DELPH Magazine: Volume 1, 2022

CELEBRATING DIVERSITY.

PURSUING LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT. CHANGING THE LANDSCAPE OF PUBLIC HEALTH.

The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO), in partnership with the Satcher Health Leadership Institute (SHLI) at Morehouse School of Medicine, is committed to advancing the pillars above through the Diverse Executives Leading in Public Health (DELPH) program. Our partnership with SHLI was intentionally pursued to align DELPH with a historically black college or university (HBCU) with a successful leadership program and a cadre of diverse national experts.

Over the last ten months, it has been my sincere pleasure to serve as the program director with our inaugural cohort—a group of ambitious and diverse public health professionals from underrepresented identity groups, including people of color, people with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ individuals. Together, we grew as individual and collective leaders while helping cohort members establish an extensive peer support network.

At the onset of our DELPH leadership journey, we had the privilege of hearing SHLI founder David Satcher, MD, PhD share reflections from his leadership experiences. He challenged us to “care enough, know enough, have the courage to do enough, and persevere until the job is done!”

Our DELPH scholars also gained exposure to executives across federal, state, non-profit, and academic sectors. In doing so, they built relationships that will fuel advancement in their careers for years to come.

The Greek philosopher Aristotle coined the phrase “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts." Similarly, DELPH fuels the emergence of diverse public health leaders by empowering individuals to contribute their skills and strengths—each in their unique way—that drive positive changes in our field.

For our scholars, graduation from DELPH marks a milestone in their careers. I am eager to watch their leadership journey as they reap the rewards of the program and emerge as public health executives and change agents.

LATOYA SAHADEO

THANK YOU TO OUR FUNDERS

The DELPH leadership development program would not have been possible without funding support from the CDC’s Center for State, Tribal, Local, and Territorial Support (CSTLTS) office. CSTLTS plays a vital role in helping health agencies work to enhance their capacity and improve their performance to strengthen the public health system on all levels. CSTLTS is CDC’s primary connection to health officials and leaders of state, tribal, local, and territorial public health agencies, as well as other government leaders who work with health departments. Every day, thousands of health departments work to provide timely, high-quality, and sustainable public health services to protect Americans’ health and safety. CSTLTS achieves its mission through meaningful

collaboration and partnership with state, tribal, local, and territorial leaders of the public health system. CSTLTS works within CDC and in the field to identify and address gaps, opportunities, and strategies to enhance service delivery and public health improvement.

Their office supports 51 state health agencies, over 2500 local health agencies, 3 freely associates states, 5 territories, and 574 federally recognized tribes.

Their director, José T. Montero, MD, MHCDS, and Chelsea C. Payne, MPH, associate director for management, have played a vital role in the ongoing development of the DELPH Scholars.

Thank you to the CSTLCS office and staff for their ongoing support of the public health workforce and specifically the Diverse Evecutives Leading in Public Health Program. A special thanks goes to Dr. José Montero, Chelsea Payne, Kimberly Cantrell, Kamarah Angus, Treasure Byrge, and Tempestt Miller for their time and effort in making the DELPH program a success!

Dr. Montero speaking with the DELPH scholars in Greenville, South Carolina.

Timothy Browser

The DELPH team also wants to acknowledge Steve Reynolds for his early support of this project and commitment to ensure it was implemented.

TABLE

THE LEADERSHIP LENS OF DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

BY MICHAEL FRASER Chief Executive Officer of ASTHO

More than ever, there is a conversation mounting across the country about the future of public health. As we con tinue to work beneath the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic, the public health workforce is taking a hard look at the future to ensure that the inequities borne out over the course of the pandemic are eliminated. Having recently received the largest federal investment in public health in our nation’s history, we are now engaged in talks about the need for data modernization, a bolstered public health workforce, and an overhauled public health infrastructure.

But amid these conversations, we must also pause to consider another question: Who will be the next generation of leaders to guide us through these challenges? Who will be the thought leaders that help public health take its next big step? For me, answering these question remains one of our most important duties as public health professionals.

That is why I was so excited by the launch of the Diverse Executives Leading in Public Health (DELPH) program, which seeks to provide a real-world answer to these questions. This cohort of 16 scholars has given me a glimpse of what the future of public health promises to accomplish. And amid so many uncertainties about this future, I cannot help but be encouraged by this brilliant and diverse cohort of leaders.

LEADERSHIP REIMAGINED

As leaders, it is easy to preach that equity, diversity, and inclusion must be at the forefront of the public health mission. But what does this mean? What do these values look like in the day-to-day trenches of leadership?

These core public health tenets are not boxes that we can check off on our way to building a healthier world. Rather, they make up the very DNA of the public health mission. In every decision we make, we are obligated to ask ourselves: Who am I excluding in this moment? What myths and false narratives am I upholding? How can I enact change that im pacts everyone in my community?

These are questions that we must ask iteratively, again and again, and their answers are not easy to come by. They require reconciling ourselves with difficult and often heartbreaking truths about the injustices that public health systems continue to uphold, and that we ourselves have internalized. They mean humbling ourselves, and acknowledging the limitations of our own experiences.

But I also know this to be true: It is easier—and indeed only possible—to grapple with these questions when we invite others to help us answer them. For me, this is why diversity is a non-negotiable quality in our leaders. As individuals, we are not well-equipped to diagnose our own blind spots, nor to fill those gaps ourselves.

However, when we invite a diverse chorus of experiences, cultures, and ideas into the conversation, we are better pre pared to intervene with our biases. And, therefore, better prepared to answer the calling of public health.

MODELING SUCCESSFUL LEADERSHIP

The DELPH program is exciting to me precisely because it strives to fill this longstanding gap in public health leadership. By investing in a diverse cohort of leaders who will take up the mantle for public health agencies, we can be sure that these scholars will go on to invest meaningfully back into their communities as changemakers and thought leaders. To name equity and inclusion the lifeblood of public health is one thing. To live out this goal intentionally by directly investing in the people in our communities is another.

If we are going to make meaningful progress on the way to achieving a truly equitable public health system, our leaders cannot only be advocates for this equity—they must understand and embody it. And I believe the DELPH program has

been crucial in equipping these scholars for that role.

Of course, there is no “acceptable timeline” for achieving a more diverse and representative public health workforce. Such a change is infinitely overdue. However, DELPH has put us on the fast track toward achieving a more inclusive world. My hope is that DELPH serves as a model for public health partners and agencies, and demonstrates that this is not an investment we can afford to miss out on.

TRANSFORM – AND BE TRANSFORMED

When I envision what a more diverse public health leadership looks like, I see leaders who are not only more inclusive, but more daring. More innovative. More willing to ask questions that others have not pondered, and to offer solutions that others have not considered. These leaders will become agents of tremendous change in their communities. They will scrutinize the systems around them and turn public health into a force for unambiguous, indiscriminate good in the world. Public health cannot afford to defer to the status quo, and I look to seeing how these leaders go on to transform their fields.

But I also encourage our scholars to allow themselves to be transformed over the course of their leadership journey. Be cause this, I believe, is one of diversity’s greatest strengths. Surrounded by peers from so many backgrounds and experienc es, these scholars are at an unprecedented confluence of new ideas and solutions. As these scholars interrogate the world around them, I implore them to ask these same questions of themselves, and of each other. In doing so, these leaders will only continue to grow in their compassion and empathy.

I cannot wait to see how these scholars approach their calling as public health leaders. It is a rare and special thing to see the future playing out before me in such a tangible way—especially a future as bright as this one.

Michael Fraser, CEO of ASTHO, speaking to an audience of State Health Officials in Washington, DC.

Contributed Photo

ALEXIS CHARPENTIER

What’s one piece of leadership advice you’ve been given, that you’d share with the next generation of leaders?

A former mentor taught me to always put myself in others’ shoes so that I can understand where that individual is coming from, what their perspective may be, and why. By empathizing with others, you will learn what is most important to them. You can then use this knowledge of what they value most to influence others to adopt a shared vision when solving complex issues and motivate others to accomplish a unified goal. Overall, I would empathize, effectively listen, acknowledge one another, collaboratively communicate, inspire others to adopt a shared vision, and lead with passion.

Within the DELPH program, we discussed the difference between leadership and management. Share with us an example when you have effectively done both.

In my current role, I’ve effectively managed programs by organizing, planning, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating HIV prevention activities to help reduce the number of HIV transmissions in Hawaii. This includes our HIV Partner Services program that is designed to ensure all persons living with HIV are linked to care, referred to case management, and offered partner services. In addition, our HIV Data to Care program is designed to ensure that all persons living with HIV who have either fallen out of care or possess an elevated viral load are prioritized for enhanced intervention services. I’ve effectively lead others by developing a vision to provide services aimed at ending the HIV epidemic in Hawaii. I’ve been able to establish the importance and articulate why it’s important to my colleagues and key stakeholders. Moreover, I network with local, state, and national partners who have a similar vision to learn best practices and lessons learned, with the intention of applying those strategies to help achieve the vision of ending the HIV epidemic in Hawaii.

What has been the most impactful part of the DELPH program for you?

The most impactful part of the DELPH program, besides all of the amazing leadership skills building and network opportunities with other public health warriors, was connecting with my fellow DELPH scholars at the DELPH Summit in Greenville, South Carolina. We are living in a world where underserved populations continuously are impacted by social and political determinants of health in receiving quality healthcare. It was revitalizing to meet so many diverse leaders in public health across the nation who share the same obstacles and visions as I do. Our cohort instantly gelled and I’m so grateful for the connections. I’ve not only been able to extend my national networks of colleagues who I can turn to with complex public health issues but made lifelong friends that I can rely on.

Education, achievements, and organizations

• ShapeMaster of Public Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

• Health Finance and Management Certificate, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

• Bloomberg American Health Initiative Fellowship, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

• de Beaumont Foundation National 40 Under 40 in Public Health designee

• Hawaii Governor State Team of the Year awardee

• Hawaii Department of Health Team of the Year awardee

• National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors Minority Leadership fellow

• Waikiki Health Board of Directors vice president and committee chair

• Hawaii Primary Care Association Board of Directors member

• Hawaii Public Health Association Board of Directors member

• American Public Health Association member

Share your insight about leadership

What is a leadership development book, podcast, or resource you would recommend to a colleague?

Lolly Daskal's website.

Share a link to it: https://www.lollydaskal.com/about-lolly/

Why do you recommend it?

Lolly Daskal is known for her work in executive leadership coaching. She has coached leaders all over the world. Among her many awards, she was honored as being "The Most Inspiring Woman in the World" by the Huff Post. I would recommend her website because of the incessant wealth of leadership resources that are free to the public. She offers amazing blogs, podcasts, books, media, and services that will help anyone looking to enhance their skills to become a better leader.

