Levels of Leadership in Public Health - Report Example

Levels of Leadership in Public Health Name Institution Levels of Leadership in Public Health Introduction Leadership is complex and takes place at multiple levels (Knapp et al., 2014). The crescendo of intractable threats to the global well-being has led to a call for more managers and leadership in the public health. Essentially, many motivated and proactive individuals seem poised to respond. However, as aspiring public health leaders take a stand for action, there is high dearth of proven teachings, models, approaches and frameworks that guide them. Leadership is very important in public heath as it poses special challenges (Detels et al., 2015). The problems are enormous in scale, impact a wide angle of stakeholders and stem from highly complex causes, thereby requiring long-term solutions. The complexity of the problems affects many people worldwide. In addition, public health requires its leaders to practise and implement their crafts in full view of both critics and admirers alike. The various stakeholders also demand transparency, the media attention triggers tensions. The power to address such large scope of challenges lies beyond the control of authority (Knapp et al., 2014). Therefore, leaders in public health are driven by a profound sense of mission (Hofrichter and Bhatia, 2010). They are required to have team building skills and approaches, personal skills, community skills and agency skills to effectively institute change and empower the team members to perform. The effectiveness of any public health leader is founded upon commitment to values, particularly social justice, safety and equity in administration of health care (Hofrichter and Bhatia, 2010). As leaders strive to develop their skills, it is seen that each level of leadership builds on the skills acquired at a previous level. This article will detail out the levels of leadership developed by Rowitz including, team level, agency level, community level and professional level. The paper will also highlight the sixth level of leadership added recently by Rowitz. Team level of leadership This level of leadership highly involves learning and acquiring the proper tools related to forming and building teams, alliances and partnerships (Rowitz, 2013). A public health is regarded as ‘public’ activity and therefore leaders require team building skills that may effectively empower productivity among teams. The collaborative approaches by leaders in building teams come together to address a common need. The main goal is to properly address a problem, solve it and probably make a decision that is beneficial to the team and the organisation as a whole (Rowitz, 2013). Immediately a decision is made various changes are thus instituted. Such changes tend to bring positive or negative outcomes. In addition, resistance to change process may be witnessed among the team members. For a change to take place effectively, groupings require a leader. These leaders must use new and traditional tools as a change management toolkits. The introduction and implementation of change strategies need an effective leader who is able to initiate open communication and bring about collaboration and cooperation. The strategies that can be used by a leader to effectively implement change include; building commitment to mission and values, encouraging team members’ participation and engagement, open communication, encouraging accountability, the development of trust among members and leader and motivation of team members to name a few (Rosete and Chiarrochi, 2005). Encouraging togetherness and open communication among the team members will enhance cooperation and commitment (Alimo-Metcalfe and Alban-Metcalfe, 2008). Moreover, encouraging accountability among team members is able to empower them in achieving the stated goals and objectives. The facilitation of empowerment will lead to self-development, teamwork and independent among the team members. Another strategy that a leader can use to institute change is carefully planned for future with regard to resources that may be needed for a change intuitive to be possible. This will enhance confidence in the steps followed during change initiative and it will also prevent crashes and resource-based challenged with regard to the change process. Leadership, power, ethics and values are related in some way (Darr, 2010). Power entails the ability and willingness to act with the aim of achieving something in addition to influencing other people to act in a certain way. A leader has the ability to use his or her power to influencing people (Tost, Gino and Larrick, 2013). Therefore, the use of power ethically by leaders can contribute to the development of team members’ skills. However, unethical use of power by leaders through exploitation can destroy team members’ morale and motivation. In an event where there is open communication on values and issues between the team members and the leader, there result to a trusting relationships that can enhance productivity and better performance. Generally, leaders who lead by example with regard to values and ethics inspire the followers and thus lead to success in accomplishing set goals (Darr, 2010). This shows how power can be linked to values and ethics. Team level of leadership also involves governance. We can define governance as the authority, power and responsibility required to make a decision in an organisation (Brand, 2007). Effective governance entails team effectiveness, clear responsibilities, strategies and purpose, elevating goals, standard of excellence, resource availability among others. It assures team accountability through team evaluation, openness, empowerment and trust. At the end, this assures effective overall performance and improvement. Agency level of leadership Agencies are often in flux. Everything ranging from new laws and regulations to new product development constantly chances agency priorities. In the 21st century organisations, change is regarded a constant and there cannot be a constant status quo (Rowitz, 2014). The arrangement and structure of an organisation may either help or hinder change initiative from taking place. Leadership is very essential in a business environment where conflict run rampant. Therefore, the leader should function as a business organisation arbiter where external demands predominate. A leader requires change tools and approach as well as strategic tools for conflict resolution, visioning and planning and action generating strategies (West et al., 2014). For a public health leader and his agency to remain relevant and effective, he or she should be committed to change and focus more on factors such as client satisfaction, empowering the team members, implementing appropriate agency reforms, enhancing innovation to name a few. In addition, public health leaders need to be role model for agency staff with regard to developing health and disease prevention in communities and creating community coalitions (Healey And Lesneski, 2011). Leadership skills employed to work properly at a team level should also be able to work well at the agency level for collaboration practice to take place. Just as in the team level leadership, there is an interrelationship between leadership, power, ethics and values. Nevertheless, the dimension of this interrelationship is wider at the agency level since there is a wider level of responsibility and influence (Auster and Freeman, 2013). At the agency level, the ability of a leader to exercise power will affect a greater number of people. Leaders are expected to act as the agents of change at this level of leadership in addition to enhancing teamwork. In addition, an agency level leader is required to be conscious of the organisational culture which is founded upon the way employees think and act and the values, vision and mission they regard as important. Moreover, at the agency level, leaders are involved