The COVID‐19 pandemic has brought about many complex challenges and opportunities, calling for a reexamination of leadership development curricula. This paper proposes adopting a competency‐based approach to better prepare leaders for crisis events, like COVID‐19. I used an HR practitioner's lens that informs human resource development scholarship and practice for my research on crisis leadership competency models. Based on that research, I propose that a model developed by Wooten and James, along with one developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, be used as a basis for constructing a competency framework to inform and improve leadership development programs.

The Problem In predominantly White organizational contexts and professions, such as human resources, that are significantly occupied by non-Blacks, Black male leaders struggle with achieving career success due to a lack of organizational support. Although existing research in human resource development (HRD) and career development provides a holistic representation of minoritized groups, there is a dearth of research that addresses the professional development of Black males. The Solution This article is an autoethnographic exploration of my experiences as a Black male leader in a predominantly White organization and profession (human resources). This article leverages autoethnography and critical race theory (CRT) as appropriate lenses to view my experiences as a Black male leader in this organizational/professional context. I utilize a layered account approach to position and deconstruct my experiences to provide an insider perspective of power structures that impede the leadership development of Black males. The Stakeholders HRD scholars, practitioners, organizational leaders, and Black males who are embarking upon and/or establishing their professional careers in predominantly White organizations.

I am a full-time HR practitioner and doctoral student, and professionally, I identify as a scholar-practitioner. As an HR Director, my mission is to drive the organizational strategic goals while performing and directing all aspects of the human resources division. These areas include benefits, change management, performance management, development, compliance, employee relations, staffing, workers compensation, and payroll administration. I would add that the opportunity to wear these many hats was at one time engaging, enjoyable, and rewarding. However, things feel different these days with little joy. Due to recent events that have tested the world of work and long held assumptions about working, the human resource development (HRD) practitioner profession has been challenged like never before. One of many major problems that require the attention and action of HRD practitioners is crises management for a workforce currently responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. Without a guide or framework, the sudden onslaught of the pandemic required not only supporting leadership and massive change management efforts, but it also forced many practitioners to (a) embrace accelerated change, (b) make quick decisions, (c) adapt to the new circumstances, (d) transform operations to a remote work environment, and (e) institute virtual communications so that, despite the pandemic, leaders could connect with employees in meaningful ways (Wicker, 2021, p. 52). An amazing amount of change in a very short time period.Another major challenge has been the war for talent in response to the Great Resignation paired with existing shortages in nurses, teachers, and truck drivers, among many other professions. For example, a colleague in state government was recently working to fill as many as 90 vacancies at once. Many of my peers across sectors have retired or changed professions to avoid the heavy lifting of the Great Resignation and other societal factors, as the cost for completing the work was just not worth it. The value proposition was gone.In a recent survey conducted by GoCo of 500 HR leaders, three out of four (77%) indicated that their jobs have become more complicated, and four out of five (74%) experience additional pressure from leadership to find and retain qualified talent (GoCo, 2021, p. 12). In addition to normal duties, HR practitioners must also now (a) focus on employees' mental health, (b) develop remote work policies and procedures, (c) develop and modify COVID-19 protocols, (d) invest time and dedication to diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, and (e) respond to and manage outside environmental factors (e.g., social injustice, vaccine, and mask debates) that negatively impact workers. Quite the heavy and sprawling load to bear.At the core of these challenges seems to be engagement and morale. In early July 2021, we launched our satisfaction survey. Consistent with the HR leaders surveyed in GoCo (2021), outcomes collated around organizational support with professional development, more remote work, and bett...

The Importance of Work in an Age of Uncertainty: The Eroding Work Experience in America presents insights from Americans who share their experiences related to critical issues concerning work alongside relevant literature describing the psychological impact of work. The author argues for a need to infuse psychological perspectives while including workers' voices into research concerning labor and work issues. These voices are from those on the front lines of rapid workforce changes. Furthermore, he argues that, holistically, Americans will see no advancement toward a "just and dignified approach to working" without including those workers who are most affected (p. 193). The purpose of the text is to extend readers beyond an economic view of numbers and data in articulating work and labor issues through rich narratives from people about their work experiences. The author points to decades of missed opportunities in research that have failed to capture working Americans' voices; sadly, he explains, economics has been the defining force informing public policies concerning work and how society understands it. This point and the central thesis that all workers deserve dignified and accessible employment serve as motivating forces behind this piece.Blustein leverages interview data and his experience as a therapist, career counselor, professor, and researcher in psychology and workforce development to inform the writing and convey Americans' psychological experiences concerning work. The book consists of a preface, nine chapters, notes, and an index. Each chapter begins with an introduction composed of historical or personal frames of reference for the material. Interview vignettes and emerging themes follow this section. The final part of each chapter introduces more recent psychological and sociological research, which aids further insight into work during periods of uncertainty, such as recessions and job eliminations due to technological advances.Chapter 1 embraces the significant role work plays in fulfilling psychological and social needs, while Chapter 2 explores human ambition for survival. Thus, combining the research presented in Chapter 1 and the vignettes in Chapter 2 permits readers to visualize Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Blustein presents stories concerning individuals' struggles for financial security after the Great Recession, which correlates to the hierarchy's safety and physiological needs. Chapter 3 expands the discussion of needs, explaining that being with others is key to an individual's well-being. Blustein also devotes attention to emerging constructs that impede the benefits of working with others, such as automation and harassment.Chapter 4 explores how individuals construct meaning and purpose in life and connect with the greater social good through work. These narratives offer a glimpse into the lives of those experiencing a deep connection to work, the social impacts of work, or those who struggle to find work. Bluestein discusses the experience of individuals' motivation for working in...