Good Leadership is Infectious: Leadership During the COVID-19 Crisis
Pictured left to right: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern of New Zealand (image provided by the Governor-General of New Zealand) and Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs of Saint Martin (image provided by SXM IslandTime).
Crisis provides critical lessons for effective leadership. Around the world, leaders such as Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern of New Zealand and Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs of Saint Martin in the Caribbean have exemplified how leading with empathy and conveying honest messages are important strategies to use, even after the quarantine.
Leaders feel pressure to have all the right answers, but what should they do when faced with problems that have no clear solutions? Silveria Jacobs shows that communicating the status of the problem honestly and with integrity may lead to higher buy-in. In her candid tone throughout her one-minute video, you can sense the severity of the situation. Even though she cannot offer an answer to how long the pandemic will last, she is confident in the action she is recommending because she is sharing the best advice given the available information. Some leaders have chosen to be less candid, perhaps because they fear losing credibility. Yet in reality, frankness works - and here's why.
COVID-19 has created an adaptive challenge for humanity, one that requires everybody to alter their behaviours and beliefs. Leading people through adaptive challenges requires a high level of trust; leaders need to address uncertainties for those who will struggle adapting to the changes. Being honest about the fact that you don't have all the answers, or that the answers you have are subject to revision, risks disappointment. In fact, an honest accounting of a situation builds trust - but it takes courage. By speaking with honesty, integrity, and by being solution-oriented, Silveria communicates her trustworthiness. She demonstrates that we can create a safe environment while coming to grips with the problem and working towards a solution.
Leaders have recommended unprecedented restrictions on our daily lives; recommendations that can only succeed if they are articulated clearly and enacted with empathy. Jacinda Ardern's approach to leadership acknowledges this reality and provides examples of how to lead with empathy. With a calm demeanour and sometimes wearing a sweatshirt, she hosts regular Facebook Live streams with citizens to mull over the many concerns that they have. She's known for responding to all questions without aggression or blame. She has also hosted a press conference specifically to help children understand COVID-19. With only one new reported case of COVID-19 in New Zealand within the last 24 hours, Prime Minister Ardern has shown that empathy is essential to effectiveness.
COVID-19 is teaching us the importance of honesty, frankness, trust and empathy. As the best examples of global leadership show us, positive leadership comes from integrity, reaching out and connecting.
Dan Engelhardt is a PLLC Teaching Fellow and Faculty of Science Graduate Student.
Works Cited
Friedman, Uri. "New Zealand's Prime Minister May Be the Most Effective Leader on the Planet." The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 23 Apr. 2020, www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2020/04/jacinda-ardern-new-zealand-leadership-coronavirus/610237/.
Staff, National Post. "Don't Have Bread? Eat Crackers: Watch This Caribbean PM Chastise Citizens Who Aren't Social Distancing." National Post, 9 Apr. 2020, nationalpost.com/news/world/covid-19-social-distancing-sint-maarten-prime-minister.