"If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader."

—John Quincy Adams

Andrea Lowe

—Sam Walton

What’s one piece of leadership advice you’ve been given, that you’d share with the next generation of leaders?

Be okay with delegating. Push as much of the daily work off your plate as possible so you can focus on setting a clear vision and strategy for the team moving forward.

Within the DELPH program, we discussed the difference between leadership and management. Share with us an example when you have effectively done both.

My example comes from my role at the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. There, as the legislative director, I often used both skills to ensure our legislative agenda moved forward. One example is support for our legislative proposals. Each year, after receiving approval from the governor's office, I worked to secure an introducing senator, assigned specific bills to my team and myself, and partnered across my team and our legislature to ensure successful passage. For this, I would set the strategic direction for our advocacy efforts, such as meetings or emails with senators or even brief discussions during debates.

What has been the most impactful part of the DELPH program for you?

The most impactful part of the DELPH program has been connecting with the other fellows from across the country. I don't know if I would ever have had the opportunity to meet and grow alongside such a brilliant group of public health leaders across so many disciplines without this fellowship. I have really enjoyed both the professional and personal time spent with them. They refresh my soul!

Why do you want to be a leader?

Leaders have the opportunity to "be the change [they] want to see." By being a leader, I can influence, and hopefully inspire, people to dream and create a happier, healthier, more peaceful world.

You walk into a room of working professionals, what’s your first move to network?

I set goals for myself prior to any networking event. Believe it or not, I am really shy, introverted, and often battling social anxiety. These events are often a little scary for me. So, prior to the event, I set goals for how many people (minimum) that I need to talk to and what I want to communicate, and (if possible) I make a list of the people I want to make sure I connect with before the end of the event. My first move is to review those goals in my head so I can stay on task.

Education, achievements and organizations

My education includes a Bachelor's degree in Biochemistry and a Master's degree in Public Health, specializing in health policies and programs. In September, I will begin working toward a doctorate in public health, concentrating in Health Policy and Leadership.

I am a member of the American Public Health Association and currently serving as chair of its Ethics Section through October 2023. I also serve on the board of the Parkinson and Movement Disorder Alliance, a national nonprofit committed to supporting those with Parkinson's disease and other movement disorders, their caregivers, and the health professionals providing treatment for these disorders.

What is a leadership development book, podcast, or resource you would recommend to a colleague?

Dare to Lead by Brené Brown

Share a link to it: https://brenebrown.com/hubs/dare-to-lead/ Why do you recommend it?

This book has had a significant impact on my leadership style, teaching me the importance of vulnerability at the right times as well as transparency and openness with my team and others that I work alongside.

Share your insight about leadership

"Outstanding leaders go out of their way to boost the self-esteem of their personnel. If people believe in themselves, it's amazing what they accomplish."

RESILIENCY WITHIN THE WORKFORCE

BY AMBER WILLIAMS Senior Vice President of Leadership and Organizational Performance, ASTHO

Talk of workforce burnout and the importance of resil ience is everywhere. At a time when self-care can feel like a luxury one cannot afford, leaders may be won dering what more they could possibly give to others. This is exactly the right question we should all be asking! Resilience is important at work. It has been linked positively to satis faction and engagement, as well as to mental and physical wellbeing.

Leaders must manage two key responsibilities when it comes to workforce resilience. First, you must manage your own resilience and practice self-care. Second, you must lead and ensure a healthy work environment that is supportive of staff.

WHAT IS RESILIENCE?

The American Psychological Association defines resilience as the “process and outcome of successfully adapting to difficult or challenging life experiences, especially through mental, emotional, and behavioral flexibility and adjustment

to external and internal demands.” Or, said another way, it’s about the way you readjust, recover, and grow in response to change and stress.

People need time to deal with and recover from the de mands and stresses from our personal lives and work. Re silience is not about avoiding stress, but about making time for recovery. While trauma and stress are not new to our workplaces, the recognition that there is a workplace role is still developing. Katherine Manning at Harvard Business Re view calls for leaders today to ground principles of trauma-in formed workplaces into their organizations. She describes three key concepts including Acknowledgement (“I will be heard”), Support (“I can get the help I need”), and Trust (“I will be treated fairly”) as fundamental to workplaces that support employees through traumatic experiences.

MAKING TIME FOR YOUR RECOVERY

As a leader, you set the standard for your team—and in do ing so, you communicate expectations for others. If you are

burning out, it will reflect in your leadership and often will be mirrored by those following your example. On a personal lev el, there are many skills and practices you can adopt to de velop your own resilience. Some evidence-based approaches to improving your own resilience include:

Exercising mindfulness. Practicing mindfulness or improv ing your ability to focus is associated with improved job per formance, decreasing stress, and improved judgment and problem-solving. Meditation, taking a walking break, and breathing exercises may be simple ways to incor porate mindfulness into your day.

Taking enjoyable breaks throughout the day. Spending a few moments to identify what brings you joy and in corporating those things during short breaks throughout the day can reduce your stress. Perhaps it is taking a pet for a walk, listening to or play ing music, gardening, doing a puzzle, or talking with a partner or friend to make the most of brief times away.

Working on responding rather than reacting. Paus ing for a moment to observe and try to look at a situation from a neutral perspective can change how we process stress and help us to respond, rather than react in a difficult moment.

Developing compassion for yourself and others. Developing compassion—for ourselves and others—increases our happiness and well-being while supporting the development of positive relationships and en hancing our ability to cooperate and collaborate with others.

Making meaning from your experiences. Taking time to make meaning from trying times allows us to look back and find some good from the experience—be it gratitude that didn’t exist previously, recognition of personal growth or strength, or even new prospects that did not seem possible before.

CREATING A RESILIENT ENVIRONMENT FOR YOUR TEAM

As a leader, you can also build a trauma-oriented and re silience-supportive working environment. This can include modeling personal resilience strategies, talking openly with your team about how you are managing your own struggles, expressing gratitude, and listening to others’ experiences. Some strategies to consider include:

Supporting supervisors. Support for supervisors can in clude providing training to help them recognize and respond to burnout and other distress. It can also be ensuring they

are frequently checking-in with their staff and that they have opportunities to connect with other supervisors regularly for peer-to-peer support.

Strengthening communication. It is important that super visors focus on communication skills. During times of stress, our communication patterns may be disrupted, and we are more likely to misread or misunderstand others. We may communicate less frequently due to time constraints, or we may appear distracted or unfocused, leading others to feel that they are not being heard or understood. We may also become more quickly frustrated with others. Ensuring strong bi-direc tional communication is critical. Of fering opportunities for dialogue can also help to engage staff in identifying policies and prac tices that can be changed to demonstrate care, reduce stress, maximize flexibil ity, and give employees more predictability and control in their work and work environment.

Finding the sources of burnout and making changes. Spending time asking about—and real ly listening to—what your team is experiencing is es sential to discovering the root causes of what is causing burnout.

Suggesting self-care strategies with out also working to address the source of the stress can lead staff to feel even more stressed and cause lack of trust.

Enabling the organization to adopt resilience-oriented practices. You can address workplace contributors to stress and burnout though setting, influencing, or interpreting or ganizational policies and practices to create an environment that supports resilience. Even though some of the sources of burnout may be difficult to address immediately, it is import ant to think about what you can do within your span of con trol to lesson stressors, while planning to address the bigger challenges.

LEADING BY EXAMPLE

Leaders have endless demands on their time each day. Developing the discipline to practice and model self-care and paying attention to the ways in which your organiza tion is contributing to, or helping to ameliorate, the stresses and traumas employees experience is critical to becoming a strong and effective leader. As actions always speak louder than words, how you walk the talk and follow through will determine your success. Maybe now would be a good time to take an enjoyable break and then pick up the phone to talk to a staff member about opportunities they see for improving your workplace?

AS ACTIONS ALWAYS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS, HOW YOU WALK THE TALK AND FOLLOW THROUGH WILL DETERMINE YOUR SUCCESS...

Halina Palacios

The greatest asset of a leader is their team. Value each person you come across, whether they have a small or significant impact on your journey. Some people will come as lessons, and some will remain to be with you on your journey. You will face times that are challenging and times that you will handle with ease, all of which will build you as a person and as a leader.

Within the DELPH program, we discussed the difference between leadership and management. Share with us an example when you have effectively done both.

Every day is a different day when running a public clinic, and what tends to happen is that everyone is putting out fires and forgetting to hold people accountable for how some of these fires may have started. Management calls to take the step back and assign people to areas where they would perform best, giving them the responsibility and accountability to handle the challenges that come our way. Through leadership you place your trust not only in your staff but in the decisions you have made through management. As a leader you still need to check in, but you allow people room to grow and also acknowledge whether you may be facing someone's success or someone's challenge to reassess a situation.

What has been the most impactful part of the DELPH program for you?

Being within a group of leaders that continue to push forward. We all face challenges, some very similar and some very different but nonetheless all learning opportunities. The DELPH program has also pushed me to be proud of my accomplishments, and to plan for growth and setting up building blocks.

Why do you want to be a leader?

I want to be a leader because I want my community to know that when you invest and believe in yourself, you can make the positive change that is needed. I want to be in a position where I can share the knowledge, skills, and experiences I have and continue to come across with those around me. I aim to be a leader that is also seen as a partner in the growth of our community, addressing challenges and also celebrating successes. I want to motivate those around me to strive for the best not because it is the standard, but because we deserve it. I want to be a part of the positive direction that will continuously work for better days and stronger communities.

You walk into a room of working professionals, what’s your first move to network?

I set goals for myself prior to any networking event. Believe it or not, I am really shy, introverted, and often battling social anxiety. These events are often a little scary for me. So, prior to the event, I set goals for how many people (minimum) that I need to talk to and what I want to communicate, and (if possible) I make a list of the people I want to make sure I connect with before the end of the event. My first move is to review those goals in my head so I can stay on task.

Education, achievements and organizations

Share your insight about leadership

What is a leadership development book, podcast, or resource you would recommend to a colleague?

Powerful: Building a Culture of Freedom and Responsibility by Patty McCord

Share a link to it: https://www.amazon.com/Powerful-BuildingCulture-Freedom-Responsibility/dp/1939714095

Why do you recommend it?

This book offers inspiration that change in leadership and management styles can happen and have positive effects. It is completely honest about many areas in leadership and management that many of us may have thought about at one point of our careers. I appreciate some of the “bold” movements that are made with the focus on a better outcome.

