In previous postings and in my book PUBLIC HEALTH LEADERSHIP, I have discussed the five levels of leadership. As leaders develop their skills, each level builds on the skills developed at a previous level. In review, the first level involves the development of personal leadership skills that become the driver for all leadership activities regardless of level. Each of us needs to develop a leadership mindset and a series of experiences that define us as a leader. These personal skills will develop over a lifetime. The second level of leadership supports our work with teams and becomes the foundation for all our collaborative leadership activities. Team leadership is critical to all our public health and human service activities and our problem solving work. Our personal leadership skills help us to work well with other team members. The third level provides us with context. Teamwork often occurs within the context of organization and the leadership skills that will provide us with the wok and values necessary to develop our personal skills and team leadership skills. The fourth level puts us in the community where we need to work with others and to guide the work of our organizations so that they reflect the needs of our organizations. Thus, each of the four levels of leadership skill development develop a complex array of tools for carrying out our leadership work.
Now it is necessary to add a new fifth level to our model. This level includes the leadership skills necessary to work in a global environment. Public health issues are global in nature. Many have argued that leaders must think globally but act locally. Health and disease are global issues but public health practice activities are carried out at the local level. Epidemiologic surveillance needs to be a global as well as a local concern. Disease does not respect borders. The sixth level is the importance of communication and the necessity of spreading our good as well as our not so good acts to our colleagues so that we can all learn from our actions. Thus, our model of leadership levels must expand to better reflect the ways that we as leaders work.
Rowitz On Leadership 