Pandemic leadership: lessons learnt from a small state of Brunei Darussalam

Abstract

PurposeThis paper analyses the leadership approach and practices of the Brunei Government, in response hitherto to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.Design/methodology/approachA review of the available resources and existing literature on COVID-19 and crisis management in Brunei is conducted, consequently drawing lessons on effective measures of Brunei experience in combating the COVID-19 pandemic.FindingsThe main key lessons of Brunei's success factors in tackling the COVID-19 outbreak are the “Whole of Government Approach” and “Whole of Nation Approach”. It is to be noted that the approach would not be successful without the approval and full support of the monarch himself and, more importantly, the public's cooperation. Engaging in constant updates with the government's willingness to have themselves be led by recognised experts has gained public trust, which leads to the success of containing COVID-19, which resulted Brunei not needing to opt for a lockdown, which in turn did not lead Brunei to succumb to the second wave of COVID-19.Research limitations/implicationsBrunei experiences in containing novel coronavirus will help international scholars, especially in Muslim countries, to understand the lessons and develop a robust pandemic leadership model.Practical implicationsThe lessons and strategies used by Brunei can be used as an exemplary approach to prepare for any future uncertainties by other countries.Originality/valueThe literature on pandemic leadership during COVID-19 in Brunei is scarce. This study might be considered as the first attempt to exhibit strong crisis leadership capacity in Brunei which resulted in the success of containing COVID-19.

Whole-of-Nation Moral Learning by Spiritual Hearts: A Case of Brunei’s Transformation to tackle the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…The WoNML-SH framework unfolds on four distinct levels: global, national, societal, and individual levels. Guided by leaders with visionary hearts (Basir & Rahman, 2021;Pang, 2021), moral learning and changes on all levels to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic are made collectively with followers, embedding and realigning morality in the national/organizational structures, cultures, systems, and procedures. In turn, these organizational learning repositories act as catalysts for moral changes in the hearts of others.…”

Whole‐of‐government and joined‐up government: A systematic literature review

“…Among the selected policy and service areas shown in Figure 7 Of 55 WG articles published in 2020 and 2021, nine were about COVID-19. Basir and Rahman (2022) argue that Brunei's success in the fight against the pandemic could be attributed to its WG and whole-of-nation approaches. Zeemering's (2021) comparative study of US cities with functional fragmentations illuminates their varying levels of engagement in WG coordination regarding social media management during the pandemic.…”

Preparing for Future Pandemics: Challenges for Healthcare Leadership

“…It is critical to make quick decisions in an uncertain environment, but it can be your last chance to make a difference. 32 A problem must be recognized and thoroughly evaluated to make the optimal choice. Choosing a course of action based on the best available facts is essential.…”

“…20 However, others may delay in response, and this causes more fatalities and diseases. 32 This was mostly dependent on healthcare leadership constancy and style of communication.…”

“…Workers in some countries were awarded compensation for utilizing their infrastructure for their job. 32 Ethical dilemmas may arise in the acute care sector during a pandemic when deciding on treatment options in emergency and critical care units. 23 Some healthcare employees may find themselves in circumstances where they have not been properly trained due to an increasing number of ill patients and a lack of resources (beds, respirators, etc.).…”