Master of Public Health

"You have to remember how the islands move. If you forget that, you're lost."

—Pius "Papa Mau" Piailug

What’s one piece of leadership advice you’ve been given, that you’d share with the next generation of leaders?

Harold

When I was first considering a formal leadership role as a supervisor, I shared my hesitation with a former colleague who was a director at a well-renowned organization. I told him that I sometimes wonder whether I would truly enjoy trading the responsibility to learn and use my technical skills (which I had already used to make a great impact in the field of health surveillance) for supervisory responsibilities. In response, he told me "Don't let your strengths hold you back." Those words were what I needed to hear to open my mind and further embrace the possibilities. As it has turned out, I've had moments as a manager that have been incredibly rewarding for both myself and the people I work with that would not have been possible otherwise. There have been times where I have thought to myself, "I was able to be my best self and help fulfill a higher purpose." In my leadership roles, I have trained others to be effective leaders. I have learned a great deal and have developed or discovered new skills and strengths of mine. It has been incredibly humbling at times. I would tell the new generation to keep an open mind to new possibilities and to be brave and try new things. That is how you learn more about yourself, and the more you learn, especially about yourself, the better leader and person you will become.

Within the DELPH program, we discussed the difference between leadership and management. Share with us an example when you have effectively done both.

In my first month in public health, I was introduced to a national network of epidemiologists and a health surveillance system. I quickly learned that many epidemiologists across the country had some reservations about the quality of the data, so I proposed a project, attracted a workgroup, and we collaboratively developed a project charter. We created technical solutions that illuminated many previous unknowns, and these solutions and our findings could be shared with the rest of the network. Using our findings, we advocated for a better system, and CDC came to further align their priorities with ours. Eventually, the health surveillance system was replaced with a more mature system, which came to be the National Syndromic Surveillance Platform (NSSP). The national network of epidemiologists would become the NSSP Community of Practice. A community of practice is only as strong as its members and the activities they support. I led multiple technical workgroups for the NSSP Community of Practice; we developed guidance and technical solutions and would inform CDC plans and activities. Both the system, NSSP, and the NSSP Community of Practice would mature into one of (if not the most) mature and relied-upon health surveillance systems that CDC offered and health agencies across the country used it for situational awareness during the COVID pandemic.

Education, achievements and organizations

• Data Science Support Unit supervisor, Washington State Department of Health

• University of Miami Master of Science in Public Health (2013)

• Outstanding Innovation in Public Health Practice awardee International Society for Disease Surveillance, (2018)

• CDC-Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists-ASTHO-Public Health Informatics Institute Applied Public Health Informatics Fellowship (2013-2014)

Share your insight about leadership

What is a leadership development book, podcast, or resource you would recommend to a colleague?

If We Can Put a Man on the Moon: Getting Big Things Done in Government by William D. Eggers and John O'Leary

Share a link to it: https://www.amazon.com/Can-Put-ManMoon-Government-ebook/dp/B005DI8XPS

Why do you recommend it?

All ventures require successful navigation of obstacles. In the public sector, these obstacles are composed of several canonical stages (idea, design, democratic commitment, implementation, results, and evaluation). The anecdotes, commentary, and lessons in this book serve to remind one that brilliant ideas, plans, and even democratic support are only a fraction of what it takes to realize a vision. You will not only learn about several large public undertakings that eventually succeeded or failed, but exactly why they did so, and the people and beliefs behind them. It is an engaging book that will leave you thinking deeper about how to approach problems in government. I believe this book to be especially relevant now in our time of unprecedented public health funding, in which projects are being initiated at a faster pace than in the previous two decades.

What’s one piece of leadership advice you’ve been given, that you’d share with the next generation of leaders?

"Our society has reached a point where its progress and even its survival depend on our ability to organize the complex and to do the unusual."

—James E. Webb

THE PILLARS OF FUTURE PUBLIC HEALTH LEADERSHIP

BY AVIA MASON

Vice President of Learning Strategy, ASTHO

Despite the large volume of leadership books written each year, there remains an abstruseness around the concept of leadership. While some mistakenly re serve the role of leadership for the most senior ranking per son within an organization, I beg to differ. Leadership isn’t a position–instead it is a process, one which includes an ob servable, understandable, learnable set of skills and practices available to everyone, no matter where they sit in an organi zation. (Kouzes, J. p. 37)

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, many communities became keenly aware of the vital role public health plays in their daily lives. During the pandemic, we learned the critical importance of leadership. While there were national debates regarding the infringement on personal freedoms, the sci ence and timeline of vaccine development, economic impacts of business closures, and declining public trust of the govern ment, the greatest need we saw was for effective leadership. Without effective leadership, it didn’t matter how vaccines were manufactured or equitably distributed, there was a need for clear direction, empathy, and execution. Many orga nizations pay lip service to the concept of leadership without intentionally investing in skill development or nurturing lead ership opportunities within their teams.

As we prepare for a post-COVID era, public health will re main in the spotlight. We have witnessed history with the largest federal investment in governmental public health of all time. The role of public health leadership is more import ant now than ever before. What we do from this point for ward will set the stage for what is possible for public health as a field, and it is imperative that we seize these opportunities to build and sustain sound infrastructure, empower diverse leaders, and ensure a qualified workforce that is positioned to carry us not only through the next crisis but into the next decade.

I believe there are three pillars for public health leadership of the future:

• Care for yourself.

• Communicate effectively.

• Convert from transactions to transformation.

CARE FOR YOURSELF

You cannot pour from an empty cup. It is that simple. If you are going to care for your staff, organization, or commu nity, you must first ensure you are caring for and nurturing yourself. While burning the candle at both ends—being the first to arrive, last to leave, and always accessible—is com monplace (and some would argue noble), it is not sustainable and will ultimately lead to burn out. In a society where we are always connected through emails, texts, and tweets, leaders must learn how to effectively manage their time and energy to ensure we adequately address our basic needs of food, sleep, and exercise.

It is essential for you to personally ensure you are equipped to stay the course and meet important demands. It is equal ly imperative that you model the way for those around you. Your staff is watching whether you know it or not. Other lead ers are also watching. If you don’t take vacation days or ever sign off, team members will never feel they are allowed to do so because they don’t see you doing it—despite how much you encourage them.

COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY

Successful leaders understand the role communication plays in their work. While there is no singular approach, we know that the best laid plans and most exquisite organiza tional strategies will fail if not communicated effectively by leadership. This includes communicating in every direction: up, down, across, and out. Research in this area tells us that no matter how much you previously communicated, in times of high stress, change, or crisis, leaders will need to increase both their cadence and methods for communication.

Transparency is core to effective communication. Leaders need to be timely by sharing exactly what they know when they know it. They must be confident in saying, “This is what I know now and when I know more, I will provide additional details.” Consistently sharing your message in multiple for mats whether, that is via email, agency memos, during staff meetings, or individual one-on-ones, will help to ensure your message is received. To support transparency and trust, al ways share public information with your internal teams first. They need to hear information directly from you before it hits

the news cycle. Even when you are busy, posture yourself to be receptive to feedback. Create opportunities to gather in put, and allow for questions to ensure that what you are try ing to convey is what is being received.

CONVERT FROM TRANSACTIONS TO TRANSFORMATION

Embrace transformation and work to sustain it. Many of you have heard of the term “getting on the balcony” to help gain perspective. As the leader, it is essential for you to be forward thinking, considering how the future may unfold instead of spending all your time focused on the details of what is transpiring in the moment. Delegating responsibility allows leaders to spend more time looking for patterns, doc umenting gaps, charting future directions, and seeking new opportunities across multiple systems. Unfortunately, when leaders remain in the transactional day-to-day details, their teams will not be prepared for what is coming next.

Great leaders are defined less by enduring traits and more

by their ability to recognize and adapt to the opportunities created by a particular moment. Therefore, you want to adopt agile methods to address various opportunities and new partnerships when they present themselves. To do this, leaders must champion agility in all initiatives they touch and influence to allow innovation throughout the team. Reward those who are creative and explore alternative methods for efficiencies. This will require letting go of some tradition, be ing open to missteps, and trying things others haven’t.

Leadership comes with great responsibility. Without self-reflection and intentionality, leaders can inadvertently become overly responsible—that is, taking ownership of oth ers’ tasks, emotions, problems, and mistakes. As we prepare for the next public health emergency, make sure you position yourself to lead more effectively by following the three C’s: care for yourself, communicate effectively, and convert most of your time from transactions to transformations.

If you do this, you will not only improve your leadership but empower others to grow in the process—and that is how we develop the public health leaders of the future!

THE ULTIMATE MEASURE OF A LEADER IS NOT WHERE THEY STAND IN MOMENTS OF COMFORT AND CONVENIENCE; BUT WHERE THEY STAND AT TIMES OF CHALLENGE AND CONTROVERSY. – MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. 1963

James Bell III

What you say matters. If you are a leader, regardless of what level you find yourself at within an organization, you must never forget that what you say matters. It’s not easy to tell the truth, but no one ever said leadership was easy. We require leaders to show us the way ahead, the path toward success, but we need to realize that the same path is seldom the easiest path. Success requires us to deal with difficult situations, to face the reality of our failings, and, above all, to be honest with others and ourselves.

Within the DELPH program, we discussed the difference between leadership and management. Share with us an example when you have effectively done both.

As a leader, I live to share vision and inspire people. And as a manager, I haven’t had to run the operations to fulfill that vision. While serving as the chair of the Protect Michigan Commission, I wanted to ensure every Michigan resident had the most up-to-date information on the COVID-19 vaccine and had equitable access to vaccines. Sure, I had to complete reports and engage stakeholders, but I wanted to rally those around me to see the end of this pandemic. Every decision we made as a team had to go back to the vision, and we made incremental progress to see it through.

What has been the most impactful part of the DELPH program for you?

The most impactful part of DELPH has been the in-person meeting at ASTHO's Executive Leadership Forum. The fellowship was amazing. We curated a space that was safe and lent itself to thought leadership, collaboration, and innovation. And despite being "emerging leaders," this meeting cemented our future trajectories to advance equity in public health.

Why do you want to be a leader?

I want to be a leader because I have a passion for helping others succeed. I often help new hires and recent graduates learn the ropes and get acclimated to state government and company culture. I enjoy being able to help them grow in their career and reach their full potential. If I can assist someone through navigating mistakes I have made, then I have not wasted my leadership.

You walk into a room of working professionals, what’s your first move to network?

