COVID-19 Pandemic: Test for Leadership
March 31, 2020 | Expert Insights
Unsung heroes and morons in the limelight!
In these troubled times, leadership is the virtue mankind is blessed with that guides our destiny. Leaders, should be credited for the accomplishments of our species and also blamed for the repeated disasters, that befalls us. The COVID-19 pandemic, gripping our world has given opportunity for our leaders, to earn their laurels from Mother Nature. According to Hyun Jin Preston Moon, the Founder & Chairman of the Global Peace Foundation, there are four important qualities, we need for overcoming the challenges from Mother Nature. Firstly, the enthusiasm to accept new challenges; secondly, the spirit of innovation; thirdly, the belief that leadership is bigger than ourselves and a privilege; and fourthly, the ability to have a clear vision, early in the game. How have our leaders performed, so far? In the succeeding paragraphs, we describe the leadership-styles of six leaders, who for better or the worse, have captured our imagination. In these six case studies on leadership-styles, only one has demonstrated the rare pre-emptive style, two have shown effective pro-active styles and three have shown unacceptable reactive styles.
Pre-emptive Leadership: Vu Duc Dam, Vice Premier of Vietnam
On 25 Jan, 2020, PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc of Vietnam, declared a war on the coronavirus; even though at that time, the spread was only confined to China and no case had been reported in Vietnam. With the help of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the whole nation including security forces, military, civilian government, were mobilized on a war-footing, to contain the spread of the virus. These measures were imposed with nationalistic fervor and most importantly, accepted by the people at large. Vice Premier Vu Duc Dam was seen as the face of the campaign and is still being acknowledged as a hero. Citizens with symptoms and those who had returned from abroad, were quarantined. As on 29 Mar, 2020, Vietnam has reported only 179 confirmed cases, with no deaths.
Assessment:
It is remarkable, that Vietnam with a population of 96 million and a common 1100 Km border with China, was able to contain the spread of the coronavirus. The early decision to shut-down (25 Jan) and the mobilization of national effort, were perhaps instrumental in their success. Like India, Vietnam is a relatively poor country with an under-developed health care system. However, instead of depending only on medicine and technology to contain the coronavirus, Vietnam also used its robust security apparatus and its widely respected military, to implement public surveillance.
“Every business, every citizen, every residential area must be a fortress
to prevent the epidemic”
Nugyen Xuan Phuc, PM of Vietnam
Pro-active Leadership: KK Shailaja (Teacher), Minister for Health & Social Welfare, Govt of Kerala
The 63-year-old Minister, continues to be the face of Kerala’s pandemic control measures. On 30 Jan, 2020, Kerala reported India’s first corona-virus cases, when three students tested positive, on return from Wuhan, China. As on 28 March, 2020, Kerala has reported 168 cases, with no deaths. In these two months, the spread remained controlled, largely on account of pro-active measures undertaken by the state government, under her leadership.
Assessment:
Shailaja (Teacher) should be credited for innovative community surveillance measures, including ‘home-quarantine with mobile-phone monitoring’ and ‘flow-charting of patients for travel and social-visits’. She has been tough on citizens for hiding travel history as well as those spreading rumors on social media. She will also be remembered for providing the school mid-day meal, to children, at home, when schools were shut down.
“Fighting an epidemic like coronavirus, requires scientific temper, humanism and the spirit for enquiry and reform. Superstition, credulity, emotionalism and irrationalism will derail the whole process by dispiriting and discouraging experts and health workers, who try hard to resolve the threat scientifically.”
KK Shailaja (Teacher)
Pro-active Leadership: Narendra Modi, PM of India
The PM has also been monitoring the COVID-19 outbreak, from its early stages in Wuhan, China. He constituted two advisory groups comprising of health experts and scientists, respectively, who have provided a series of directions to protect the nation’s population. The bold decision was to lock-down the whole country for three-weeks, from 25 March to 14 April, 2020. The PM has also shown leadership, by reaching out to other world leaders, including the G-20.
