'the best part of leadership is seen through legacy' - Chevening - Health Policy development

I have always believed the best part of leadership is seen through legacy, no matter how good leadership is, if it has no rock imprint legacy then it does not achieve much. In my career and personal life I have always defined my leadership through the transformative impact i bring to my work, colleagues and the community around me. Throughout my life, I have left a legacy of success and achievement winning various leadership positions and excellence awards even through university. It is the challenges that one faces and how we fight them that define who I am as a leader.

I have always shown tenacity in the face of challenges and showing my best during the darkest hours. In 2014, I was working In Liberia when Ebola broke out, many fled and left the country but I stayed and became a rallying point for my staff, providing essential leadership that gave them hope and courage in an unusual environment, I became the head of the organisation after the senior partner had evacuated, keeping the office open throughout the epidemic, taking jobs that ensured all staff got paid even those who could not come to work and advising NGOs that were handling Ebola relief funds on accountability and transparency in an unusual environment.

Since 2015, through my work in Country X in Sustainable Health Financing, I have worked to promote the critical issue of Universal Health Coverage in Zimbabwe as a key to achieve SDGs by 2030. With the economy spiralling downwards and most people suffering impoverishment when they seek health services, it is critical for policies that ensure financial protection. To this end, I have been part of the team that has led pioneering work in developing Zimbabwe's first ever National Health Financing Policy, as the Secretariat to the process, I have used my relationship and stakeholder management skills gained through years of experience as an external auditor in the public sector to bring together various stakeholders with different agendas to the table and advance this work. Working with the Ministry of Health and Child Care through various Technical Working Groups that have included health donors, NGOs, government ministries, civil society, healthcare providers and funders, as the secretariat it is my responsibility to ensure consensus and unity of purpose.

I am now currently leading work towards drafting of the first National Health Financing Strategy. I believe my strong skills in coordinating and bringing together stakeholders will be critical to the finalisation of the strategy and its implementation. The success of any strategy depends on visionary technocrats who are able to carry out the will of politicians and public leaders. I am strategically positioned to drive this important policy work, with my experience as a watchdog in audit strengthening my input into the design of strong institutions and systems of governance that ensures equity and equality in access to health financing and health care. Having thrust the idea of a National Health Insurance into the bullseye with cabinet approval already obtained for its establishment, I want to return to Country X and use my technical knowledge in designing and fully implementing this new and innovative health financing reform in Zimbabwe.

As a chartered accountant who is leading the breakaway from ordinary private sector jobs towards public sector service in Zimbabwe, I hope to use my skills through innovation or creating policies that allow life changing innovation within the public sector including application of private sector methodologies to create entrepreneurial systems that increase efficiency in public services delivery.

Mar, is there any chance that you can provide the name of the group or hospital that you were working with when Ebola broke out in your country? In professional essays that require you to present solid evidence of your skills, you must always provide complete information as possible about the company you were affiliated with at the time. This is for fact checking purposes should the need arise during the consideration of your application.

Overall though, the information you provided in the essay is quite good and shows off your leadership and influencing skills in an easy, relaxed manner. You are obviously well experienced in the field you wish to study and MA for. I wonder though, do you have an influencing experience that can be presented aside from the way that it was involved in your leadership skills? In these sorts of essays, it is always best to present 2 obvious references to the prompt requirements, for clarity sake that is.

@Holt
Thanks for the comments, i will include the details of my work during ebola and reshare. I am however not clear on the last prompt on your comment " I wonder though, do you have an influencing experience that can be presented aside from the way that it was involved in your leadership skills? In these sorts of essays, it is always best to present 2 obvious references to the prompt requirements, for clarity sake that is."

Can you please clarify. Thanks for the assistance

@munmar
There are not many points and grammar you have been making errors, and you can fixed them by reading over again yourself. And you have made a nice flow for readers to follow your development in this essay.

what I have just observed is that only " This is your essay to make a response to the question, so You may shine a light on how you lead people rather than link and connect them. Well, those connecting organizations and institutes can be the objectives of your relevant examples on how you lead and inspire others.

I hope my view would fillip your interest.

Mar, what I am referring to by that statement is that I would like to see you present more than just your leadership skills. You see, one can be a leader without needing to influence his people. A leader who knows how to delegate commands and push his team towards the completion of a project is already considered a leader who produces results. However, a leader who knows how to inspire his people by mentoring them and encouraging them to complete a task for the good of many is what most people consider an effective leader. In the essay that you have written, you seem to be more of a leader who knows how to lead using technical aspects of the role. The heart of your role, as an influential or inspiring figure is not clearly seen. So what I would like you to do is present something that will show your influential role as a leader in your group.

thanks for this clarification, i will review and resubmit on thread for comment