in both the clinical governance and corporate governance. Effective governance in this level of leadership will result to goal accomplishment and accountability. Leadership creates an important organisational reality revolving around values and ethics. In line with this, leader’ demonstration and institution of values and ethics in their operation have a huge influence on others at this leadership level. When team members see their leaders living the values and ethics set by the organisation, it adds to leadership credibility and emphasizes the importance of organisational values. Acting as change agents, leaders should institute change to strength the company values and ethics. Community Level of Leadership Community Level Leadership is a fundamental leadership development program that is aimed at developing future leaders in various communities (Rowitz, 2014). It helps cultivate knowledge commitment, action – oriented and highly skilled leaders. It improves their already existent leadership skills and gives the leaders a better understanding of not only their own being but also their roles and responsibilities as community leaders. In this level of leaderships, values are very important when it comes to community leadership (Kodama, 2010). It creates a sense of togetherness hence eradicating the self-made ambitions created by the leader. It therefore involves the community’s ambition and finally the community’s success. Community Level leadership: you have to do it all by your own but in the sense, one should involve the community in all the decision making processes as well as the judgment in matters related to the health of the public. Therefore, leader’s personal ambition must be balanced with that of the entire community (Johnson and Paton, 2007). This obliges the leader to look for solutions to problems faced by the community as well as incorporating democracy and thus empowering the members of the community decision making and implementation of goals and objectives. Ethics in community level leadership show how the leader treats the members of the community, whether in statement or action. Ethical character in leaders shows a set of values and principals drawn by the leader as well as the courage to make ethical decisions when it comes to matters of the community’s health (Healey and Lesneski, 2011). Ethical leadership builds trust, credibility and respect within the community and gives leaders the chance to serve as role models to the members of the community. When it comes to community level, the above relationship differs to the other forms of leadership since it focuses on how well the leaders and the members of the community interact with each other. It also concentrates on partnership community goals and empowerment and involvement (Scouller, 2011). Leaders ought to know how to effectively drive good will and motivation within the community sparking success of the entire community. The strategies that a community leader can employ to ensure positive change and continuous success within the community are as follows. They should bear with them very good communication skills. He or she should be able to make his or her point clear to the community to avoid misjudgment. They should always show signs of empathy. This is because as a community leader, one tends to deal with people possessing different personalities (Rowitz, 2014). In order to be a proficient community leader, one ought to have the ability to place their selves in the peoples’ shoes which can enable them communicate a message to the community. Moreover, they should be dedicated to the cause of the community. The leaders should always be ready to address to any matter partaking the community. They ought to look at their position as a lifestyle rather than a job for they have to be always present for the entire community at all times. Community accountability is very important for it makes the members of the community accountable in any of the decisions undertaken (Rowitz, 2014). This has been made possible by involving the community in any decision making processes and also in the implementation of the decisions. Professional Level of Leadership Healthcare systems are comprised of very many professional categories, departments and specialties all with non-linear interactions between them (Grossmann, 2011). A professional is a person who has been formally certified by a certain professional group which is categorized in a certain profession by having finished a compulsory course of practice which is measured against already established standards. Therefore a healthcare professional is one who is an individual who is tasked with the provision of preventive as well as curative services in a methodical manner to individuals, families and the entire community. When it comes to professional level leadership, the usual thought that comes to mind is academic, administration and such kinds of department. However, we can look at fulfilling opportunities of leadership in the health industry. These practice groups are frequently led by a physician. Many at times, the leader may possess office management skills as well as financial skills (Capper, Ginter and Swayne, 2002). Health sectors offer leadership chances to medical practitioners in areas related to quality improvement, patient safety as well as utilization review. Many successful individuals possess important skills. Professional expertise and knowledge of the matter at hand are very important for they engender trust and also respect. Such leaders in the professional category ought to have the following attributes in order to be able to effectively change management with both individuals and organizations. Self-awareness is one of them and it understands ones emotions and capabilities. It enables a professional evaluate one’s strengths as well as one’s weaknesses hence developing self – confidence (Rowitz, 2006). Social awareness is also another crucial attribute professional leaders possess for it is the ability to define the needs for others. It involves having a sense of empathy towards other workmates which helps in developing organizational awareness and service orientation. Furthermore, a professional ought to have self –management (Wind, 2007). It comprises of many sub-sections that nurture self-empowerment. They are self-control, adaptability and initiative to get a hold of opportunities. For example, healthcare professional leaders should have the ability to rapidly change and embrace shifts in the professional environment and properly utilize them to improve the trajectory of the organization as a measure of effectiveness (Carter, Ulrichand Goldsmith, 2005). Social skills involve visionary leadership. This entails the rate at which the leader influences his/her colleagues. Leadership communication comprises of messages from a leader that are rooted in the culture and values of an organization. They are of significance importance. These messages at times affect the vision and mission of an organization and also transform it as well. The traits of leadership communication reflect how significant the messages are for they show the present and future of the organization. They also contain values that show the vision and mission of an organization (Rowitz, 2014). Conclusion As leaders build on their skills, each leadership level builds on the skills essentially developed at previous level. To sum it up, the second level of leadership strengths the work of leaders with teams in becoming the foundation for all collaborative leadership activities. The third level provides leaders with context. Teamwork usually occurs within the context of leadership skills that provide leaders with work and values needed to develop personal skills and team level skills. The fourth level entails leadership in community, community transformation, transactional and transformation leadership and other activities. 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