Alberta's Leadership Vaccine in the Face of COVID-19
On March 11th, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) a pandemic-an intercontinental outbreak-that, at time of writing, has infected over 980,000 individuals in over 200 countries and projected to cost the global economy $2 trillion (Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020; Johns Hopkins Whiting School of Engineering, 2020; United Nations Trade Agency, 2020). In Alberta alone, there are currently 871 cases of infection and 11 reported deaths; though these numbers will rise (Government of Alberta, 2020). COVID-19 is an infectious respiratory disease that was first detected in the Hubei Province of China, and while the majority of those infected experience mild illness, roughly 16% of cases are life-threatening (Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020). Importantly, as this global public health emergency continues to rapidly evolve on Albertan soil in the absence of a vaccine, it is absolutely paramount that leaders in every sector take measures to blunt the deleterious effects of this disease. Here, I review noteworthy measures of servant, authoritarian and social innovation-based leadership-by Albertans-currently serving as our frontline vaccine.
Firstly, the servant leadership of Mayor Naheed Nenshi, Mayor Don Iveson, Alberta Health Services (AHS), and community organizations that support vulnerable populations should be noted. Servant leadership is an empathetic and humane-oriented style of leadership that considers the least privileged in society (Northouse, 225-227)[1]. Importantly, Nenshi and Iveson, in collaboration with AHS and community agencies, have taken measures to protect vulnerable citizens living in homelessness who face obstacles that make self-isolation and physical distancing nearly impossible. In Calgary, Mayor Nenshi has opened underutilized hotel and motel rooms to individuals living in homelessness to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission in shelters (Smith, 2020). Furthermore, overflow shelters have been allocated to the Mustard Seed and Drop-In Centre, equipped with AHS personnel to provide medical support. In Edmonton, Mayor Iveson designated the Expo Centre as a temporary overflow shelter for vulnerable Edmontonians, equipped with cots, bedding, hygiene products, a day-use space, and Homeward Trust and AHS personnel to provide health support (Cook, 2020). At the same time, harm reduction and addiction agencies-including Edmonton's Streetworks and Calgary's injectable opioid agonist treatment clinic-are working with the utmost resolve to adapt to the new COVID-19 milieu to continue to support vulnerable populations battling addiction (Babych, 2020). Lastly, the servant leadership manifested by all AHS personnel during this time-as they work tirelessly and in the face of possible infection to treat those affected-deserve the highest commendation. Overall, the current and continued servant leadership embodied by these groups has and will continue to play a monumental role in ameliorating the impact of the pandemic on Alberta's most vulnerable populations.
In addition to servant leadership, it is worth noting measures of authoritarian leadership that will likely be enacted by the Alberta government to further mitigate COVID-19 transmission. Authoritarian leadership is a polarizing form of leadership in which leaders dictate rigid decisions with little input from the collective (Northouse, 119-120). Although authoritarian leadership can-and has-been employed for nefarious purposes, it is a directive style of leadership critical in times of crises when quick decisions need to be made with psychological structure and task clarity. Considering this, the Alberta government will likely be rolling out fines and other restrictive measures to disincentivize the general public and businesses from disobeying physical distancing restrictions (Bruch, 2020). This will be very similar to measures already taken by Ontario and Manitoba where fines ranging from $1,000 to $50,000 are being enforced to discourage individuals, organizations, and businesses from disobeying physical distancing guidelines. Although these authoritarian measures may seem unjust, they're a necessary piece of the puzzle that will help reduce transmission and the burden on the Canadian healthcare system.
Finally, it is vital to note social innovation practices that have been employed by AHS. Social innovation is a systems-changing practice that seeks to address social problems through the development and integration of new and renewed concepts, systems and practices (Centre for Social Innovation, 2018, p. 9). Firstly, consider the adoption of efficient "drive-thru" COVID-19 testing sites in Edmonton and Calgary (Hudes, 2020). Although this innovative concept first developed in South Korea, Alberta is now a world-leader in this method of testing-having tested 53,000 Albertans as of April 1st (Government of Alberta, 2020). Also consider AHS's innovative 'online symptom assessment tool' that was quickly developed to help inform citizens whether they need to call 811 for COVID-19 testing. This innovation has effectively reduced the burden on Health Link and the healthcare system in general. Overall, the leadership exemplified by AHS through their social innovative measures is playing an extraordinary role in ameliorating the current pandemic on Albertan soil.
Unfortunately, Alberta's battle with COVID-19 will continue to play out for months. Fortunately, the measures of leadership that Albertans have, and will continue to take, will dictate the social pathology of this pandemic on our soil. Importantly, we all have a leadership role to play in physical distancing, working from home, abstaining from travel, and regularly washing our hands. A lack of collective leadership on this front will have devastating consequences. Vulnerable populations-including the elderly, immunocompromised and homeless-are at risk of disproportionate suffering. Though this landscape is unfamiliar, I challenge current and future UAlberta students - and everyone with an interest in leadership - to employ their skills to combat the current pandemic. For the time being, the vaccine we have is the leadership we exude-and it will certainly determine the prognosis of COVID-19 in Canada.
[1] Northouse, P. G. (2015). Leadership: Concepts and Practice (7th ed.). Los Angeles: Sage.
This article was originally published on LinkedIn.
Mason Schindle is a PLLC Scholar and 4th year Honours Neuroscience student.