Public Health Leadership Challenges

The public health field is committed to social justice. This profession’s objective is to look out for the wellbeing of the general public. Policy makers do not always see eye to eye with public health professionals. Public health leaders use science, research, and practice experience to make evidence based decisions to justify their actions through a social justice perspective. These professionals work within the context of the core functions of assessment policy development and assurance. Accurate assessments are needed to carry out public health activities for their communities. Through collaborative partnerships public private alliances and meta leadership public health officials assure the public health.
Effective leadership is based on …show more content…
Key leaders must fine tune their skills to maintain leadership positions. The textbook suggest there are four challenges a public health leader could face. These challenges can only further develop skills and improve the public sector. The first challenge is working within the framework of laws, rules, and regulations defined by the government. Missions of organizations can be affected by these guidelines and public agency executive restricted. Secondly, the performance of the public agency is visible to the outside world and will be affected by legislative oversight and media scrutiny. Thirdly the stakeholders internally and externally are affected by the work of the public agencies. Lastly, the bureaucracy can impede or delay the ability of leaders to carry out work in an efficient, effective, and timely manner. Overall public health leadership is managing a public health agency and view the public health from a community …show more content…
This type of leadership emerged from the writings of Burns and Bass. This type of leader has charisma, inspirational motivation and other positive features. This type of leader must understand and adapt to the needs and motives of their followers. They are good role models and strong agents for change and have a vision for the future. Public health leaders whom have this type of leadership push their followers to higher standards. Another example of leadership is servant leadership which places a big emphasizes on being attentive to the needs of their followers. They are committed to serving the public. There is more of a focus on the social justice philosophy and commitment to serve the public to promote health and prevent disease. Greenleaf began the work on this type of leadership and came up with many characteristics of a servant leader. A servant leader practitioners must be a listener communication is a part of the interactive process between leaders and followers. The servant leader first communicates through listening. This is a learned and a way of acknowledging the viewpoint of the followers to validate their perspective. A servant leader practitioner feels empathy which is the standing in the shoes of another and see their world from their point of view. Another characteristic is healing which is the support of the follower to overcome their problems. Greenleaf suggested that