things ahead. So, threats and opportunities are identified in it
(Corrin. and Papadopoulos, 2017).
Form a coalition – a team is formed by convincing people that change is necessary.
It enables in managing change easily. Thus, leaders are identified from it as well.
Vision for change- a clear vision for change is set that how it will benefit in future.
Also, where change will lead organisation to (Bratton, 2020).
Communicate vision- then it is communicated within employees which determine
success of it. This helps in getting ready for change as well.
Remove obstacles- the barriers which can affect on implementing change is
identified and removed. So, all levels are analysed in it. These empower people
within organisation.
Create short term wins- in these short terms are created and then celebrated. It
leads to implementing change slowly and keeping staff motivated.
Build on change- here, it is evaluated that what is effective and not. Then, on basis
of that goals are set.
Implement in corporate culture- here, change is applied within culture as well. Leader
support change by guiding (Webkamigad, 2017).
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Strength
The change is successfully implemented as model contains 8 steps in it. The
strength of Kotter change model is to create a share understanding of change,
provide the right direction of staff members towards business growth and
development.
Weakness
It becomes difficult to proceed in this way as model becomes difficult to
understand. The weakness of kotter model in the organization when it is not
applicable for every involved in vision of co-relation. It may lead resistance or
resentment among employees. At that time, it should not consider as change curve.
By comparing both models are analyses that lewin focus on creating
awareness and implying changes whereas kotter model is step by step one. In this
each thing is analysed in effective way. Also, model is goal oriented (Webkamigad,
2017).
ROLE OF LEADERSHIP AND LEADING CHANGE IN HEALTH
PROGRAMS
Leaders play vital role in it. They provide a framework that how health
promotion programs are to be delivered. Besides, they direct staff to interact with
people and how promotion can be done. Furthermore, by bringing change in delivery
method promotion is done (Pederso. and Rootman, 2017). However, on basis of
community and programs change is made and leader set goals in it. They also find
out creative ideas and ways to promote health programs and attain goals. Also,
when there comes any problem leader solves it by discussing it with their team
members and health professionals. Apart from it, they also execute changes in better
way by applying organisation change model and they know what type of change and
where it has to be done. In this way they lead change in health programs (Shields,
2020).
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CONCLUSION
Thus, it can be concluded that leadership and change are interrelated to each
other. Through leadership change in implemented. Moreover, there are different
leadership styles such as situation, contingency, etc. it is applied on basis of
situation. (Shields, 2020). Alongside, organisational change models are Lewin and
kottler 8 step models. In lewin there are 3 stages which are unfreeze, change and
refreeze.
REFERENCES
Books and journals
Bratton, J. ed., 2020. Organizational leadership. SAGE Publications Limited
[Accessed 28 August 2020].
Corbin, J.H., 2017. Health promotion, partnership and intersectoral action [Accessed
28 August 2020].
Corrin, T. and Papadopoulos, A., 2017. Understanding the attitudes and perceptions
of vegetarian and plant-based diets to shape future health promotion
programs. Appetite, 109, pp.40-47 [Accessed 28 August 2020].
Ladkin, D., 2020. Rethinking leadership: A new look at old questions. Edward Elgar
Publishing [Accessed 28 August 2020].
Pederson, A. and Rootman, I., 2017. From health care to the promotion of health:
establishing the conditions for healthy communities in Canada. In Healthy
Cities (pp. 43-61). Springer, New York, NY [Accessed 28 August 2020].
Robbins, B. and Davidhizar, R., 2020. Transformational leadership in health care
today. The Health Care Manager, 39(3), pp.117-121 [Accessed 05 September
2020].
Shields, C.M., 2020. Transformative leadership. In Oxford Research Encyclopedia of
Education [Accessed 05 September 2020].
Webkamigad, S., 2017. Developing dementia health promotion materials for
Indigenous people in an urban Northern Ontario community (Doctoral
dissertation, Laurentian University of Sudbury) [Accessed 05 September
2020].
Yammarino, F.J and Tsai, C.Y., 2020. Is Leadership More Than “I Like My Boss”?.
In Research in Personnel and Human Resources Management. Emerald
Publishing Limited [Accessed 05 September 2020].
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