Introduction
Leadership is the way of directing people’s activities to accomplish the particular goal (Sawai, 2013). Every leader has to identify the primary motives of the group of people (Oliver, 2006). The behavioral perspective from the chosen article exemplifies the challenges and objectives of public health leadership.
The Article Depicting the Behavioral Perspective
The article entitled “Public Health Approach to Eliminating Disparities in Health” presents the behavioral approach to public health leadership. According to Satcher and Higginbotham (2008), it is necessary to measure and define the problem within the particular community. The next step is to provide the community with information concerning the health promotion and disease prevention. The behavioral perspective in the article is people-oriented as far as it aims at educating and assisting citizens. Borkowski, Deckard, Weber, Padron, and Luongo (2011) state that effective leaders should adapt to the changes in the environment. This understanding of leadership is included in the article under consideration.
The Relation between the Perspective from the Article and Trait Theory of Leadership
Trait theory of leadership presupposes that some people are born to be leaders. They become leaders due to the combination of various factors such as social status, cultural and social background, or attractiveness (Martin, 2006). There is no direct connection between the behavioral approach in the article and the trait theory of leadership. However, health care professionals may rely on distinctive features of leaders described within the framework of trait theory.
The Explanation of the Behavioral Perspective
According to Ahlstrom and Bruton (2009), the behavioral approach to the leadership can be either task-oriented or people-oriented. However, Derue, Nahrgang, Wellman, and Humphrey (2011) differentiate three types of behavioral perspectives including task-oriented, relational-oriented, and change-oriented perspectives. The change-oriented perspective, in its turn, comprises of three dimensions namely leading relationships, processes, and culture (Salmela, Eriksson, & Fagerstrom, 2012). The relational and change-oriented perspectives are predominant in the article under consideration. These perspectives aim at decreasing the risk factors. The promotion is achieved by serving the needs of people, personal communication, and inspiration to have the particular way of life.
Strengths and Limitations of the Perspective
The strengths of this perspective from the article include the detailed organization of the process and programs. The programs for health disparities improvement followed the investigation of the measures and risk factors. Besides, people and change-oriented approaches are the most appropriate for the health care as far as professionals have to find the mutual understanding with representatives of the community. The limitation of the perspective refers to the fact that the particular set of behaviors (programs, personal communication) may not work in the community (Bauer & Erdogan, 2009).
The Relation to Trait Theory and the Skills Approach
The people-oriented behavioral perspective can adhere to trait theory in terms of finding interesting ways of addressing people. Trait theory describes leadership as a unique feature that one has since childhood. People who employ particular behaviors may follow the approaches from trait theory. According to Northouse (2015), the skills approach is a kind of map that depicts necessary skills for success. Thus, behavioral perspective requires strategic, problem-solving, and social judgment skills.
Conclusion
The behavioral perspective in the article is people-oriented. It focuses on the promotion of changes within the community that will eliminate the disparities and risk factors.
References
Ahlstrom, D., & Bruton, G. (2009). International Management: Strategy and Culture in Emerging World. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.
Bauer, T., & Erdogan, B. (2009). Organizational Behavior. Washington, D.C.: Flat World Knowledge, Inc.
Borkowski, N., Deckard, G., Weber, M., Padron, L., & Luongo, S. (2011). Leadership development initiatives underlie individual and system performance in a US public healthcare delivery system. Leadership in Health Services, 24(4), 268 – 280.
Derue, D., Nahrgang, J., Wellman, N., & Humphrey, S. (2011). Trait and Behavioral Theories of Leadership. Personnel Psychology, 64(1), 7-11.
Martin, B. (2006). Outdoor Leadership. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.
Northouse, P. (2015). Leadership: Theory and Practice. New York City, NY: SAGE Publications.
Oliver, S. (2006). Leadership in Health Care. Musculoskeletal Care, 4(1), 38-47.
Salmela, S., Eriksson, K., & Fagerstrom, L. (2012). Leading Change: A Three-Dimensional Model of Nurse Leaders’ Main Tasks and Roles during a Change Process. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 68(2), 423-433.
Satcher, D., & Higginbotham, E. (2008). The Public Health Approach to Eliminating Disparities in Health. American Journal of Public Health, 98(3), 400-403.
Sawai, A. (2013). Leadership of Healthcare Professionals: Where do We Stand? Oman Medical Journal, 28(4), 285-287.