Magaña Laura, Benjamin Georges C
Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health, Washington, DC, United States.
American Public Health Association, Washington, DC, United States.
Front Public Health. 2025 Aug 11;13:1642510. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1642510. eCollection 2025.
This paper explores the urgent need for an inclusive model of leadership in public health, particularly in the context of accelerating social and political change. Drawing on lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic and other recent public health crises, the paper argues that traditional top-down leadership structures-often disconnected from the communities most impacted-are insufficient for responding to modern challenges. Instead, public health systems must invest in cultivating leaders who are embedded in, trusted by, and responsive to diverse populations. Citing workforce declines, public mistrust (1), and the harassment of health officials (2) before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic, this paper calls for a national leadership training agenda that spans the academic-to-practice continuum and emphasizes mentorship, flexible educational models, and integration with public health jurisdictions and community-based organizations. The paper also recommends reforming leadership metrics to prioritize measurable impact over positional authority. Ultimately, this paper positions adaptive, equity-focused leadership development as foundational to strengthening the nation's public health infrastructure. It offers a forward-looking, inclusive vision that aligns leadership development with the evolving realities and demands of 21st-century public health.
本文探讨了公共卫生领域对包容性领导模式的迫切需求，尤其是在社会和政治变革加速的背景下。借鉴新冠疫情及近期其他公共卫生危机的经验教训，本文认为传统的自上而下的领导结构——往往与受影响最严重的社区脱节——不足以应对现代挑战。相反，公共卫生系统必须投资培养融入不同人群、受其信任并能做出回应的领导者。本文援引了新冠疫情之前、期间和之后劳动力减少、公众不信任（1）以及卫生官员受到骚扰（2）等情况，呼吁制定一项涵盖从学术到实践全过程的国家领导力培训议程，并强调指导、灵活的教育模式以及与公共卫生辖区和社区组织的整合。本文还建议改革领导力衡量标准，将可衡量的影响置于职位权威之上。最终，本文将适应性、以公平为重点的领导力发展定位为加强国家公共卫生基础设施的基础。它提供了一个前瞻性、包容性的愿景，使领导力发展与21世纪公共卫生不断变化的现实和需求保持一致。
