Insights for Strengthening Leadership and Management Capacities for Emerging Public Health Leaders

By Nate Horwitz-Willis, DrPH

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Public health leadership and management are essential for improving the health and well-being of populations and communities. However, many public health professionals can face challenges and gaps in developing and applying the skills and competencies required for effective leadership and management. This brief article aims to provide some insights and recommendations for emerging public health leaders who want to strengthen their leadership and management capacities, based on the latest evidence and best practices from around the world.

Characteristics of Effective Public Health Leaders

Public health leaders possess a wide range of characteristics that enable them to inspire, influence, and collaborate with diverse stakeholders. These stakeholders can include policy makers, health workers, community members, and private industry partners. Some of the top line key characteristics of effective public health leaders are:

·????? Vision: It is key to have a clear and compelling vision of the desired health outcomes and how to achieve them.

·????? Passion: Being passionate about their work and motivated by a sense of purpose and commitment to the public good.

·????? Integrity: Adhering to ethical principles and values while acting with honesty, transparency, and accountability.

·????? Adaptability: Flexibility and responsiveness to changing contexts and needs with a willingness to learn from failures to move forward, toward successes.

·????? Creativity: Developing an innovative and resourceful mindset enables the ability to implement new and better ways of solving problems and addressing challenges.

·????? Communication: Remember, two ears and one mouth here (no pun intended). Listening actively first and foremost allows you to communicate more effectively and persuasively. It helps to solidify respect with others.

·????? Collaboration: Building and maintaining trusting and constructive relationships with diverse stakeholders that foster a culture of teamwork and mutual support.

·????? Empowerment: Empowering and enabling others to contribute and participate in decision making and action with the recognition and appreciation of their efforts and achievements.

Roles and Responsibilities of Public Health Leaders

Public health leaders tend to have multiple and complex roles that encompass responsibilities that require them to balance competing demands and priorities. Navigating various systems and structures will come into play sometimes when growth is involved or if the circumstances are just flat out challenging. Some of the main roles and responsibilities of public health leaders are:

·????? Strategic planning: Develop and implement strategic plans that align with the vision, mission, and goals of their organizations and programs to be responsive to the needs and expectations of their stakeholders and beneficiaries.

·????? Resource mobilization: Securing and allocating adequate and appropriate resources that includes human, financial, material, and technical resources for organizations and programs to then ensure their efficient and effective use and management.

·????? Program management: Overseeing and coordinating the design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of programs to ensure their quality, relevance, and impact.

·????? Policy advocacy: Engaging and influencing policy makers and other decision makers to create and support favorable policies and environments for public health. This can lead to addressing the social, structural, and even commercial determinants of health.

·????? Capacity building: Assessing and addressing the capacity needs and gaps of staff and partners can provide or facilitate opportunities for learning and development as a two-way street.

·????? Stakeholder engagement: Identifying and involving relevant diverse stakeholders in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of programs will help to establish and maintain effective partnerships and networks.

·????? Knowledge generation and dissemination: Generating knowledge and using its data as evidence to inform and improve programs and policies. Sharing and exchanging knowledge and best practices from the generated knowledge with others also improves upon their professional network.

Strategies for Strengthening Leadership and Management Capacities

Emerging public health leaders can enhance their leadership and management capacities by adopting various strategies that can help them to develop and apply their skills and competencies, and to overcome the challenges and barriers they may face. Some of the possible strategies are:

·????? Self-assessment: Emerging leaders can use self-assessment tools and frameworks, such as the Public Health Leadership and Management Self-Assessment Tool (PHLMSAT), to identify their strengths and weaknesses, and to set their learning goals and objectives.

·????? Mentoring and coaching: Seek out and benefit from the guidance and support of experienced and respected public health leaders and managers, who can act as mentors and coaches, and provide them with feedback, advice, and encouragement.

·????? Training and education: Enroll and participate in formal and/or informal training and education programs. There are many courses, workshops, webinars, and online modules, that can enhance knowledge and skills in various aspects of public health leadership and management.

·????? Peer learning and networking: Joining and engaging with peer learning and networking platforms and communities will foster meaningful connection. For instance, the Emerging Voices for Global Health(EV4GH), can provide emerging leaders with opportunities to learn from and share with other public health professionals from different backgrounds and contexts.

·????? Practice and reflection: Emerging leaders can apply and practice their leadership and management skills and competencies in their work settings and contexts. A nice addition to solidify those skills and competencies involves reflecting on their experiences and outcomes to best identify the lessons learned and areas for improvement.

Public health leadership and management are crucial for advancing the health and well-being of populations and communities, especially in the face of the current and emerging public health challenges and opportunities. Emerging public health leaders can strengthen their leadership and management capacities by adopting various strategies that can help them to develop and apply their skills and competencies, and to overcome the challenges and barriers they may face. By doing so, they can contribute to the achievement of the global health goals and the realization of the right to health for all.

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