Public health leadership "Transformation of dreams to reality"

• Published in: Indian journal of public health Vol. 67; no. 2; pp. 197 - 202
• Main Author: Goel, Sonu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: India Wolters Kluwer India Pvt. Ltd 01-04-2023; Medknow Publications and Media Pvt. Ltd; Medknow Publications & Media Pvt. Ltd; Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
• Subjects: capacity building; Change management; Continuity (mathematics); health management; Leadership; Public health; public health leadership; Rural areas; India; health management; Capacity building; public health leadership
• ISSN: 0019-557X; 2229-7693
• DOI: 10.4103/ijph.ijph_769_23

This oration examines the multifaceted nature and skills of leadership in the field of public health from the eyes of public health practitioner. Through diverse examples from personal and professional experiences, the oration debunks common misconceptions surrounding leadership and underscores its capacity to motivate and steer individuals or groups towards a shared vision. It challenges the notion that leaders must possess all-encompassing knowledge, instead emphasizing the significance of traits such as courage, confidence, strategic thinking, and collaboration. Moreover, the oration also delves into the question of whether leadership is an innate quality or one that can be acquired through experience and training, recognizing that while some individuals exhibit inherent leadership qualities, others develop them over time. Throughout the article, the author shares his personal and professional journey in public health leadership, recounting formative experiences ranging from serving as a class representative to working in rural areas and marginalized communities. These encounters at various levels, encompassing departmental, institutional, national, and international, enabled the author to apply leadership attributes such as empathy, effective communication, teamwork, and change management to affect positive transformations in healthcare utilisation. The article summarises the fact that leadership is a continuous (not abstract) variable which is present in everyone, albeit, in different proportions and that, it can be acquired by persistence and perseverance.