The COVID-19 pandemic is a clear example of a crisis that created extreme levels of uncertainty. There are ongoing challenges including but not limited to fluctuating infection rates with different waves, new variants, anti-maskers, and anti-vaxxers. Clark (2020) describes the amount of uncertainty during this public health crisis as being "unprecedented in scope." Leaders naturally prefer having accurate predictions so they can create a strategic action plan, but this has not been the case during the COVID-19 pandemic (Clark, 2020). This ever-changing setting requires leaders to be agile and adaptable (Clark, 2020). An insightful Chinese proverb to encourage leaders to remain flexible is (Foster, 2020):
“Great generals should issue commands in the morning and change them in the evening."
A crisis is “a time of intense difficulty, stress, and complexity” that requires compassionate leadership with continuous adjusting of plans when new information arises (Bhimanprommachak, 2020). Re-skilling for opportunity, cultivating trust, and leading through uncertainty are the three leadership development categories that require special attention to lead through a crisis (Clark, 2020).
COVID-19 has been described as creating "an environment that is VUCA on steroids" (Clark, 2020). VUCA stands for volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (Geerts, 2021). McKinsey (2020) explains that being a leader during times of VUCA, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, requires self-reflection. A leader should identify their expertise and determine what they can offer the team while balancing the strengths of other members of the team (McKinsey, 2020). Leadership training throughout the crisis is possible, particularly when someone is able to pull from a real-time experience and share their strategy for addressing the pandemic's multi-variable problems (McKinsey, 2020). Figure 1 describes leadership imperatives during the emergency phase of a crisis (Geerts, 2021).
Figure 1. Leadership essentials during an emergency (Geerts, 2021)
Plans and communication need to be clear; an effective leader during a crisis not only ensures that the team understands what they need to do, but why (Bhimaprommachak, 2020). Regular communication with the team is important to provide direction and to ask how people are doing, which protects against burnout (Bhimanprommachak, 2020). Focusing on best practice and benefits to frame information positively is a better approach than debunking myths or telling people what they shouldn’t do (Mendy et al., 2020). Figure 2 provides recommendations for leading during the recovery phase of a crisis (Geerts et al., 2021).
Figure 2. Leadership imperatives during the recovery stage of a crisis (Geerts et al., 2021)
Mendy et al., (2020) warns that the pandemic has “prompted tunnel vision, in which people focus only on the present rather than toward the future.” However, a crisis can be used as a "catalyst for positive change." (Mendy et al., 2020). Leaders must be comfortable making decisions with multiple unknowns in the mix (Clark, 2020). This is possible in part when a leader has built up resiliency, has a healthy personal well-being, and has experience navigating complexity (Clark, 2020). Strong communication skills are required to lead through a crisis.
The main goals for an effective communicator (Mendy et al., 2020):
1) “Give people what they need, when they need it”: Promote healthy coping and stability.
2) “Communicate clearly, simply, frequently”: Share information on a regular basis.
3) “Choose candour over charisma”: Be authentic to build trust and loyalty.
4) “Revitalize resilience”: Be optimistic and build momentum for creative problem solving.
5) “Distill meaning from chaos”: Connect to a deeper sense of purpose.
Figure 3. Life Cycle of Crisis Communication (Mendy et al., 2020).
Leaders should choose their sources of information wisely and focus on their employees' health (Foster, 2020). Knowing how an employee feels will help a leader know what they need, as described in Figure 3 (Mendy et al., 2020). Dhupia (2020) reports that the emphasis on employee well-being has markedly increased as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. During a time when employees are worried about job stability and their physical wellness it is essential that a leader boosts workforce morale (Dhupia, 2020).
Dhupia (2020) suggests that frequent communication in both large and small groups is needed and states “It’s crucial for leaders to stay connected.” Virtual solutions have become increasingly popular, such as holding meetings through online platforms or answering employees' questions posted on bulletin boards (Dhupia, 2020). Making decisions during times of uncertainty are especially challenging when resources are constrained (Dhupia, 2020).
Leaders dealing with the consequences of COVID-19 have described a sense of camaraderie and a mentality of “we’re all in this together"(Dhupia, 2020). Going forward, it is imperative that leaders prioritize their goals and ensure their time and energy is well spent on the most pressing agenda items (Dhupia, 2020).
Bhimanprommachak, V. (2020, July 20). Leading your team through a crisis. Leading the Way:
Harvard Business Publishing Corporate Learning. Retrieved September 18, 2021 from
Clark, L. (2020, September 22). Leadership imperatives for success: Leading through uncertainty.
Leading the Way: Harvard Business Publishing Corporate Learning. Retrieved September
Dhupia, S. (2020, June 3). How COIVD-19 is redefining the leadership narrative. Leading the Way:
Harvard Business Publishing Corporate Learning. Retrieved September 18, 2021 from
Foster, D. (2020, March 12). Leading through uncertainty. Leading the Way: Harvard Business
Publishing Corporate Learning. Retrieved September 18, 2021 from
Geerts, J. (2021). We are in this together: Leadership in a crisis. Canadian College of Health
Leaders. Retrieved from https://leadscanada.net/document/3017/
Geerts, J.M., Kinnair, D., Taheri, P., Abraham, A., Ahn, J., Atun, R., Barberia, L., Best, N.J., Dandona,
R., Dhahri, A.A., Emilsson, L., Free, J.R., Fardam, M., Geerts, W.H., Ihekweazu, C., Jonson, S.,
Kooijman, A., Lafontaine, A.T., Leshem, E., Bilodeau, M. (2021). Guidance for health care
leaders during the recovery stage of the COVID-19 pandemic: A consensus statement. JAMA
Network Open, 4(7).
McKinsey, S. (2020, June 10). Applying leadership learning in real time. Leading the Way: Harvard
Business Publishing Corporate Learning. Retrieved September 18, 2021 from
Mendy, A., Stewart, M.L. & VanAkin, K. (2020, April 17). A leader’s guide: Communicating with
teams, stakeholders, and communities during COVID-19. McKinsey & Company. Retrieved
September 18, 2021 from https://www.mckinsey.com/business-
Comments