Crisis leadership from the perspective of employees during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of the paper is to identify traits and behaviors of organization leaders that were deemed helpful by employees during the COVID-19 pandemic.Design/methodology/approachThis is an exploratory qualitative study that utilized online surveys. Data from 155 participants were subjected to content analysis.FindingsSeveral interrelated traits and behaviors of effective crisis leadership were identified. These were clustered into three superordinate themes – attending to the person, taking charge and showing the way forward and sustaining the spirit.Research limitations/implicationsFindings from this paper can be furthered by conducting quantitative studies to validate themes and/or test a conceptual model of effective crisis leadership. Gathering data from other populations at different points in time during the COVID-19 pandemic may also be useful.Practical implicationsA review of leadership development programs and organization norms and values is recommended in order to ensure that they are consistent with crisis leadership competencies.Originality/valueThis paper helps address the gap on follower-centered perspectives about organizational leadership responses to crises and highlights the importance of care and compassion in leading employees during difficult times.

The resilient effects of transformational leadership on well-being: examining the moderating effects of anxiety during the COVID-19 crisis

“…What is effective during "normal" conditions, may be less effective in times of crisis (James et al, 2011). Studies have suggested that during times of crisis, individuals might favor decisive efforts (Caringal-Go et al, 2021;James et al, 2011;Lin et al, 2021). This, combined with our findings, suggests that transformational leadership behaviors that emphasize sharing the group's future vision and challenging current ways of thinking might decrease certainty and be less effective during a time of uncertainty and stress.…”

“…Organizations do not operate within a vacuum, but rather exist in a volatile and complex environment (Williams et al, 2019) and extreme contexts arguably elicit the greatest need for effective leadership (Caringal-Go et al, 2021;Geier, 2016;Hannah et al, 2009). The results of the current study suggest that leadership training might focus on individualized and immediate needs (for support and performance) addressed by transformational leadership behaviors when training supervisors to manage employee well-being in an extreme context.…”

“…Similarly, the dimension of performance expectations focuses on encouraging followers to have enthusiasm when addressing challenges. Recent research has suggested that during the COVID-19 crisis organizations benefitted from enacting clear guidelines, transparent communication, outlined procedures and attending to the individual, emphasizing this need for more short-term and direct attention from leaders (Caringal-Go et al, 2021;Lin et al, 2021). During a time of extreme crisis, individuals experience uncertainty (Tafvelin et al, 2019).…”

“…Due to the need for timely action as well as the amplified role leaders' play, there have been calls for more investigations on leadership during crisis situations (Caringal-Go et al, 2021;James et al, 2011;Osborn et al, 2002); and increased examination of boundary conditions surrounding transformational leadership's impact on well-being (Arnold, 2017;Gilbert et al, 2017). Due to the role well-being plays in overall performance (Robertson et al, 2012), research is needed to better address the process through which transformational leadership affects follower outcomes such as well-being and the specific management factors that suppress or enhance well-being (Gilbert et al, 2017;Krishnan, 2012).…”

Public Health and Health Sector Crisis Leadership During Pandemics: A Review of the Medical and Business Literature

“…Competency theorists commonly group leadership behaviors into task-related competencies, relational competencies, and change and adaptive competencies (Heifetz & Linsky, 2017;Stogdill, 1974;Yukl, 2012). Crisis leadership scholars suggest in addition to the above leadership competencies that are formed and developed outside of crisis situations, collaboration is an important element in the crisis situation (Bavik et al, 2021;Caringal-Go et al, 2021;Kapucu & Ustun, 2018). Figure 1 shows the integrated framework for pandemic leadership that guided our work.…”