My first move to network is have a starter question. I am a big believer in conversational tools. It's hard for me to come up with stuff to talk about on the fly. I may try basic questions like, “What was the highlight of your day today?” and more probing questions like, “When you were growing up, what was your dream job? Is any part of that still true?” I use it as an icebreaker that I can trust to initiate conversation.

Education, achievements and organizations

Share your insight about leadership

What is a leadership development book, podcast, or resource you would recommend to a colleague? Open Wide the Freedom Gates by Dorothy Height

Share a link to it: https: /www.amazon.com/Open-WideFreedom-Gates- Memoir/dp/1586482866

Why do you recommend it?

This is a great read for anyone interested in African American history but really gives voice and experience to many of the challenges we continue to face today. I really appreciate how Ms. Height positioned herself throughout the book as a witness in many of these monumental moments, while delivering a call for justice that many leaders will immediately recognize.

“Let us be enraged about injustice; but let us not be destroyed by it.”

— Bayard Rustin

What’s one piece of leadership advice you’ve been given, that you’d share with the next generation of leaders?

Doctor of Social Work State assistant administrator, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services

• Adjunct professor, Loyola University Chicago

Jana Rush

What’s one piece of leadership advice you’ve been given, that you’d share with the next generation of leaders?

Every new generation of leaders has the power to shape what the future of leadership looks like in all its facets. Therefore, I think it is of the utmost importance for current leaders to create pathways for the next generation of leaders to occupy space at all levels within institutions. Furthermore, leaders need to be afforded the ability to show up as their authentic selves with safe spaces to learn and grow with adequate resources to fully ensure success.

Within the DELPH program, we discussed the difference between leadership and management. Share with us an example when you have effectively done both.

Effective leadership for me entails understanding the best methods for motivating and empowering people to utilize their key competencies to ensure organizational performance excels. In a new leadership role, I had the ability to implement this leadership practice by developing overarching themes for the department to work within, which included empowerment and trust. Thereafter, each team member completed an individual SWOT analysis. Once these analyses were completed, each team member was asked to contribute to organizational objectives that ultimately supported our organization’s mission and vision. In conclusion, team members were fulfilled and excited to contribute based on their strengths while meeting organizational goals. A win-win outcome! Successful management requires operations to run effectively and efficiently. The highlight of exercising this was during the COVID-19 pandemic. I took on a new role leading a division of epidemiology within a large metropolitan health department at the beginning of the pandemic. A few months into response efforts I was able to develop an Incident Command System structure, which outlined various roles and responsibilities for many different aspects of the response. The structure allowed staff across the entire organization to execute key responsibilities in a timely and coordinated effort, which ensured the highest level of protection for the community. Ultimately, I was so humbled to be a part of an unprecedented public health response that saved so many lives.

You walk into a room of working professionals, what’s your first move to network?

My first networking move upon walking into a room is to take a mental note of a few professionals whom I want to connect with and learn more about, which allows me to maximize time to the best of my ability. I will begin a conversation by introducing myself and inquiring about their professional interests and personal journeys. I’ve found success in taking a genuine interest in learning about others, as many people are typically very open to sharing stories about themselves.

Education, achievements and organizations

What is a leadership development book, podcast, or resource you would recommend to a colleague?

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck, PhD

Share a link to it: Shapehttps: /www.goodreads.com/book/ show/34403537-mindset

Why do you recommend it?

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success is such a valuable reference book to utilize for an all-inclusive guide for developing a framework to achieve success in all fields. It provides an indepth look at the power of the growth mindset and how to tap into your true talents and abilities. Ultimately, you will possess the tools to develop the mindset that will transform the way you lead.

• Master of Public Health

• Master of Arts

• Who's Who in Cleveland Most Influential awardee National Health Literacy Innovator awardee

Share your insight about leadership

“We need leaders who care enough, leaders who know enough, leaders who have the courage to do enough, and leaders who will persevere until the job is done.”

—David Satcher, MD, PhD

ESTABLISHING A NEW LEADERSHIP PROGRAM

BY AVIA MASON AND CHRISTY "COACH CHRIS" JONES

Leadership programs are essential in providing opportu nities for professionals to not only gain knowledge but to apply that knowledge through practice and connec tions with peers. There are many effective leadership devel opment programs in the public health space, so the question was asked to our team, “Why do we need another leadership development program now?” We want to share why we felt it necessary to establish the Diverse Executives Leading in Pub lic Health program.

A crucial leadership gap exists in the U.S. public health system. While an overwhelming majority of the state gov ernmental public health agency workforce is comprised of women, these same women are underrepresented in ex ecutive leadership positions. Unfortunately, this creates an economic gap, as these women find themselves at greater odds of receiving less compensation. Sometimes, it is not just about getting into the room of opportunity, but it is also about knowing how to network and create executive pres ence when you get into the room. The DELPH Leadership program is designed specifically to empower targeted popu lations with coaching and strategies to advance in executive public health positions.

There is a documented need for diverse leadership teams with transformational leadership skills to successfully lead public health departments, yet women, BIPOC, and those who identify as LGBTQ are sparsely represented in executive level leadership. There are tangible deficiencies in the leader ship pipeline for racial, ethnic, and other underrepresented candidates to public health leadership positions. As our na tion’s public health challenges increase, the need for diversity among key decision makers and those developing and imple menting policy is more necessary than ever. We seek to have public health agency leadership be more representative of the communities they serve.

The Diverse Executives Leading in Public Health Program is designed to be different from traditional leadership curric ulums. It includes skill building sessions, leadership assess ments, and in-person and virtual workshops, but it uniquely focuses on professional networking and executive presence for leaders who are under-represented in public health. When we talk about professional networking, we are zeroing in on empowering and encouraging participants to join, be active in, and serve on national committees, advisory groups, and boards so that they have access to key decision makers in

the public health field. This program encourages participants to build their own “professional board of directors” that con sists of coaches and mentors who can help them strategize on how to best move into executive positions.

Another key component of this program is the peer net working exposure offered through the cohort experience. Participants get a chance to connect with peers from various public health disciplines who may be able to point them to a position or nominate them to fill a vacancy within their net work.

The DELPH program was made possible by initial fund ing from CDC CSTLTS to develop the program, followed by a second investment to fund implementation of the program under the direction of CSTLTS Director Jose Montero. This program is committed to ensuring a well-prepared workforce of public health professionals, more reflective of the jurisdic tions they serve.

For this initiative, we intentionally sought out a partner ship with the Morehouse School of Medicine (SHLI) to design and implement this new leadership program. ASTHO has a long-standing commitment to preparing lifelong leaders in cluding executive leadership development for state and terri torial health officials and their leadership teams through the ASTHO Leadership Institute. Coupled with the Morehouse experience integrating equity and racial justice in successful leadership training programs led to a uniquely dynamic team. An advisory committee comprised of experts in their fields (former health officials, current deputy directors, deans, pri vate industry leaders, philanthropic leaders, and more) that were able to provide the team with invaluable input for the DELPH program design.

The first cohort of 16 Scholars were selected from a com petitive pool of over 100 applicants. Due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, the program kicked off activities virtually instead of in-person, January 2022. Throughout the program, all 16 scholars remained actively engaged and established lasting bonds with their cohort members. We are excited to see where the DELPH Scholars will go as they progress in their careers. As this initial group transitions into the role of alum ni, we see continued opportunity for them to support future DELPH scholars. This program has already begun to open doors for scholars to be promoted, and we look forward to documenting others who will advance to positions that will positively impact public health for many years to come!

What’s one piece of leadership advice you’ve been given, that you’d share with the next generation of leaders?

To paraphrase more than one of our cohort advisors, “Know your subject matter and know yourself,” as both are equally important in the journey of leadership. As a leader you are a teacher, a coach, a mentor, and an advisor. If you solely focus on subject matter and expertise, you miss the opportunity to grow yourself to connect with and motivate others. As Dr. Satcher told us during the fireside chat, our leadership style, leadership goals, and leadership development is informed by our upbringing; emphasizing the importance of knowing who you are and where you come from.

Within the DELPH program, we discussed the difference between leadership and management. Share with us an example when you have effectively done both.

Leadership is the practice of influencing people, empowering people, and inspiring people to want to support others in accomplishing a shared vision.

In my work I am charged with representing the public health department’s vision, facilitating community engagement, and supporting partnerships among stakeholders committed to improving birth outcomes and family wellness, internally and countywide. In this role, I create and hold spaces for diverse bodies to listen, to advise, to collaborate, and to govern together in support of their commitment to improving the lives of pregnant people and families with young children throughout our county. The role I serve in bridging and facilitating these groups, has resulted in parent-led, agency-supported, community enrichment activities and a collaborative of county-wide maternal, paternal, child, and adolescent health providers focusing on strategies and innovative ways to address the barriers to improved quality of life articulated by the consumers.

Management is the process of organizing people and/or tasks to accomplish a goal.

In our Maternal, Paternal, Child, Adolescent Health Unit, we're committed to providing “quality and equitable services” to our county’s pregnant and parenting families with young children, and to those who have suffered a fetal or infant loss. As a manager, I supervise a team responsible for the implementation and maintenance of continuous quality improvement activities (e.g., data collection, program evaluation, and training). Effective management is when the team and I engage program managers and staff in the day-to-day best practices and habits of accountability to get the tasks completed.

Education, achievements and organizations

• Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, University of California, Berkeley (1994)

• Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology, The Wright Institute (2001)

• Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology, The Wright Institute (2004)

• Co-author of four chapters in the psychology textbook Experiential Activities for Teaching

• Multicultural Counseling Classes and Infusing Cultural Diversity Into Core Classes (2011)

• Adjunct faculty, John F. Kennedy University College of Psychology and Holistic Studies (2007-2017)

• Alameda County Public Health Department Implicit Bias Learning Community design team member (2018- 2019)

• Participant in the Healthy Start Collaborative Innovation Network, focused on addressing health equity (2021)

What is a leadership development book, podcast, or resource you would recommend to a colleague?

My important reads: Reflective Supervision and Leadership for Infant and Early Childhood by Mary Claire Heffron and Trudi Murch, Promoting Cultural Sensitivity in Supervision: A Manual for Practitioners by Kenneth Hardy and Toby Bobes, The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom by Don Miguel Ruiz,

Up next: What Got You Here Won’t Take You There by Marshall Goldsmith.

Share a link to it: www.audible.com and www. amazon.com

Why do you recommend it?

These recommendations have influenced my style and practice of leadership, inspiring self-reflection, cultural attunement, and responsiveness. In general, I am drawn to resources that promote self- awareness, facilitate skill building, and increase my knowledge of the field I am in and the world around me. team and others that I work alongside.

