Abstract
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a "disaster of uncertainty" with ambiguity about its nature and trajectory. These features amplify its psychological toxicity and increase the number of psychological casualties it inflicts. Uncertainty was fueled by lack of knowledge about the lethality of a disaster, its duration, and ambiguity in messaging from leaders and health care authorities. Human resilience can have a buffering effect on the psychological impact. Experts have advocated "flattening the curve" to slow the spread of the infection. Our strategy for crisis leadership is focused on flattening the rise in psychological casualties by increasing resilience among health care workers. This paper describes an approach employed at Johns Hopkins to promote and enhance crisis leadership. The approach is based on 4 factors: vision for the future, decisiveness, effective communication, and following a moral compass. We make specific actionable recommendations for implementing these factors that are being disseminated to frontline leaders and managers. The COVID-19 pandemic is destined to have a strong psychological impact that extends far beyond the end of quarantine. Following these guidelines has the potential to build resilience and thus reduce the number of psychological casualties and speed the return to normal - or at least the new normal in the post-COVID world.
Highlights
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a “disaster of uncertainty” with ambiguity about its nature and trajectory
Our strategy for crisis leadership at Johns Hopkins Medicine may be thought of as a “resilient leadership” approach, which is focused on slowing the rise in psychological casualties by increasing resilience in those they can influence
This paper describes a novel approach taken at Johns Hopkins Medicine to enhance crisis leadership through the development and promulgation of specific recommendations for leaders at all organizational levels, especially frontline leaders
Summary
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a “disaster of uncertainty” with ambiguity about its nature and trajectory. During the COVID-19 pandemic, experts have advocated for the goal of “flattening the curve” to slow the spread of the infection.[1] Our strategy for crisis leadership at Johns Hopkins Medicine may be thought of as a “resilient leadership” approach, which is focused on slowing the rise in psychological casualties by increasing resilience in those they can influence. Its importance will grow as the impact of the pandemic continues, and the subsequent psychological exhaustion and “disillusionment phase” of the psychological response set in.[2] Recent papers suggest that guidance should be provided to leaders as to the psychosocial aspects and consequences of the pandemic.[3,4] They add that leadership crisis messaging should take into consideration the psychosocial dimension.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
