Four Lessons from Female Leaders During the COVID Pandemic
Written by Lorraine Nunez, WIN Staff
The coronavirus pandemic has done a lot to disrupt our lives, from how we shop to where we work, to how our children are educated. With contemporary crises and disruption also comes opportunity.
In response to this unprecedented threat, contrasting leadership attitudes have brought about seemingly better outcomes for some countries over others. Statistically, female-led countries were quicker to lockdown and had a lower rate of COVID fatalities than male-led countries. While many male leaders were hesitant to admit the presence of the crisis and did not seize the opportunity to make timely and appropriate decisions, countries with female leaders, such as New Zealand, Iceland, and Germany, recognized the threat of the virus, consulted experts, and made quick and effective decisions.
While the news and media have been honing in on the struggles women are facing due to the prolonged effects of the coronavirus pandemic, it’s important to celebrate our wins.
What seems to be a never-ending pandemic has further emphasized and reiterated the attributes that have rendered female leaders capable of successfully dealing with the pandemic. What makes women effective caregivers: putting the collective good before our own self-interest, empathetic and decisive in equal measure, and communicating openly and collaboratively, is what also made them effective leaders.
Those in charge will be judged by how they manage in a crisis. This is true for both politics and business. The traits we traditionally consider male: assertiveness, dominance, competitiveness, and independence don’t always make the best leaders. A different kind of heroism emerged this year, challenging our traditional assumptions of leadership. “Female” attributes influenced the decisions of female leadership across the globe and brought success.
Female leadership qualities can bring a lot to society and the workforce. Here are four lessons to be learned from these successful female leaders:
Be Empathetic
Prime Minister Erna Solberg (Norway)
Erna Solberg conducted a press conference where no adults were allowed. She used that as an opportunity to talk directly to her country’s children and to answer their questions about the COVID pandemic. She also restated that it was OK to feel scared during these uncertain times.
Although unconventional, she did not tone down her speech but addressed them as the curious and concerned people that they are. She took time out of her busy schedule to address those who many politicians overlook and stood to be an inspiration and role model for parents.
Solberg was empathetic to her country's needs, down to even the youngest citizen. Norway is currently open for business and enjoys one of the lowest mortality rates in Europe. The country has also begun rebuilding its economy post lockdown measures.
The Takeaway: Don’t shy away from showing others you care. There is value in people who may not directly affect you or your position (i.e. someone you do not directly manage). Use your voice to lift up others around you and be conscious of their unique and individual struggle.
Be Honest
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern (New Zealand)
New Zealand stands out among the rest, as Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, and her “team of 5 million” has not only managed to stop the spread of the virus but also eradicated the virus from their country.
In March, Ardern delivered a televised eight-minute statement to the nation addressing New Zealand’s four-level COVID-19 alert system. Not only did Ardern maintain a clear and honest approach with the public, but she also rallied unity. Along with daily formal briefings, she also conducted regular Facebook Live appearances. In one Facebook Live, she appeared in a sweatshirt, empathizing with her audience and apologizing for the interruption to their lives. She appeared not just as a distant political figurehead but also a real human being, going through the same anxiety and emotions as everyone else.
The Takeaway: Be authentic. How a message is delivered is equally important as what the message is. By being open, honest, and authentic, you build not only trust but also loyalty.
Be Collaborative
Chancellor Angela Merkel (Germany)
Faced with tough decisions, Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel took a cautious approach as a scientist. She relied on experts for information and pivoted her efforts as necessary. Prior to establishing COVID policies, Merkel worked closely with these well-funded scientific research organizations as well as data from doctors, and epidemiological models to develop Germany’s coronavirus policy, including isolation measures. This led to a higher rate of testing and fewer COVID-related deaths.
As a consequence, Germany is now the country with the fewest cases in all of Western Europe.
The Takeaway: The best policies aren’t created alone. When you opt-in to unity and teamwork better, more well-informed decisions can be made.
Embrace Change
Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir (Iceland)
Iceland Prime Minister, Katrín Jakobsdóttir, stated science has guided her policy action during the pandemic. She has voiced that mistakes are inevitable when faced with unusual circumstances, which is why we need to be ready to make mistakes.
Jakobsdóttir’s early testing measures allowed the tracking of 92% of the cases by developing an app in which people were able to notify if they were feeling sick and if they had been in contact with anyone infected. The country is now in the process of opening up and its COVID mortality rates rank amongst the lowest in Europe.
The Takeaway: When faced with an unprecedented crisis, understand that change will happen. Often change brings adversity and mistakes but it also inspires innovation.
Many of the misconceptions and glass ceilings that exist for women exist because for too long we’ve perceived male attributes as the ideal leadership qualities. Our hope is that these positive outcomes from female-led countries will help reshape the way we view female leadership in society. For each of the above examples, it goes to show that effective leaders can exhibit nontraditional qualities, and still be successful and that better gender balance in leadership can help us all.
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