BLUF

Because of Covid-19, both military and civilian leaders have been required to rethink their leadership strategies.

Summary

 

Dr Anthony Silard claims that many senior leaders have been coming to him expressing anguish and anxiety because they are unsure how to lead during the Covid-19 health crisis. For many leaders, this pandemic is unprecedented. Because of the pandemic, leaders now have to deal with a dislocated workplace and rapidly changing processes.

Silard advocates three basic principles for leaders in dealing with this crisis, as follows:

  • First, it is essential to create order, structure and consistency.

  • Secondly, a leader must identify their people's needs and acknowledge that people have different needs. 

  • Finally, a leader needs to balance empathy with authenticity, which for the military is essentially the determination of the individual need over the mission. 

Silard's advice is reasonable for most situations, but the military is sometimes faced with a situation where the mission is more important than the individual. Think about how your needs and the needs of your followers have been met during the Covid-19 pandemic.

 

Learn more about effective leadership during a crisis such as Covid-19

References