Assessment:
With India’s high population-density and poor medical infrastructure, the country cannot afford a large-scale outbreak, like in Italy, Spain and the US. The decision to impose ‘Janata Curfew’, on 1.3 billion people for 21 days, is unprecedented in scale and is perhaps the boldest action taken to contain the spread of coronavirus, anywhere in the world, so far. The PM has also shown leadership, in organizing the return of Indian nationals stranded abroad and by interacting with other world leaders. Most recently, at the video-conference of the G-20, he impressed on the leaders of the most industrialized countries, to empower the WHO and inject US$ 5 Trillion, into the global economy, to counter the impact of the coronavirus.
Reactive Leadership: Giuseppe Conti, PM of Italy
As on 29 March, 2020, Italy a country of 60 million, has had 92, 472 cases of COVID-19, with 10,023 deaths. The death rate, is the highest in the world and at one juncture, Italy became the epicenter of the pandemic, taking the mantle from China, before passing it on to the US. As per data available, the first recorded case of COVID-19, in Italy was recorded only on 20 Feb, 2020. The crisis in Italy was compounded, when on 08 Mar, 2020, a local newspaper leaked information about government plans to quarantine, Northern Italy, where the pandemic was more manifest. The leak spread panic and many Italians moved out of the region to escape the quarantine; possibly, spreading the pandemic to other regions of the country. PM Giuseppe Conte condemned the leak of information, labeling it unacceptable.
Assessment:
It is unlikely that the first case of COVID-19 spread to Italy, only on 20 Feb, 2020. Analyzing the subsequent rapid acceleration in the numbers of positive cases, it is more likely that the coronavirus had infected the country, earlier. The Italian Government were perhaps unaware or unresponsive to the threat, until 20 Feb, 2020. It is also unfortunate that the Italian PM chose to impose the quarantine in a secret manner and with a dramatic announcement. A more transparent approach and a progressively quarantine, may have prevented the exodus.
Reactive Leadership: Boris Johnson
As on 29 March, 2020, UK has 17,089 positive COVID-19 cases, with 1,019 deaths. The first case in UK was reported in January, 2020 and by 01 March, 2020, COVID-19 was detected in England, Whales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. However, it was only after 18 March, 2020 that majority of schools were compulsorily closed, along with restaurants, clubs, pubs, theatres and sports & leisure institutions. Finally, on 24 March, 2020, PM Boris Johnson announced a 21-day lock-down, to contain the spread of the virus. Four days later, on 28 March, 2020, UK PM Boris Johnson and Health Secretary Matt Hancock, were both detected positive, for the coronavirus.
Assessment:
The British Government’s delayed and reactive response to the threat, is perhaps the primary reason for the rapid spread of the epidemic, amongst its 66 million population. The government’s cavalier attitude to the threat, finds metaphorical expression in the PM and Health Secretary themselves, testing positive for the virus. The irresponsible attitude is further demonstrated by a sick PM, continuing to hold on to the reins of power, rather than temporarily handing over the baton, to an able-bodied person.
Reactive Leadership: President Donald Trump
As on 28 March, 2020, the number of coronavirus cases in the US exceeded 1,15,000, with more than 1929 deaths. US is now the epicenter of the pandemic, with the maximum number of cases, exceeding both Italy and China. Reportedly, President Donald Trump is still considering to imposing curfew in the three worst-hit states, New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. There are reports of over-congestion in hospitals and non-availability of PPE (Personal Protection Equipment), ventilators, drugs, oxygen tanks and trained staff.
Like UK, the first case of COVID-19, in the US was reported in January, 2020. The President has been accused of downplaying the threat, by publicly stating that community-spread was not inevitable, even after senior health officials had warned otherwise.
Assessment:
Like in the UK, in the US also, there has been complacency in preparing for the pandemic. This has resulted in slow-testing and inadequate stockpiling of medical equipment and medicines. If social-distancing measures are not imposed urgently, the worst is yet to come.
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