Leadership and Effecting Change in Public Health - Literature review Example

Leadership and Effecting Change in Public Health Type your name here Type your university/institution here Leadership and Effecting Change in Public Health 1.0. Part 1: Leaders versus Managers Public health organisations continue to be dynamic and complex. Public health industry has indeed been created to attain goals that are beyond the capacity of any single person. In public health, the scope and complexities of tasks require that people entrusted to execute duties understand coordination of divergent disciplines that must be done seamlessly. As a matter of fact, Rowitz (2014) discusses the complexities and dynamism from the perspectives of different principles of leadership. As it stands, it is essential to compare the role and responsibilities of a leader to that of a manager. To begin with, public health managers are appointed to different positions to serve and importantly, shape the institution by making essential decisions. Such decisions for instance, are linked to development of staff, recruitment and spending of financial resources. Burke and Friedman (2011) critically assessed recent events and trends in public health and agreed that managers have the responsibility of developing skills and knowledge in the cross-cutting capability domain by the Association School Public Health (ASPH). However, leadership in public health stretches beyond recruitment and spending of financial resources. Delivery of health care services, the changing role of public health leadership and community relations are roles that differentiate leaders from managers in public health. Unlike managers whose roles are confined within staff development, leaders in health care should get accustomed to the evolution of leadership theories in public health. Current leaders are faced with the need to provide public health services to underserved and vulnerable populations. In such cases, situational leadership theory which is essential in dealing with problems such as emerging issues on HIV/AIDs clinical research as well as efforts needed in transferring results into care. The second level of comparison between managers and leaders is a balance between management of needs of community and efforts to make good decisions. Management of decision making processes in public health require that managers to understand population characteristics to help the make decision in resource allocation or making decision on the extent and quality of care. However, Plachy (2009) draws a distinct line between managers and leaders as far as management and decision making processes are concerned. Looking at the matter from the aspect of when to lead and when to manage, the author suggests that with the dynamism in public health, there is difference between management and leadership. Unlike managers’ approach to decision making processes, leaders in public health make decisions on the vision the organization needs to take. Unlike managers, leaders’ direct actions to accomplish and this is what crosses the line into the responsibility of a manager. Situational model by Hersey-Blanchard best fits the difference between leaders and managers in public health. Leaders should prosper quality of service as opposed to managers whose concern is growth of the organization. The theory, as a branch of situational leadership is premised on the quality of task behavior. The theory posits that an organization will only be effective if leaders have the confidence to tell other employees what to do and how to do it so that quality of services can improve. Contrariwise, while the roles and responsibilities analysed above are within the realm of public health, these roles and responsibilities differ significantly in other industries. Problems in public health care are different from other industries. Management in other industries takes lead in communication and development of strategic goals. While managers in public health are supposed to understand population characteristics, managers in other industries motivate and persuade individuals or groups towards successful completion of shared objectives and goals. Similarly, leaders in other industries act differently from those in public health. It is about understanding attributes and cultural values of a given organization rather than specific problem as it is the case with leaders in public health (Ashkanasy and Trevor-Roberts, 2000). Leaders in other sectors adopt distinctly different approaches of leadership that range from autocratic style to hands-off, facilitative and micromanaging styles. Eagly, Johannesen-Schmidt and van Engen (2003) argue about transformational and transactional leadership as being the polar opposites used in leading organization outside public health. Leaders in other organization are struggling with issues such as global economic downturn while leaders in public health are dealing with challenges such as financing public health care. The distinctiveness of the two leaders makes leaders in other industries to define their leadership within a given scope---showing effectiveness in their communication and aligning different organizational objectives into attainable aspect. 2.0. Part 2: Leaders in the Public Health Industry 2.1. Description of the Leaders i. Description of Professor Helen Keleher Creative and Visionary The best way to assess a leader is during crises or how best s/he tackles difficult times in his or her life or leadership. Professor Helen Keleher critical reflection shows her vision and creativity which is one of the essential styles advocated by Rowitz (2014). This style is seen in ability to create and hold on to social determinants of health campaign against policy formulations in South Australia while at Monash University. a. Transformational Professor Helen Keleher is best understood to be a leader who assesses the situation and introduces changes that innovates the whole system. Her key transformation in public health in Australia makes her innovative strategist and prodigious researcher and teacher when it comes to effective management skills in public health and specifically, population health. ii. Roles and Responsibilities for Helen Keleher Monitoring public health statuses in the community to identify community health problems Investigation and diagnosis of health problems when it comes to health hazards in the community Educating, communicating, informing and empowering people regarding health related issues Development of policies and plans needed to support community health efforts Mobilization of community partnership essential in the identification and solving of health problems i. Description of Kerry Kirke a. Communicator Kerry Kirke is a strong communicator and this can be seen during his campaign on iodine deficiency, where he communicated agendas and policies on the health care concerns particularly in developing countries. His time at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital portrayed him as a leader who communicated process easily thus creating uniformity in service delivery when dealing with preventative medicine. b. Motivator Kerry Kirke’s approach to leadership and management in public health is characterized by his ability to lead as example rather than being bossy. This has enabled him to work with any group in public health for the period he has been in service. c. Emotionally Sensitive Kerry Kirke’s approach to the interview tended to be sensitive to things that he do not find comfortable in his operations. This is including listening to specific needs of people around him. ii. Roles and Responsibilities for Kerry Kirke Linking community to needed personal health services as well as assuring the provisions of health are when otherwise may be unavailable. Kerry Kirke is having the responsibility of evaluating accessibility, effectiveness f health care provision and population-based health services Researching for innovative and insights solutions to problems affecting community Controlling communicable diseases: Occasionally calling upon junior officers in dealing with communicable diseases especially in dissemination of educational materials in the community Emergency response: In most cases, Kerry Kirke contact emergency management departments to participate in the development of emerging issues. Rowitz (2014) introduces the core functions of public health and in the process argues that public health leaders should be mandated with the task of introducing trans-organisational skills while discharging their roles and responsibilities. Kerry Kirke practices this concept by validating community values. 