Leadership Skill Development

As the new models of public health practice continue to emerge, so do the challenges facing top-level management of these paradigms. Our local public health departments used to consist mainly of sanitarians and similar environmental health inspectors, and perhaps a public health nurse. Core public health functions have evolved to include many more facets, such as population health, substance use prevention and intervention, mental health, and social determinants of health topics. This new diversification of public health topics means that public health department leadership must be familiar with a spectrum of issues that affect health equity and population-based wellbeing.

This chapter provides insight into the skills required for today’s local public health leaders to serve as the jurisdiction’s chief health strategist.