Share your insight about leadership

“Every crisis, actual or impending, needs to be viewed as an opportunity to bring profound changes in our society.”

—Grace Lee Boggs

Lauren Manning

—Sheryl Sandberg

What’s one piece of leadership advice you’ve been given, that you’d share with the next generation of leaders?

I’m not sure if I can give just one. I'd say building trust, staying accountable, and communication.

• Building trust with your colleagues is important to creating good organizational culture. When people feel they belong, they are more motivated and will create successful outcomes for your team, program, and organization.

• Being accountable matters. Oftentimes, accountability is spoken about but not clearly demonstrated. When accountability is there, it demonstrates commitment to the organization and staff.

• Communication is important in everything you do, personally or professionally. Specifically, as a leader it is important to communicate authentically, whether it's about your vision or goals. Communication builds trust and allows for leaders to engage and build relationships both internal and external to their organization.

What has been the most impactful part of the DELPH program for you?

Honestly, the entire program has been so impactful. What has been the most impactful is building relationships with the diverse public health professionals in the cohort. Hearing everyone’s stories and experiences has been insightful, and I am inspired by my peers’ intelligence, resiliency, grit, and passion for public health. We often are encouraged to hear from leaders in our field (which is important), but forget that you can learn and benefit so much from the peer-to-peer learning. The DELPH program has been truly impactful in all aspects, but I have learned so much and built relationships amongst my fellow DELPHers that will go beyond this program.

Why do you want to be a leader?

My "why" for wanting to be a leader stems from wanting to have a positive impact on those I work with and anyone else I may interact with personally and professionally. I am mission driven and have a desire to serve others. I genuinely want to make a difference in my organization horizontally and vertically and in the field of public health.

Representation matters, and my "why" also includes visibility. I want to be an authentic Asian American female leader within the field of public health. A leader who influences and creates an organizational culture where everyone feels like they belong, where we all can have accountability and work toward a common goal.

Education, achievements and organizations

Education:

• Master of Public Health, Saint Louis University (2013)

• Bachelor of Science in Health Administration and Policy (2010)

Achievements:

• National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc. certified health education specialist

• American Radio Relay League technician license amateur radio operator

Organizations:

• American Public Health Association

• Watsonian Society

What is a leadership development book, podcast, or resource you would recommend to a colleague? Harvard Business Review articles.

Share a link to it: https: /hbr.org/

Why do you recommend it?

In my own journey to become a good public health leader, a dear friend and colleague had turned me to Harvard Business Review (HBR) articles. HBR has great articles around leadership, communication, managing people, organizational culture, innovation, and many other great diverse topics. From colleagues, mentors and coaches, HBR articles are a resource that has consistently been recommended in my professional journey. Also, as someone who is always on the go, I find the articles are easy and quick to digest. I would recommend reading any of the articles to someone who is interested in growing as a leader, whether you're in the private or public sector, early career or more experienced, and no matter what your profession is.

"Leadership is about making others better as a result of your presence and making sure that impact lasts in your absence."

Share your insight about leadership

THREE KEY LEADERSHIP STRATEGIES FOR BUILDING A HIGH-PERFORMING TEAM

BY CHRISTY "COACH CHRIS" JONES Senior Director of Leadership Development, ASTHO

There is an adage that says, “Teamwork makes the dreamwork.” I love this statement because I believe teamwork is a foundational bedrock for organization al development and success. Every organization has a mis sion that it desires to see manifested in the marketplace, and teamwork is one of the essential elements for accomplishing that mission.

Accomplishing an organizational mission takes planning, strategy, resources, finances, evaluation, feedback, and a high-performing team. I believe there are several strategies that leaders need in place to build a high-performing team. For this article, I would like to highlight three key leadership strategies that can help every leader build a high-performing team.

CLEAR DIRECTION

It has often been said that where there is no clear vision, people wander aimlessly and chaos ensues. As a leader, it is our job to make sure that we are consistently providing a clear direction for where we are going as a team. Setting a clear direction empowers a leader to set expectations, hold team members accountable, and clarify priorities. When there is clarity, there is acceleration toward the goal.

I want you to think about something for a moment. Picture this: You are in your car, and as you are driving it becomes completely foggy. You are now unable to see any road signs or headlights in the front of you. What are you most likely to do in this situation? Yes, you guessed it! You are going to slow down. The same holds true when there is a lack of clear direction for a team. Things will slow down, tasks will be missed, and miscommunications will be prevalent. The high-performing team that could be functioning at an optimal level is now moving slowly and not accomplishing the mission. It is important for every leader to spend time thinking, planning, and processing so that you can provide clear direction.

COMMUNICATION

Communication for a high-performing team is about more than just getting things done. Communication is critical between all members of a team regardless of what specific role those members play. Effective communication is important because if team members are not able to communicate openly, honestly, and in a healthy manner, it could damage the team’s integrity, function, and ability to reach the goals necessary for success. Two or three people working collaboratively on a project is much more effective than a single person spending the whole of their time working on that same project alone. However, if the communication between those two or three people is ineffective, the whole project will suffer tremendously.

Teams that engage in failed communication ultimately end up wasting time and energy by doing busy work in place of the major priorities that could move the organization’s goals forward. Communication develops trust on a team, it builds a bond, and empowers every team member to actively engage in the work of the team. An astute leader understands that effective communication on a team will drive the organization’s efficiency.

Workplace communication is a powerful tool that will influence the success of the whole organization. If communication is clear, meaningful, open, and accepted by all, team members are more likely to reach out if they get stuck and more likely to “jump in” to help other team members when the need arises. A good leader understands that every organization has flaws, and sometimes communication systems will break down—but that same good leader understands that their role is to make sure that communication is occurring all the time! Good communication will lead to better work relationships and will increase team morale, engagement, and satisfaction.

CULTIVATE CHEMISTRY

High-performing teams are built of individuals who are committed to the vision, mission, and core values of an organiza tion. As a leader, it is important to make note that teams with good chemistry are generally more productive, efficient, and higher functioning. This is partly because good chemistry on a team happens when each team member brings their strengths and skills to the work as they learn how to support and minimize the weaknesses of other team members. Without good chemistry, a team will dysregulate, become dysfunctional, and participate in unnecessary drama that leads them away from the mission of the organization. Leaders need the appropriate level of skill to cultivate the chemistry of a team.

To cultivate this chemistry, a leader needs to know how to facilitate communication, provide opportunities for growth for each member, and get to know each team member’s story. Leaders need to focus on how to create a psychologically safe en vironment for team members to grow and enjoy the work that they are doing together. This may look like taking a team meet ing, abandoning the proposed agenda, and turning it into a time of simply asking each team member what their life’s dream is and allowing them the opportunity to share with the rest of the group. Chemistry maximizes team’s excitement, effort, and energy despite personality differences and behavioral preferences. Chemistry aids a high performing team in cooperating more effectively with each other and getting more done!

Building a high-performing team is critical for a leader. When a leader is engaged in the process of team building, they are actively creating space for individuals to work together as one unit, department, or division. This type of strategy includes more than just icebreakers, fun interactive games, and exercises. All these activities have their place, but the real work behind effective team building encompasses clear direction, establishing communication, and cultivating chemistry. These three strategies build relationships and trust between team members. Leaders have a unique role and responsibility. I believe if given the right strategies, building a high-performing team is inevitable!

Luci Longoria

What’s one piece of leadership advice you’ve been given, that you’d share with the next generation of leaders?

I want to come back to this section later because I really heard LaTricia “LT” Frederick's session at ASTHO’s Executive Leadership forum in Greenville, South Carolina in a new way recently, about not staying in the square and listening/ watching for those opportunities to try something new or challenging that I might not feel ready for or familiar with. LT described how a leader or mentor is doing the work of helping you get ready and move on, and it made me realize that there had been a few times this had happened for me but I couldn't hear it because honestly, I didn't trust it—either I didn't trust myself, or I didn't trust who was telling me because I had been exploited in the past.

Within the DELPH program, we discussed the difference between leadership and management. Share with us an example when you have effectively done both.

I believe that I've effectively done both by stepping up to provide leadership and stability for my team and the broader unit during a time of immense ambiguity and change, turnover in executive staff—including my direct supervisor— participating in change management, and helping guide/mentor my own and other staff throughout the agency in weathering change by providing tangible support on projects to being a sounding board and coach.

Why do you want to be a leader?

Because frankly, there is much leadership needed, and I believe everyone must find a way to deliver leadership. We live together in society, and thus our interdependence is real and demands that we get to know ourselves so that we can find what talents we can lend so that we can support each other for our collective sustainability, joy, and liberation. Fortunately, there are so many ways to give leadership, because when it comes down to it, leadership is being committed to making things better (including yourself!) and doing so in a way that you lift others up along the way so they inevitably can and are able to do things better than you can. I'm happy when I've accomplished a milestone or a goal, but the real joy and pride comes when someone that I've helped (or that took my space when I made room) improves upon my work, brings greater creativity, and blows away my achievement. We all end up with so much more. If you are a systems thinker, you can see the richness and opportunity in that. This is what we all get when we open ourselves up to inclusion and equity.

Education, achievements and organizations

• Master of Public Health degree

• Member, board of directors of Euvalcree

• Adventure guide for the nonprofit Wild Diversity

• I’ve worked in public health in nonprofit, local, and state government public health for almost 25 years. I left the Oregon Health Authority Public Health Division on July 15, 2022, and started employment with CareOregon's Strategic Partnerships department on July 25 as their equity, and inclusion portfolio manager.

Share your insight about leadership

“When I dare to be powerful—to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid.”

—Audre Lorde

Nathifa Miller

What’s one piece of leadership advice you’ve been given, that you’d share with the next generation of leaders?

Be humble, know thyself, create space for respecting differences (listen), and know you are uniquely talented (gifted) and strengthen what you naturally do best!

Within the DELPH program, we discussed the difference between leadership and management. Share with us an example when you have effectively done both.

An example is when I was tasked with leading the Colorado Legal and Judicial Education Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Subcommittee to accomplish the goal of have the Colorado Supreme Court adopt a rule change making equity, diversity, and inclusion continuing legal education mandatory. Although the committee members are not “subordinates,” I had to manage a group of people who did not initially share the same vision, nor the same outcome. I was tasked with stretching my leadership skills while flexing my management skills.

What has been the most impactful part of the DELPH program for you?

