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Good leaders during Covid-19: What makes them successful?

In times of uncertainty many leaders delay action for fear of taking the wrong steps and unnecessarily creating anxiety. But, not acting quickly and downplaying a threat until it’s better understood is a leadership failure that leaves you with less control and more anxious people once the dimensions are clear.

Good leaders act with urgency, honesty and clarity. During the Covid-19 pandemic good leaders outlined initial plans before the severity of the pandemic was entirely clear. They also clearly communicated that these plans would inevitably change as more information became available. Michaela J. Kerrissey and Amy C. Edmondson’s article discusses good examples of leadership and outlines what has made them successful.

From the Article:

Respond productively to missteps.

Because of the novelty and complexity of a pandemic — or any other large system failure — problems will arise regardless of how well a leader acts. How leaders respond to the inevitable missteps and unexpected challenges is just as important as how they first address the crisis.

First, they must not revert to defensiveness or blame when mistakes are made. Instead, they must stay focused on the goal and look ahead to continue solving the next and most pressing problems. For instance, when New York’s Mayor Bill de Blasio lambasted the unfairness of NBA players accessing tests that remained out of reach for the rest of America, [Adam] Silver publicly acknowledged the criticism, accepted it as valid, and emphasized the (real) fundamental problem of the testing shortage — with an eye on the larger picture. He said, “I, of course, understand [de Blasio’s] point, and it is unfortunate that we are at this position in this society where it’s triage where it comes to testing. So, the fundamental issue is obviously that there are insufficient tests.”

In short, it is not our intention to suggest that the NBA’s response to the virus was perfect but rather to point out that Silver took the criticism in and kept focused on the key issue of fighting the pandemic and making tests more widely available. The important response to any misstep is to listen, acknowledge, and orient everyone toward problem-solving.

Read more tips and get the full article online: https://hbr.org/2020/04/what-good-leadership-looks-like-during-this-pandemic.

Make sure to explore Inspiring Workplace’s other content and insights about leadership and Covid-19.