Lecture 11: Leadership in Crisis: COVID-19 Pandemic

Question 1

crisis

Answer 1

• A time of intense difficulty, trouble, or danger
• A time when a difficult or important decision must be made

Question 2

leadership during crisis

Answer 2

• When crises arise, people look to leaders to act
• “Crisis and leadership are closely intertwined phenomena. People experience crises as episodes of threat and uncertainty, a grave predicament requiring urgent action…When crisis leadership results in reduced stress and a return to normality, people herald their “true leaders.” Successful performance in times of collective stress turns leaders into statesmen. But when the crisis fails to dissipate and “normality” does not return, leaders are obvious scapegoats.” (p.544)

Question 3

the case of 9/11

Answer 3

• In the days following September 11, 2001, President George W. Bush saw domestic approval ratings and international standing soar to unprecedented levels (similar to Rudolph Giuliani); with “their personal reputations boosted, both leaders were able to muster strong political and societal support for the drastic measures and budget claims they proposed in response to the crisis.” (p.544)
• Citizens are wary of crises, yet they are also naïve about the intricacies of crises; they expect to be safeguarded by their state, and thus frustrated when they are not.
• “This erosion of public trust in the capacity of state institutions to perform their classic custodian functions is accompanied by increasingly assertive and tenacious media coverage of risks, disasters, and other critical events. The aftermath of today’s crises tends to be as intense and contentious as the acute crisis periods are, with leaders put under pressure…” (p. 545)

Question 4

six findings of leadership during crisis (Boin and Hart, 2003)

Answer 4

1.Leaders consider the economic and political costs of regulating and enforcing maximum safety too expensive. They settle for, and pay for, suboptimal levels of safety
2. Most government and business leaders are reluctant to prepare themselves for their crisis-response roles, except those with prior crisis experience or communities with emergency subculture
3. Most man-made disasters and violent conflicts are preceded by incubation periods during which policymakers misinterpret, are ignorant of, or flat-out ignore repeated indications of impending danger
4. Crisis operations are multiorganizational, trans-jurisdictional, polycentric response networks. They demand lateral coordination, not top-down command and control
5. Leaders want to provide victims with care, but they often fall prey to their own unrealistic promises
6. Leaders get caught in the politics of blaming that dominates the aftermath of modern contemporary crises. Learning is encumbered in this atmosphere

Question 5

public perception of PMs who faced crises

Answer 5

PMs who were seen as having faced difficult problems during their term were most likely to be positively evaluated

Question 6

the impact of COVID-19

Answer 6

• The mental health and physical health of the world’s population has been severely affected.
• Changes in daily routine, high risk of infection, fear of illness, social isolation, and implementation of new behaviours and attitudes to the general population have been factors that have contributed significantly to the increase of panic attacks, anxiety, depression, stress, and fear (Baba, 2020), and many studies show that diseases are followed by significant individual and social psychosocial effects, which can be far more damaging than the disease itself.
• Economic impacts are still being felt; while the Canadian economy is described as “resilient” in recent Statistics Canada reports, the high cost of living, deteriorating housing affordability, aging workforce, and impacts on productivity are cited as concerns.
• Concerns about increased lack of trust in government and state institutions are also a concern.

Question 7

identification-based trust

Answer 7

• Trust is necessary for effective leadership
• Identification-based trust is a form of trust “based on empathy with other people’s desires and intentions and is thought to strengthen the leader-follower relationship.” (p.8)
• This form of trust exists because “individuals understand, agree with, empathize with, and take on the person’s values as a consequence of the emotional connection between the individuals and the political leader. In short, identification-based trust emphasizes an emotional connection between the leader and followers, which, in turn, leads to positive outcomes.” (p.8)
• Leaders create this trust by behaving with “integrity, being fair, demonstrating humanity, and inviting collaboration.” (p.9)
• This trust “instills citizens with confidence that their interests will be protected and, as such, facilitates confidence in the leader.” (p.9)

Question 8

COVID-19 and trust

Answer 8

• Some studies focused on COVID-19 suggest trust in experts and institutions is more important than political leaders (Ahluwalia et al., 2020; Badman et al., 2022).
• Others note confidence in political leadership is still important (Shao and Hao, 2020; Everett et al., 2021; Cole et al, 2023; Babu et al., 2023).
• Generally accepted that trust (in leaders or institutions) is central to citizen compliance with public policies.

Question 9

leadership during crisis key conclusions

Answer 9

• Citizens in Canada expect the state to provide a robust response; they anticipate a high- degree of government care
• Barriers exist that make pre-crisis, crisis, and post-crisis preparedness and decision-making difficult
• Must also consider context
• Leaders’ responses often influenced by the structures that exist
• Canadians believe a leader’s character is important during major crises
• Trust is essential for effective leadership during uncertainty