2.2. Interviews of the two Leaders The interview conducted on Kerry Kirke and Professor Helen Keleher was pegged on Rowitz (2014) interview guide for public health leaders thus pegged on the following: i. Leadership at team levels ii. Leadership at the agency level iii. Leadership at the community level iv. Leadership at the professional level a. Interview with Kerry Kirke What challenges have been having in ensuring team work during emergency response to public health care provisions? The key to doing this is to spell out roles and responsibility of every member in the team so that we act as leaders but not bosses. These people need to learn from your actions leadership approaches and ways of articulations of issues. Based on your experience working with different groups of people including women, people with special needs and the needy, how will you say public health remains challenging and dynamic task? Leadership in public health must relate to specific needs of people. It is not about the challenges I am facing rather, it is about what the community wants. This is what other leaders have termed as leadership and policy development that suits people. Basically, we try to mold our leadership strategies to suit different levels and needs. Generally, our core aim is to serve the community so I will really term it as leadership at community level rather than focusing on the challenges I face. Talking of community, the current situation shows that community is not fully linked with their needs. We understand that you continuously engage in research and innovation. How are your pursuit for research and innovation linking emerging problems communities have? As I have already noted, leadership is about people or community as far as delivery of public health services are concerned. Our innovations and research cannot be said to be aimed at solving a given public health problem because these problems are continuous. Instead, we look at the leadership as professional that seeks to solve possible problems but in an ethical way. But we try to be partners with agency governing board in the execution of our mandates. b. Interview with Professor Helen Keleher How do you address barriers to effective public health service delivery? I attempt to apply trans-organizational skills in my leadership skills. This approach is essential in solving problems that each organization may face. You have often believed that people should fight for their beliefs and use their leadership skills to put their beliefs into action. What actions have you put for the betterment of public health service deliveries? I try to work towards sustainable community development by responding to immediate needs of the community. They say that there is no leadership position that stays forever but mind-set is forever. What public health mind-set do you have for the community? We try to improve health lives of the community and this means that establishing policies that mechanisms that improve the same. 2.3. Summary of the Response Based on the responses it is worth noting that public health leaders should not only function within the traditional settings or organization but apply different leadership skill as argued by Rowitz (2014) to challenge different situations faced. 2.4. Critique of the Responses The responses above are devoid of the fact that different situations need different approaches in solving. For instance, situational model (theory) suggests the best practices and leadership styles that can be used depending on the situations the leader will be faced with. 3.0. Part 3: Self-Assessment of Leadership Style 3.1. Analysis of the Result of Leadership Skills Inventory in Northouse My average score on Leadership Skills Inventory in Northouse are reasonably balanced. Aspects such as technical skills, conceptual skills and human skills among others balanced fairly well. This score suggests that I am that leader who is a planner, a communicator, motivator one who can effectively set future directions and objectives of an organization. These scores are in tandem with the assertion that “leadership skills are attributes to apply knowledge as well as competencies in attaining a set of objectives or goals’ (Northouse, 2016, p.40). However, I still need human skills where I will be able to understand approaches of working with different groups of people and how best to fit my plans in theirs. 3.2. Analysis of the Results against Rowitz’s Public Health Leadership One key area that the result of leadership skills inventory in Northouse and Rowitz’s public health leadership relates to my leadership characteristics it that I borrow much from Rowitz’s argument of ‘interface between management and leadership’ but I tend to be that leader who will apply different leadership theories to attain strategic public health priorities and organization development. 3.3. Strengths Based on the Analysis Strong human skills and conceptual skills Working effectively with employees Effectively coordinating and working with group members to attain common goals Creation of atmosphere of trust where workers feel comfortable With regard to conceptual skills I have the ability to succeed, perform or bring ideas and innovations 3.4. Areas to Improve on There is still need to work on management of labour force and management of team There is still need to work on creating organizational policies as well as company directions Some weaknesses in assessment and evaluation of leadership skills or path to improve teamwork References Ashkanasy, N. M., & Trevor-Roberts, E. (2000). Leadership Attributes and cultural values in Australia and New Zealand compared: An initial report based on GLOBE data. International Journal of Organisational Behaviour, 2(3) 37-44. Burke, R. E., & Friedman, L. H. (2011). Essentials of management and leadership in public health. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning. Eagly, A. H., Johannesen-Schmidt, M. C., & van Engen, M. L. (2003). Transformational, transactional and laissez-faire leadership styles: A meta-analysis comparing women and men. Psychological Bulletin, 129(4), 569-591. Northouse, P. G. (2016). Leadership Theory and Practice (7th ed.). Los Angeles, CA: Sage Publications. Plachy, R. (2009). When to lead? When to manage? T+D, 63(12), 52–55. Available from the Torrens University Australia Library database. Rowitz, L. (2014). Public health leadership: Putting principles into practice (3rd ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning. Read More