The DELPH team has created a space, with no condemnation or shame, for me to show up as we (Cohort #1) are evolving into our leadership positions. I submit that without such a space for “us,” this program would look no different than other leadership programs. The impact exists through having the privilege to experience the “awesomeness” of my fellow scholars. And, it provides an opportunity for me to be a part of a collective group in which our goal is to be a driving force of systemic and/or transformative change. This program has organically turned out to be a valuable resource for accountability, encouragement, and long-term association.

Why do you want to be a leader?

I must first submit that I did not seek out to “be” identified as a leader. What I have strived to be is positioned as is someone who is “impactfully influential.” Later in my leadership development, I learned that indeed my goal to impact others’ lives in ways that support their overall growth was that of practicing leadership. As such, I most recently embraced this concept, and now with purpose am developing my leadership skills.

Education, achievements and organizations

• University of Denver College of Law, Juris Doctor (1995)

• Adjunct professor, Colorado School of Public Health Department of Community and Behavioral Health

• Vice chair, Colorado Supreme Court Continuing Legal Education and Judicial Education Committee (indefinite term limit)

• Board member, Friends of The Haven (2022–present)

• Member, Colorado Black Health Collaborative

• 2019-2020 Director of Colorado Public Health Association’s Public Health in the Rockies conference (currently, membership status)

• Member, Sister-to-Sister International Network of Professional African American Women

• Member, Sam Cary Bar Association

• Certified Diversity Professional, Society of Diversity (2019)

What is a leadership development book, podcast, or resource you would recommend to a colleague?

Although I have leaned into resources such as the NeuroLeadership Institute, sciencebased leadership webinars and podcasts, and Jim Kwik’s book Limitless: Upgrade Your Brain, Learn Anything Faster, and Unlock Your Exceptional Life, now I would recommend the resources provided by the Center for Creative Leadership. This organization provided DELPH scholars an amazing range of resources that I believe met our unique needs as we develop in our leadership journey.

Share a link to it: https: /www.ccl.org/

Why do you recommend it?

The Center for Creative Leadership has provided DELPH scholars an amazing range of resources that I believe met our unique needs as we develop on our leadership journey. I believe this is a go to resource that’s not about a creating a “one approach” method.

Share your insight about leadership

“Leadership is about making others better as a result of your presence and making sure that impact lasts in your absence.”

— Sheryl Sandberg

LETTER TO THE NEXT GENERATION: ADVANCING HEALTH EQUITY AND PUBLIC HEALTH

BY DANIEL E. DAWES, JD Executive Director, Satcher Health Leadership Institute

Dear Future Health Equity Champions,

At the Satcher Health Leadership Institute (SHLI) at Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM), our vision is to be the leading transformative force for health equity, and we know this cannot be possible without the support of our youth. When I think of our future, I think of my very own children and the great potential they have in their hands to not only continue this work, but hopefully see it through for all of us who have fought so hard. I also believe it is important to know and understand why we are in the position we find ourselves today - declining life expectancy, rising gun violence rates, an ongoing pandemic, and to top it off, a rapidly emerging national mental health crisis.

As many know, our public health history is riddled with ups and downs: one step forward and two steps back for public health advocates. We’ve merely nibbled at the edges of health equity and justice time after time. The one constant contin ues to be the communities most afflicted by these seemingly never-ending inequities. Inequities made possible by com pounding harmful policies and the social and political determinants of health, set in stone one-by-one by forces and people in positions of power who continue to create and maintain barriers and strike down efforts to elevate equity and justice for marginalized people and groups during their most vulnerable moments.

When I look through this history, I often recall the missed opportunities and how we can ensure we do not miss another window of opportunity to set a different course, the road less traveled. Execution of a vision requires the collective effort of those who will make the difference: the community partner, the academic scholar, the government leader, the corporate sponsor, the individual next door. We cannot do this alone. The work that we do is predicated upon the input of our dy namic teams, the leaders we encounter, the partners we engage, and the support of the institutions to which we give our time and energy.

The DELPH Program reflects the opportunities that exist within the systems we operate in. We recognize that these efforts were made possible through the power of collaboration from our network of health equity champions to organizations that simply believe and trust in the work we do.

Despite the many dark moments experienced in these recent years, my hope is that each of you finds your opportunity to help push the health equity needle forward to a meaningful degree. My message for the generations of tomorrow is an op timistic one. I see the fire and passion in the future leaders of today to come together collectively for causes they can stand behind. It is through the voices of many that we will be able to influence and effectuate positive change to address these inequities. In the words of the Honorable John Robert Lewis, Every generation leaves behind a legacy. What that legacy will be is determined by the people of that generation. What legacy do you want to leave behind?

In the Spirit of Equity, Daniel E. Dawes, JD

Executive Director, Satcher Health Leadership Institute Morehouse School of Medicine

David Satcher, M.D., Ph.D. Founding Director And Senior Advisor of Satcher Health Leadership Institute. Satcher served as the 10th Assistant Secretary for Health, and the 16th Surgeon General of the United States.

Contributed Photo

Nivedita Ravi-Caldwell

What’s one piece of leadership advice you’ve been given, that you’d share with the next generation of leaders?

“Never look up to anyone, never look down on anyone, just see everyone and everything as the way they are/it is.”—Sadhguru

This quote helps me do two things:

• See situations exactly the way they are, not how I would wish them to be, which helps me respond to the situation/person with clarity.

• See every life as having value, which helps me remain inclusive and humble.

Within the DELPH program, we discussed the difference between leadership and management. Share with us an example when you have effectively done both.

As the program lead for rabies surveillance, I was in charge of creating a new database system and leading database migration efforts. The task was complex and involved multiple stakeholders and users with different needs. Another program that was migrated from the old to new database management system faced significant technical and logistical challenges. To ensure a smooth process for my project, I consulted the other program’s users to learn about successes and failures. I recognized some preventable issues, such as poor communication within the team and a lack of mutual understanding between different stakeholder groups. I prioritized creating channels for effective and transparent communication between different parties. I gained team members’ trust as I took personal responsibility for training members and creating protocols. With a systems approach to the issue, I ensured a smooth transition for the rabies team.

I am a veterinarian and epidemiologist working in the field of infectious disease and zoonotic diseases. I served as Washington, D.C.’s state public health veterinarian for years, and also worked in the COVID-19 pandemic response doing disease surveillance, outbreak response, and data management. I am an active member of the National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians, the American Veterinary Medical Association, and the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists.

I moved to the United States from India in the middle of my undergraduate program because I wanted to study veterinary medicine. Through grit, determination, and a heavy dose of grace, I battled anxiety and depression to achieve my academic goals. This challenging personal experience made me a strong advocate for mental well-being, and I am actively involved in several efforts to promote mental health, including the Intersectional Council on Suicide Prevention in the American Public Health Association (APHA) and the Potomac Regional Coping, Resiliency, and Challenges study. As an avid proponent of One Health to find solutions for public health issues that affect humans, animals, and the environment, I am also an executive member of APHA’s One Health section and have helped to bring veterinarians into the national conversation regarding mental health.

I am multilingual and a trained Bharatanatyam (classical Indian dance form) dancer and trained classical singer. I am also a spiritual seeker and a volunteer with the Isha Foundation, a volunteerbased, nonprofit organization that offers yoga and meditation classes with the goal of creating global harmony, uplifting societies, and protecting the environment.

Education, achievements and organizations your insight about

“What distinguishes the greatest leaders of our time, it's that success is very rarely a goal for them; it’s a byproduct of other goals that they have.” Grant

Sandy Noel

Education, achievements and organizations

Education/Achievements:

• Fluent in Haitian-Creole, advanced in French

• Doctor of Public Health student, Florida AandM University (expected 2025)

• Master of Public Health, George Washington University (2020)

• Served in the U.S. Peace Corps 2013-2016 in Benin, West Africa as a rural community health advisor and gender and equality program coordinator

• Bachelor of Science in International Affairs, Florida State University (2012)

• Fulbright grantee/scholar (2012)

• Took a Semester at Sea, a study abroad program that circumnavigates the globe on a ship. Travelled to Mexico, Japan, China, Vietnam, Mauritius, South Africa, Ghana, Brazil (2010)

• Chapter contributor for the book, Toothbrush People: American College Students’ Personal Experiences with Poverty, Inequalities, Humility, and Kindness.

• Florida State University Featured Outstanding Student

• Gates Millennium scholar (2008)

Organizational Memberships:

• Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., member

• A WISH, INC., secretary and board member

• Florida Public Health Association, member

Can't decide!

• Be reliable! If you are not reliable as a general worker/colleague, how can you be reliable as a leader?

• I am still learning to apply this piece of advice: you cannot do it all yourself. Learn to delegate, but delegate to the right people. Since everyone has different skills, capitalize on those skills to guarantee the right people are doing the right tasks.

Within the DELPH program, we discussed the difference between leadership and management. Share with us an example when you have effectively done both.

Share your insight about leadership

• Semester at Sea Alumni Association, Voyager’s Council member an myself, my colleague recommended to because I am always looking to understand the dos and don’ts for leaders and ways to actively enhance my leadership abilities. Thus, I recommend this book because I appreciated how Herminia Ibarra shares specific techniques to start acting like a leader. Ibarra basically focuses on the process of learning to be a leader now by making minor but actionable changes in your daily routine. I recommend this book to anyone who yearns to improve themselves, both professionally and personally.

I believe that for both leaders and managers, communication is a primary focus, while the main role of a leader is to consider the overall goal and inspire others, and a manager focuses on the process of reaching the goal. In my current position, I apply both leadership and management skills when I communicate updates and important up-to-date Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) information between the state health office and the county health departments (CHDs). My leadership abilities are exhibited during 1:1 meetings I frequently conduct with the CHDs because I get to influence, motivate, and further enable CHD staff to contribute locally toward reaching Florida’s EHE efforts. As a manager, I am involved in all the “other” important elements of Florida’s EHE efforts, which include planning, organizing, coordinating, and monitoring.

What has been the most impactful part of the DELPH program for you?

If I must be frank, every part of the DELPH program has been impactful for me. However, the most impactful part of the DELPH program has been the one on one time with my leadership coach, Linda. All the coaches are amazing, but I can only speak about my coach; Linda is phenomenal! Never in my life would I imagine being in a position to even have a “leadership coach.” Having Linda as my leadership coach has been instrumental in helping me learn new skills relevant to becoming an effective manager and leader overall. Specifically, my coaching experience has helped me become more self-aware about how I can improve as a leader, how to effectively delegate, and what moves I should make to advance my public health career.

What’s one piece of leadership advice you’ve been given, that you’d share with the next generation of leaders?

Listen before you speak; great leadership is more about hearing others than it is about being heard yourself.

