Narrative Leadership - Using Storytelling to Mobilize Collective Action in Public Health

ID 562 Subject & Catalog Number

Description

From global pandemics, chronic diseases, and racial inequities, public health leaders at the local, national, and global levels are facing some of the most complex and interconnected problems of modern times. However, despite our ability to produce evidence-based solutions that could improve health and well-being, their adoption is flagged due to the lack of collective action.

In this course, we will introduce the practice of leadership called Public Narrative that is rooted in community organizing and social movements. Developed by community organizer and Harvard professor Marshall Ganz, Public Narrative provides a way of thinking through the stories that mobilize people for collective action.

The goal of this course is to strengthen students' capacity to lead. We recognize that effective leaders cannot just engage the head (evidence and data). We need to learn how to engage the heart (values and emotions) in order to translate the knowledge into the community, political, or economic power necessary for long-term change.

Whether leading one person or thousands, engaging the heart requires learning the practice of storytelling and narrative that enables the leader to identify important issues, communicate those issues, and imaginatively live them out in professional and public life.

Narrative Leadership course is designed for public health leaders who are interested in harnessing the power of storytelling to motivate others to join them in action.