Leadership Lessons from the U.S. Response to Covid-19

These are amazing times, but this is not the first crisis that many of us have experienced. Having worked in the freight transportation industry for over 35 years, I have seen ice storms, snowstorms, SARS, mainframe crashes, tornados that have ripped the roof off buildings, the raiding of employees and customers and other challenging incidents. I have been the leader and observed other leaders guide their teams through these types of events. During this Coronavirus crisis, we have had the opportunity to observe the leaders of the U.S. government and medical emergency teams lead America through the epidemic. What are some lessons that we can all take from the events to date?

Lesson 1: Create and Maintain a Crisis Management Leader, Team and Plan

The White House had a pandemic team, but the leader left and was not replaced; the team was disbanded. These types of crises don’t happen every day; nevertheless, it is very helpful to have a leader, team and written plan for the major crises that can be anticipated. In certain parts of North America, one can anticipate a hurricane, tornado, ice storm or other type of natural or man-made disaster. The president reportedly ignored early warnings of the severity of the virus and grew angry at a CDC official who in February warned that an outbreak was inevitable.

Good leaders create and keep the emergency team in place and insist that it has scheduled meetings. They encourage revisions to the written plans from time to time to keep them current. There is no excuse for companies that don’t have an emergency response team or leader.

Lesson 2: Understand the true Scope of the Problem and the Level of Response Required

The Coronavirus began in China and spread rapidly. Governments and medical officials in other parts of the world had time to study, learn and react to what was happening in China. To be sure, the president isn’t responsible for either the coronavirus or the disease it causes, COVID-19, and he couldn’t have stopped it from hitting the U.S., even if he had done everything right. Nor is it true that the president hasn’t done anything right; in fact, his decision to implement a travel ban on China was prudent.

The U.S. response, trying to block visitors from China, was a totally inadequate response that was not calibrated with the way this virus can spread. As a result, the U.S. government officials did not take the necessary steps to prepare the country for the virus. For a few crucial weeks, Trump created a false sense of security. This complacency and lack of understanding is leading to the much quicker spread of the virus and to more deaths than had to occur. It also led to a lack of preparedness (i.e. lack of tests).

Lesson 3: As the Leader, Be Visible, Honest, Credible and Transparent

During stressful times, employees, suppliers and customers are all worried. Stress levels go up when the leader is not visible, does not tell the truth and/or minimizes the potential risks. The U.S. president has done a very poor job in this area. In each of his presentations, he has communicated information that was clearly false.

He claimed that the virus was contained in America when it was actually spreading. He claimed the U.S. had “shut it down” when it was not. He claimed that testing was available for anyone who needed a test when it wasn’t. He claimed that the coronavirus will one day disappear “like a miracle”; it won’t. He claimed that a vaccine would be available in months; Dr. Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, stated that it will not be available for 12 to 18 months. There is no excuse for a leader who does not do the necessary homework and who does not tell the truth.

Poor communication is leading to panic activities (i.e. stockpiling of toilet paper, lineups at grocery stores and hospitals). Good leaders should help guide their personnel through the process with structured activities (i.e. exercise, mindfulness) that relieve stress and in the case of the Coronavirus, reduce loneliness (i.e. use of the phone, “Face Time”). Accurate, timely information reduces stress.

Lesson 4: Collaborate with Business Partners to Ensure they are Part of the Solution

Good leaders keep other stakeholders informed. They seek out their input and advice and incorporate this input into their plans and decisions. This has also been a failing of the White House. There so much to be learned by the experiences in China, South Korea, Italy and from other countries that have had a longer history with the disease. This did not happen.

Lesson 5: Mobilize Effectively to Address the Crisis

Precious months went by and appropriate actions were not taken. Bravado and self-congratulatory statements were not good enough. In a crisis, an effective analysis and problem definition are required. Then it is time to act. It is somewhat late to be obtaining the required tests now. Other countries (i.e. Germany) had a quality test in mid-January.

It is too late to be putting the necessary infrastructure (i.e. hospital rooms) and tools (i.e. ventilators, masks, metrics) in place. Effective leaders proactively take action to ensure they are ready to execute their plans. We should all learn from the inept response from the White House.

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