MOREHOUSE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AND THE SATCHER HEALTH LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE ABOUT MSM-SHLI

Located in Atlanta, Georgia, Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) is among the nation’s leading educators of prima ry care physicians, physician assistants, biomedical scientists, and public health professionals working towards im proving the health and well-being of individuals in underserved communities. MSM’s faculty, alumni and students are noted in their fields for excellence in teaching, research, and public policy. It is a Historically Black College/University (HBCU) founded in 1975 to recruit and train minority and other students in these professions, while upholding a commit ment to serving the health needs of underserved populations. MSM is guided by the vision of leading the advancement and creation of health equity through preparing future health learners and leaders, engaging in translational research and discovery, and bridging healthcare and health.

Since its inception, under the visionary leadership of our founding director, the 16th Surgeon General of the United States David Satcher, MD, PhD, and our current executive director, Daniel E. Dawes, JD who pioneered the political determi nants of health, the Satcher Health Leadership Institute (SHLI) has been comprised of nationally respected subject matter experts in public health, health equity, health policy, social determinants of health, mental and behavioral health, primary health care, community health, and leadership. The vision of the Satcher Health Leadership Institute (SHLI) is to be the leading transformational force for health equity

SHLI is driven by a renewed mission to create systemic change at the intersection of policy, research, community empowerment and equity. While health equity is the unwavering focal point of SHLI, there are three main priorities that serve as guiding posts: health system transformation, mental and behavioral health, and the political determinants of health. The vision imperatives that operationalize these priorities are policy, community engagement, research and evalu ation, and leadership. To contribute to the achievement of health equity for all population groups, and in conjunction with key strategic partners, SHLI enhances leadership among diverse learners, develops replicable standards and strategies in health leadership, conducts forward-thinking research on the drivers of health inequities, fosters a diverse and inclusive health leadership network, and advances evidence-based policies. See Figure 5

SHLI has a strong history of collaborative work toward building infrastructure to promote health equity. Our leaders, researchers and scholars have pioneered public health leadership by laying out a road map of public health infrastructure priorities specifically aimed at reducing and eliminating disparities in health.

As we progress further into the 21st century social landscape, SHLI recognizes that the structural and institutional barri ers to health equity present an opportunity to introduce a new framework that advances and challenges the health equity research discourse and unearths additional insights into the drivers of inequities. The political determinants of health

(PDOH) model developed by Daniel E. Dawes, JD, is aimed at advancing research that demonstrate how and why political determinants of health create the social drivers that affect all dynamics of health.4 As we face unprecedented global health crises, the inequities in our health systems and across other systems have become even more evident. SHLI aims to not only create awareness, but also effect change and offer solutions within systems, communities, and through policies to realize a more healthy, equitable, and inclusive society.

SHLI FOCUSES ON THREE (3) PRIORITY AREAS: THE POLITICAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH, HEALTH SYSTEM TRANSFORMATION, AND MENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH.

POLITICAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH

The political determinants of health create the social drivers - including poor environmental conditions, inadequate trans portation, unsafe neighborhoods, and lack of healthy food options - that affect all other dynamics of health. By understanding these determinants, their origins, and their impact on the equitable distribution of opportunities and resources, we can be better equipped to develop and implement actionable solutions to close the health gap.

HEALTH SYSTEM TRANSFORMATION

Reduced life expectancy, worsening health outcomes, health inequity, and declining health care options are all realities for most Americans because of the health system currently in play. SHLI has always been a strong supporter of and breeding ground for health learners and leaders that are focused on transforming the health system in measurable and equitable ways.

MENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH

There is no health without mental health. Since SHLI’s founding, mental and behavioral health issues have been prioritized through research and programmatic efforts aimed at reducing, and ultimately eliminating, mental health disparities within vulnerable populations.

PROGRAMS

As an institute within the prestigious MSM, SHLI’s work and research is heavily centered on fostering a learning environ ment by providing a robust variety of competitive fellowships, educational programs, leadership summits, distinguished lec tureships, and more. Through these programs, SHLI enhances leadership among diverse learners, conducts forward-thinking research on the drivers of health inequities, and advances evidence-based policies.

At the SHLI, innovation, research, and transformational action is at the heart of everything we do. Through training and edu cation, technological innovation, and strategic collaborative engagement, we are making a difference! We are committed to our promise to continue work toward pushing the health equity needle forward, all to contribute to the achievement of health equity for all population groups.

FIGURE

Shelley J. Lee

What’s one piece of leadership advice you’ve been given, that you’d share with the next generation of leaders?

The advice I would like to impart to the next generation of leaders is to figure out your leadership style, get comfortable with it and own it! Understand that your leadership journey will bring many growing pains along the way, but there is always a lesson to be learned from each experience.

Within the DELPH program, we discussed the difference between leadership and management. Share with us an example when you have effectively done both.

As someone who works with community coalitions within the state of Louisiana to build local capacity through grant funding for the purposes of providing a service to the underserved and under-resourced, management is ensuring administrative and programmatic compliance for each grantee. However, leadership is having the vision to work in parallel to prepare each coalition to position themselves for sustainment once funding expires. This I believe to be the difference between managing and leading, something I have done well thus far. A vision must be present!

What has been the most impactful part of the DELPH program for you?

As a DELPH scholar, the most impactful part of the program has to be the overall experience. The speakers have been phenomenal, the networking has been next level, and the in-person meeting conference was like no other. Throughout this process, DELPH has helped me to figure out my leadership style—"Slow, Steady and Strategic!”

Why do you want to be a leader?

Leaders care, they listen, and they are only interested in contributing in substantive ways. They pay it forward and they extend a hand up. I choose to be leader for these reasons.

You walk into a room of working professionals, what’s your first move to network?

My first move it to step outside my comfort zone and introduce myself to someone I don't know. After all, there's more to gain when a risk is taken.

Education, achievements and organizations

Share your insight about leadership

What is a leadership development book, podcast, or resource you would recommend to a colleague?

Dare to Lead by Brené Brown

Share a link to it: https://brenebrown.com/hubs/dare-to-lead/

Why do you recommend it?

I highly recommend this book as it is absolutely uncontrived! It speaks to the vulnerabilities of a leader "daring to lead" and showing up in the midst of the unknown. Truly a great read for anyone at any level in their career wanting to do more!

• Master of Public Health, A.T. Still University

• Undergraduate degree from the University of Tampa

• Master Certified Health Education Specialist

"People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care."

T. Benicio Gonzales

—Ella Baker

What’s one piece of leadership advice you’ve been given, that you’d share with the next generation of leaders?

In a period of my life where I was trying to figure out what I wanted to be doing and where I wanted to go (literally and metaphorically), a mentor told me that some of us will have to be the first and pave a way to where no one like us has been before. That felt like such a hard reality when they told me that. In so many ways they were right, and there have been moments when leadership in these identities has been incredibly difficult. The good news is that we can chart the paths we want. Connect with those who are leading in ways that you envision for yourself. Create a community of support—you will need it. There are people who want us to be successful, and we can lead in new ways.

Within the DELPH program, we discussed the difference between leadership and management. Share with us an example when you have effectively done both.

I had the opportunity to help lead part of our department through an organizational realignment, which better serves our vision. That period of transition required me to integrate the very real needs of daily management skills like planning details, directing work, and focusing on policies and procedures, while leading individual team members and new workgroups to a new vision and creating value in that vision.

What has been the most impactful part of the DELPH program for you?

The program has created space for me to reflect on my own leadership, identify areas that I want to work on, and claim areas that are strengths and know that I want to hold on to them. Working with the executive coach has challenged me in great way to think about ways to stretch myself to be clearer in my leadership goals and what steps I need to take to grow in the leadership I want to embody. My coach has provided space for me to think about what growth (and accountability in that growth) means in my own leadership.

Why do you want to be a leader?

I am most interested in making space for the creativity, experience, and knowledge of my community and those that I work with to create the solutions we need for justice across our communities. I am in best service to my community when I can help create that space for more leadership.

You walk into a room of working professionals, what’s your first move to network?

As it is for so many of us, networking isn’t my favorite activity. If I know someone in the room and they are talking to a person I don’t know, I’m likely to engage them in conversation so I can feel some comfort by talking to someone I know while getting to meet someone new.

Education, achievements and organizations

What is a leadership development book, podcast, or resource you would recommend to a colleague?

Dare to Lead podcast, hosted by Brené Brown with guests Jodi-Ann Burey and Ruchika Tulshyan, on imposter syndrome.

Share a link to it: Shapehttps: /brenebrown.com/podcast/ imposter-syndrome/

Why do you recommend it? I have an appreciation for those who embrace context and complexity while encouraging us to challenge systems.

• PhD student, University of Louisville School of Public Health and Information Sciences, specializing in health management and system sciences

• Master of Social Work, University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work (presidential endowed scholar)

• Bachelor of Arts in Social Work, St. Edward's University, graduating magna cum laude

Share your insight about leadership

"I have always thought what is needed is the development of people who are interested not in being leaders as much as in developing leadership among other people."

The DELPH Team and Cohort #1 pose for a group photo in their branded polos at the South Carolina Leadership Summit.

Timothy Browser

DELPH CURRICULUM TOPICS

PROGRAM OBJECTIVES

1. Increase the professional visibility and exposure of diverse mid- to senior-level governmental public health professionals from underrepresented identity groups interested in advancing to an executive-level career in governmental public health.

2. Provide leaders with ongoing support as needed to engage in personal and institutional advocacy, develop leadership identity, and develop a career plan.

3. Create opportunities for networking and mutual support through a peer support network.

A HISTORY OF THE GOVERNMENT AND HEALTH EQUITY

° Evaluate the government’s legacy relative to health equity and health inequity in the United States

° Review of My Quest for Health Equity: Notes on Learning While Leading

UNDERSTANDING WHO YOU ARE AS A LEADER

° Using your Strengths to Lead

• Strengths Finder 2.0

° Influence Workshop

• Influence Style Indicator

° Leadership strategies using DiSC Assessment:

• Identify personal leadership styles

• Develop self-awareness and understanding of your own skills for influencing others.

• Develop self-awareness through leadership and DiSC assessment.

