Leadership in Crisis; Leadership in Hope

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of Hope…”

Charles Dickens may have been referring to a different time and occasion when he penned those words, but the lessons within that apply to what’s happening now as the world comes to grips with the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic are timeless.

For leaders, I believe that they can be inspirational.

These are indeed trying and troublesome days, but within every crisis there is always opportunity – opportunity to ideate, to think, to act, and to lead. As leaders, we must take that into account at every step and juncture along the way to turning the tide in our favour and flattening the curve.

Quite frankly, I had not planned on using our monthly talk in this way. But given how COVID-19 has commanded the World’s focus over the last few weeks, there is no leadership topic more germane than that of the global response to this threat to our way of life.

But what does a pandemic have to do with 21st Century leadership? In a word? Everything. What leadership lessons are there to be learned in the face of a healthcare crisis and, more worryingly, the loss of lives?

Weathering The Storm

The challenge that now confronts the global economy is, first and foremost a human tragedy. As nations, organisations, communities and individuals, we must always have this at the forefront of our minds.

As leaders, across the board, we must be prepared to act in the best interests of the people we serve; the ones who look to us for the answers that we may not always have.

Let’s face it. The days are still early and leaders will not have the right answer for every scenario. We can expect conflicting advice and, at worst, on some occasions, we can expect internal disagreement as to what might be the best solution.

However, as difficult as it will be to see at the time, there will be life on the other side of the disagreement. There will be life after the scenario has played itself out. What matters most for us as leaders is how we treat with what is happening – fairly, responsibly and openly.

In leadership terms, this “weathering the storm” is something that every leader faces from time to time. We do not always know how long the winds and rains may rage, but we can act on how prepared we are for the ongoing tempest. More importantly, we can prepare ourselves for the calm that we work so hard toward.

Commonly called “Grace under fire”, it is the one quintessential aspect of leadership that every leader must have and must display.

The pandemic has claimed, and continues to claim, many lives. As a result, people are scared, on edge, and unsure as to what to do. There is a unique fear that an invisible enemy has placed in the heart of all of us, and it is a fear that can consume us if left unchecked. Let us not be overcome by such fear.

As leaders, for the sake of our people, we should not let that fear compromise or consume us.

Walking the Walk

The hallmark of effective leadership in a time like this lies in approaching this pandemic with the confidence that we have the tools to overcome; the tools to see this crisis through to the conclusion.

Confidence, not conceit.

Fortunately, leaders around the world have channelled this understanding, seizing this proverbial bull by the horns and frequently updating the public on what is happening. All the while, reassuring and reminding everyone of their roles in fighting COVID-19. What’s more, leaders have shown genuine interest in doing all that they can to assist.

This is walking the walk as well as talking the talk.

This is a trait of leadership that applies to all of us. Our teams, our people, not only need to hear from us but they need to see us taking those critical and necessary steps. These actions go a long way toward keeping the centre strong.

Closer Than Ever Before

As much as we are being advised to isolate ourselves, that is physical isolation. It need not be emotional isolation as well.

Let us not reach the point where, as individuals, we are only concerned about ourselves and our loved ones. If we do anything less, we run the risk of permanently losing a part of ourselves to the virus. How we avoid this pitfall will vary from individual to individual, from society to society, from country to country but this would be my second and only other request of us.

In this trying time, what will define our strength as leaders is how we act during the crisis and how regroup ourselves throughout and after.

I believe that what will see us through is having the right tools – information, courage, cooperation, faith – and using them to the fullest. While we exercise social distancing protocols, our people still need to hear from us. We still need to hear from them.

And, at every step, we must remain respectful and honourable during this challenge. As individuals, we can each take different steps to safeguard the wellbeing not only of ourselves and our loved ones but also those in the wider communities with whom we have contact. As leaders, we must do all that we can to preserve the status quo on the one hand and ensure that we have a handle on the things that can upset that order.

We can’t afford to do otherwise.

“We Are All In This Together”

When our Prime Minister, Dr. The Honourable Keith Rowley, made this statement during the first of what has become routine media briefings, a decisive connection was made between leadership and responsibility.

He understood, and more importantly, highlighted the fact that while we are a long way from the finish line in this epic challenge, we all share that responsibility of getting us there.

In other words, COVID-19 isn’t a “me”, “you” or “them” problem. It is ours.

And if it’s one thing that we can rely on, one thing that our history as a species speaks to, it is that together we are strong and capable of tremendous feats of good.

Yes, we can expect problems to arise as we ally in the pursuit of a working solution, some disappointment and setbacks in the days and months to come, but we must not be deterred.

To use the words of Winston Churchill, a leader who was called upon frequently to lead his people during another trying time in global history:

“This is the lesson: never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never — in nothing, great or small, large or petty — never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.”

Until our next chat, please be safe and take care of your loved ones, your communities, and of course, yourselves.