Over the last week, I have found myself thinking about the message delivered by our recent convocation speaker, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, former Director of the CDC. Her remarks stayed with me because they acknowledged something many of us quietly feel, especially in public health and academic medicine: the pressure to be perfect.

Perfect data. Perfect messaging. Perfect timing. Perfect answers in moments that are anything but certain. But public health has never moved forward because people were perfect. It moved forward because people were willing to respond to the moment.

Willing to ask difficult questions. Willing to act in the best interest of those we serve. Willing to rethink old assumptions. Willing to keep going, even when the path ahead was unclear.

The public health profession has reached a watershed moment. The challenges before us are immense. Emerging infectious diseases continue to threaten communities across the globe as we have recently observed with the Ebola crisis. Chronic disease remains one of the greatest drivers of suffering and health care costs. Climate-related health threats from wildfire smoke to drought and extreme heat are becoming part of daily life for many communities.

At the same time, the systems we have historically relied upon are changing rapidly. Public health workforce reductions, funding cuts, and growing strain on institutions have altered what is possible through traditional approaches alone. It would be easy to see this moment only through the lens of loss.

I believe moments like this force clarity. They ask us to return to first principles: Why are we here? What do we value? What are we trying to build? At its core, public health has always been about progress, not perfection. Progress grounded in evidence, guided by science, strengthened by analytical rigor, and motivated by the belief that people deserve the opportunity to live healthy lives.

That foundation matters now more than ever. Nonetheless, we also need something more from ourselves moving forward: creativity, adaptability, and a willingness to think differently than we have in the past. Some of the approaches we once depended upon may no longer be available to us in the same way. That reality is uncomfortable, but it can also open the door to innovation. New partnerships. New ways of communicating. New collaborations with communities, health care systems, technology leaders, educators, and the private sector.

Innovation rarely comes from standing still. Importantly, innovation rarely comes from people waiting until they feel completely ready. I worry that we put too much pressure on ourselves to have every answer immediately or completely. Yet, most meaningful leadership emerges in uncertainty. It develops through experience, humility, resilience, and the willingness to continue learning.

The people who make a difference are not always the loudest, the most polished, or the most certain. Often, they are the people willing to step forward despite imperfection. People willing to listen carefully, analyze honestly, collaborate broadly, and act thoughtfully.

I see this every day at Colorado School of Public Health. I see it in faculty pursuing new ideas despite uncertain funding landscapes. I see it in staff who continue creating stability and opportunity for students. I see it in students who remain deeply committed to improving health outcomes, even when the future of the field feels unsettled.

That willingness matters. Public health has always evolved in response to changing conditions. Some of our greatest advances emerged during moments of disruption when old systems no longer met the needs of the time. This moment may demand the same kind of evolution from all of us. If we remain anchored in our principles—scientific integrity, compassion, prevention, community, and evidence-based decision making—I believe we can build something stronger and more responsive than before.

Not because we are perfect. But because we are called to act.

I often think about our graduates entering the field at such a pivotal time. They are stepping into public health during a period of extraordinary challenge, but also an extraordinary opportunity. The future will require leaders who are adaptable, collaborative, analytically strong, and unafraid to approach problems differently. Do not wait for perfect certainty before contributing your ideas. The world does not need perfect people. It needs thoughtful people. Courageous people. Principled people.

And I remain deeply optimistic about what all of us together can accomplish.