Leadership: Bright Spots of Governmental Public Health Employee Reflections on the COVID-19 Response

Abstract

The protracted nature of the COVID-19 pandemic demanded extraordinary efforts and innovation from public health agencies and their leaders. This is the first of 3 research briefs that highlight valuable experiences and opportunities that can be thought of as “bright spots” of the public health workforce's pandemic response. Using Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey 2021 data, we qualitatively examined responses to an open-ended question about pandemic workforce experiences. Leadership was emphasized as a critical component of employees' experiences during the response, and 7 “leadership” subthemes were identified among 157 responses. Findings illustrate the importance of leaders prioritizing safe and supportive environments for employees. Respondents also highlighted the importance of leaders fostering teamwork alongside employees and advocating for and demonstrating appreciation for employees. In addition, effective leadership communication was reported to be motivational and alleviate uncertainty during crisis situations. Focusing on these leadership skills and competencies may aid the workforce during future emergency response events.