Public Health Leadership for Global Health and Wellbeing

The world’s healthcare systems were inadequately prepared to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. A constellation of factors conspired to create this global disaster, but the situation illuminated the urgent need worldwide to improve the ability of our public health workforce to lead change to improve and protect the health and wellbeing of people and planet. The focus of this course is on transformational leadership – the role of values, fundamental competencies, and the application of these for action – to bring about change in the public interest. This course aims to introduce and help develop transformational leadership competencies in public health practitioners, researchers, administrators, and policy influencers. It will be an interdisciplinary, guided tour and reflection on personal values and aspirations, interpersonal competencies, which is intended to empower participants not only to transform themselves, but also to act and influence amid a complex and inter-connected global context.

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This course uses adult learning principles and an active, engaged teaching style to help learners reflect on, develop and expand transformational and change leadership insights and abilities. The course targets mid-level health professionals from diverse disciplinary backgrounds, as well as others working in positions in which they have the capacity to influence the public’s health.

By the end of the course participants will:

• Understand and reflect on the role of values in pursing career goals
• Understand what transformational and change leadership is and what competencies are needed to manage complexity
• Reflect on sources of power and influence, and how they can help empower self and others
• Identify stakeholders and analyze their roles in influencing change
• Apply leadership principles to create an advocacy plan
• Examine the role of the media and communication skills in change leadership
• Understand the role of a Delphi study and reflect on the benefit of this technique for generating consensus around transformational leadership competency development
• Carry out a self-assessment and reflection on own transformational leadership competencies

None.

• The course uses highly interactive discussion and debate to challenge and develop learners’ understandings of key concepts
• Small group discussions, short lectures, stimulations, tool-based self-assessment and case-based exercises are used to advance learning

• At the end of the course, participants will be asked to engage in a professional reflection exercise to assess their levels of learning, retention, and ability to apply knowledge and skills in their future work

At least one facilitator will be on-site in Lugano, and some will join online. Participants are welcomed to join either on-site in Lugano, or online. In case of a change of regional policies (e.g., Covid) or personal reasons, the course could change to online.