What kind of public health leader do I want to be? And, how can I think about leadership during a period of profound change for U.S. public health institutions that once seemed unshakable?
As a DrPH student, I have had exceptional opportunities to think about public health leadership:
- I am a mentee in the Emerging Women Leaders Program.
- My public health doctoral program has leadership (and management and policy) in its name.
- I was fortunate to work with a remarkable executive leadership coach, Joan Bragar, through my program.
Even with formal leadership development support and 20+ years in public health, I, like many of my peers and mentors, am uncertain how best to respond to sustained challenges facing public health, or how to most effectively apply my training and experience to meet this moment as a leader.
What should we DO?
Since President Trump’s return to office in January, many public health professionals have felt a renewed urgency to act in support of public health. We are seeking guidance and inspiration from podcasts, books, trainings, and structured and informal discussions. We are taking collective and individual action when we can.
I find myself going back to my professional roots. My entry into public health was as a sex educator. I believe that sex ed offers a useful framework that can help me, and hopefully others, become the public health leaders the U.S., and the world, needs right now.
Combing through Substack last week, an article Pete vs. Gavin: How Two Democrats Enter the Lion’s Den—and Only One Tames It by Nadine Smith, a former journalist and current Executive Director of Equality Florida, caught my eye. Smith lauded former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg for his skill in engaging with ideologically opposed media personalities. Smith described Buttigieg’s approach as “showing up where people are—without giving up who you are.” For me, that line evoked my work as a sex educator, offering a north star on the path forward.
Sex Ed Cornerstones
As a sex educator, I strive to:
- Start where people are, not where I think they should be or I want them to be.
- Understand the question or fear that is often hidden beneath what is said out loud, especially when what is expressed is controversial or outrageous.
- Validate that whatever people are feeling or wondering about is normal and okay and does not pre-determine their actions.
- Provide accurate information in a scope, depth, and manner that will allow students to take it in.
- Connect key concepts to their values (not mine) and the agreed upon values of the institution that we share (i.e. school, house of worship, town, etc.).
These core tenets are easier to list than to implement. When a teenager disparages sexual assault survivors or insists that there are circumstances under which it is okay for a husband to hit a wife, it is hard not to react strongly. Coming back to foundational sex ed principles gives me a structure to help students consider both what is truly important to them and the viewpoints of others. Taken together, the pillars of sex ed help me show up where my students are without giving up who I am and without scorning, shaming, or trying to impose my worldview on others.
An Invitation – Use Sex Ed to Help Us Lead
In this polemic time, I am recommitting to these sex ed mainstays and applying them to my public health practice and leadership.
I wonder how these sex ed principles might serve our work in public health broadly. Can we meet people, especially those who do not see the importance of public health or value our work, where they are? Can we strive to deeply understand their perspectives, affirm their feelings, and connect to their values without giving up who we are as passionately committed public health professionals?
I invite you to join me in adopting a sex ed mindset as you pursue your larger public health goals. I hope it is helpful in these challenging times.