PROFESSIONAL BRANDING AND INFLUENCE AS A LEADER

° Develop professional brand towards becoming an executive-level health official

EXECUTIVE PRESENCE

° The perceptions others form about you as a result of what you say and how you say it

° The ability to command the attention of others

° The ability to connect authentically with the thoughts and feelings of an audience

PROFESSIONAL BRANDING

° Develop professional brand towards becoming an executive-level health official

° Confidence building

° Impact Statements

° Finding your “WHY”

ADVOCACY IN A CHANGING POLITICAL CLIMATE

° Advocacy 101 from Government Affairs Team

° Review examples of current public health advocacy efforts

° Analyze personal efficacy in becoming a public health advocate

° Influencing without Authority

APPLYING LEADERSHIP MODELS IN THE REAL WORLD

° Define attributes of effective leaders and leadership roles in public health

° Reframe leadership from a mechanical system to a living systems perspective

° Introduce regenerative leadership and systems thinking/systems leadership

NETWORKING

° Executive Leadership Forum Annual Meeting

° Coffee Conversations with Public Health Leaders

° ASTHO Board of Directors Engagements

DRAFTING POLICY BRIEFS / MEMOS

Tiffany Wilson

What’s one piece of leadership advice you’ve been given, that you’d share with the next generation of leaders?

I would tell the next generation to make sure they always take time to listen. Listening allows you to be empathic, mindful, engaging, and respected. It also presents you with an opportunity for growth and innovation.

Within the DELPH program, we discussed the difference between leadership and management. Share with us an example when you have effectively done both.

My experience with leadership and management is from my current role. Not only have I taken on additional responsibilities for the betterment of the program, but I also had to ensure the roles and responsibilities of my staff were also being completed. I took the initiative to spearhead multiple programs with minimal direction; however, it was in that experience where I had to find a way to persevere that my leadership style developed. It is in those hardships that you learn how to manage and lead more effectively.

What has been the most impactful part of the DELPH program for you?

The most impactful part for me is the executive coaching. The executive coaching created a lot of self-awareness and identified leadership and career challenges while providing support, and it made me accountable. The experience was transformational, and it has definitely assisted in my career trajectory.

Why do you want to be a leader?

I have two reasons why I want to be a leader. The first is to be able to innovate and be a part of the decision-making process. There are a lot of aspects of this world that is long overdue for some form of innovation. Secondly, I want to make sure that there is black female representation in a leadership role.

You walk into a room of working professionals, what’s your first move to network?

I typically speak and then follow it up with some type of compliment. I'll use the compliment to segue into a professional conversation about the person's career or special projects, or to identify another networking opportunity.

Education, achievements and organizations

Education:

• Georgia Southern University, Master of Public Health

Achievements:

• First Digital HIV Annual Report

Share your insight about leadership

What is a leadership development book, podcast, or resource you would recommend to a colleague?

I think a great resource is identifying a colleague/peer whose leadership style is similar to your leadership aspirations and modeling them through social and tactile learning.

Why do you recommend it?

I recommend this because it's through having those different experiences and witnessing different types of leadership styles that you truly develop as a leader.

“Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.”

—Winston Churchill

Traci Murray

What’s one piece of leadership advice you’ve been given, that you’d share with the next generation of leaders?

“You can do anything for two years.” My nursing mentor told me this when I couldn’t decide whether to apply for a two-year public health training program. The program required me to relocate to a city where I had no support network and had never visited. Still, she made me consider the bigger picture—it’s only two years. I did it! That experience exposed me to experiences that opened many doors for my career.

Now, I encourage others to take a similar risk, especially early in their career journey. Most of us will work 20-30 years before retiring. Taking one to two years to try a new role or do an internship is a fraction of time in your career but can be a significant investment for the future.

Within the DELPH program, we discussed the difference between leadership and management. Share with us an example when you have effectively done both.

Leadership is influencing people to accomplish a task. On the other hand, management is organizing people to accomplish that task. My leadership is most evident when I bring a team together and create a shared vision for our work. My management skills come out during the day-to-day oversight for doing the work.

What has been the most impactful part of the DELPH program for you?

The relationships I’ve built through DELPH have been life changing. There are relationships within the cohort and program leadership team that will last well beyond the program ending. Through DELPH, I found people who understand the mountains and valleys of being a Black female leader. It’s one of few spaces where I can truly show up the way I want to be seen.

Why do you want to be a leader?

I want to be a leader because I can’t imagine doing anything less with all the talents, treasures, and time I’ve been divinely given. Whether I’m leading one or 100, it fulfills my life purpose. Some leaders are born, and others are made, but we all must work to become better, more effective leaders. DELPH has helped me refine my natural leadership skills while learning new ones.

Education, achievements and organizations

• Master of Public Health, University of North Texas Health Science Center (2019). Earned a global health certificate, graduated with honors, and became certified in public health.

• PhD in nursing, University of Texas at Tyler (2014).

• Texas Nurses Association’s 2020 Year of the Nurse Award recipient

• Member of Chi Eta Phi Sorority, Inc. professional nursing organization

• Member of the Commissioned Officers Association

• Member of the Black Commissioned Officers Advisory Group

What is a

Sylvia Ann Hewlett’s videos on executive There: A Book of

Share /www.barnesandnoble.com/w/gettingthere-gillian-zoe- segal/1120333492

Why do you recommend it? discuss to competent leaders represent themselves confidently in any space and insights from leaders across various industries on their journey to success.

Share your insight about leadership

“Where there is no vision, the people perish.” 29:18

OUR GUEST SPEAKERS Thank You to Our Speakers

The DELPH cohort and our DELPH team want to extend a special thanks to our amazing guest speakers that made this experience possible.

Without their contributions to the program, our would not have been the same for our cohort! Their leadership, direction, and subject matter expertise added tremendous value to of this course.

• David Satcher, 16th Surgeon General, US, and Founding Director of the Satcher Health Leadership Institute at Morehouse School of Medicine

• Jose Montero, Director, Center for State, Tribal, Local, and Territorial Support, CDC

• Mike Fraser, Chief Executive Officer, ASTHO

• Daniel Dawes, Executive Director of the Satcher Health Leadership Institute

• Amber Williams, Senior Vice President of Leadership and Organizational Performance, ASTHO

• Kimberlee Wyche-Etheridge, Senior Vice President of Health Equity and Diversity Initiatives, ASTHO

• Courtney Phillips, Secretary, Louisiana Department of Health

• Nicole Alexander-Scott, Senior Executive Consultant, ASTHO, and Former Rhode Island Health Director

• Marissa Levine, Professor of Public Health Practice, and Director of the Center for Leadership in Public Health Practice, University of South Florida’s College of Public Health

• Harolyn M.E. Belcher, Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer, Kennedy Krieger Institute

• Dawn Hunter, Director and Public Health Lawer, Network for Public Health Law

• Joanne Dias, Senior Faculty, Center for Creative Leadership

• LaTricia “LT” Frederick, Director of People and Communities, Cisco

• Tracey Lee, Communications Trainer, Ovation

• Jason Sanford, Communications Trainer, Ovation

• Jeffery Ekoma, Senior Director of Government Affairs, ASTHO

• Adrianna Evans, Director of Preparedness and Disability Integration, ASTHO

• Megan Douglas, Assistant Professor, Department of Community Health and Preventive Medicine, Morehouse School of Medicine

• Christy "Coach Chris" Jones, Senior Director of Leadership Development, ASTHO

• Shondell Jones, owner of Kinetic Physical Therapy and Wellness and co-owner of Monday Solutions Group

RESOURCES FOR PUBLIC HEALTH PROFESSIONALS

HEALTH EQUITY

ASTHO’s Subject Matter Experts on Health Equity: https://www.astho.org/topic/health-equity/ Disability Inclusion Resources: https://www.astho.org/topic/health-equity/disability-inclusion/

The HELEN Project: The Health Equity Leadership & Exchange Network (HELEN) is a national network designed to bolster leadership and the exchange of ideas and information among communities of color and other vulnerable populations relative to the advancement of health equity in laws, policies, and programs. More information found here: https://satcherinstitute.org/helen/

ASTHO’s Health Equity Summit (Annual Event): https://www.astho.org/education/health-equitysummit/

MULTIMEDIA RESOURCES TO STAY CONNECTED

Podcast: ASTHO’s Public Health Review, features public health and thought leaders who tackle everyday issues impacting the communities they serve. The series capitalizes on current public health trends and provides listeners with valuable information: https://www.astho.org/ communications/podcast/

Daily Newscast: Public Health Review: Morning Edition, your daily public health briefing with the latest news from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials: https://newscast.astho.org/

Newsletters: Public Health Weekly Newsletter, ASTHO newsletter subscription options feature updates, analysis, resources, and events on pressing issues in state and territorial public health: https://www.astho.org/communications/newsletters/

Satcher Health Leadership Institute Newsletter: https://satcherinstitute.org/resources/

POLITICAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH:

Book by Daniel Dawes: https://www.press.jhu.edu/books/title/12075/ political-determinants-health

Video: Jessica’s Story, An excerpt from "The Political Determinants of Health" by Daniel E. Dawes: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=cmMutvgQIcU=

The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) is a nonprofit organization committed to supporting the work of state and territorial public health officials and furthering the development and excellence of public health policy nationwide.

ASTHO's membership is comprised of 59 chief health officials from each of the 50 states, Washington, D.C., five U.S. territories, and three freely associated states. ASTHO also supports peer communities of state and territorial health leaders and senior execu tives in health departments who work with more than 100,000 public health profession als employed at state and territorial public

ABOUT ASTHO health agencies.

ASTHO’S PRIMARY FUNCTIONS ARE TO:

• Develop strong and effective public health leaders.

• Improve public health through capacity building, technical assistance, and thought leadership.

• Advocate for resources and policies that improve the public’s health and well-being.

In all our endeavors, we aim to promote the advancement of equity and optimal health for all.

OUR VISION

:

OUR MISSION

LEADERSHIP

We empower individual and collective initiative, inno vation, and ingenuity within our organization, and among members and stakeholders, to advance health equity and organizational excellence.

RESPECT

We demonstrate appreciation for the abilities, expertise and diverse perspectives of our colleagues, partners, and members.

INTEGRITY

We expect one another to be honest, trustworthy, kind, and reliable and we keep our commitments to our col leagues and to our members and partners.

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

Through our policies as an organization and behaviors as individuals, we strive to foster a sense of belonging among every individual and practice respect for and un derstanding of all cultures, identities, perspectives, beliefs, and abilities.

COLLABORATION

We promote equal partnership, inclusion, and informa tion-sharing among staff, members, funders, and exter nal stakeholders to achieve strategic priorities and goals.

RESPONSIVENESS

Our practices are forward-thinking, thoughtful, timely and relevant, anticipating the needs of staff, members, and other stakeholders to provide necessary insights and support.

WHAT WE VALUE:

State and territorial health agencies advancing health equity and optimal health for all.

To support, equip, and advocate for state and territorial health officials in their work of advancing the public’s health and well-being.

DIVERSE