3 Things We’ve Learned From Female Leadership in COVID-19
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Author: Erica wallis
Erica is Master of Global Affairs student at the University of Toronto and an affiliate of the Asian Institute through a specialization in East Asian studies. She is an Associate Editor with Global Conversations and was part of the communications staff for the 2019 Halifax International Security Forum. Originally from Toronto, Canada, Erica’s work in foreign policy has taken her across the world to El Salvador, Tanzania and China.
Despite accounting for just 7% of international leaders, women have been praised across the world for their competent and steady handling of the COVID-19 crisis. From Denmark and Germany to New Zealand and Taiwan, countries with women in charge seem to have better track records of COVID-19 containment.
Something as outrageous as a woman in charge seems to require the publication of many think-pieces on how women could be capable of rising to the challenge of a generation. It seems impossible to imagine anyone writing something similar about men, but after years of authoritarian strongmen and populists, I am cautiously optimistic to witness praise for a different form of leadership. For young women beginning uncertain careers in foreign policy, there are some important leadership lessons we can learn from this time of crisis.
Seek advice, listen to advice
Evidence has suggested that men are more likely than women to be overconfident. For women, it is a common experience to find yourself cornered in a social or workplace setting by a man with loud conviction in an unearned opinion.
Building the confidence to speak up in professional settings is a skill to be learned over time. But basing decisions off a variety of advice isn’t just something that everyone can do; it’s what’s helping female leaders navigate the pandemic. In this era of uncertainty, a leader can’t rely on political rhetoric or a gut feeling to combat a public health crisis - they need solid advice from epidemiologists, doctors, and PPE manufacturers.
Foreign policy is a cis-white, and male-dominated field that has been built on strong opinions. But we can exhibit leadership in any setting by seeking out advice from a wide variety of sources, and using that as a basis for an informed decision. Instead of feeling pressure to be an expert in everything, we should embrace learning new things and developing our skills. Policy decisions don’t need to be made alone; embrace curiosity as a way to learn about better ways of doing things, and be willing to follow that advice.
2. Suggest bold changes
Proposing bold, new ideas doesn’t necessarily lead to an immediate change in policy, but it does move the goalposts forward in conversation. Think Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and her Green New Deal. That legislation certainly won’t be passed by a conservative president, but it has growing public approval and is helping to change perception on requirements for a green economy.
In the same way as climate change, COVID-19 recovery is going to need bold changes, and thankfully, women are good at exhibiting the hard leadership skills required to make such changes. A Forbes report on COVID-19 leadership concluded that “women possess the qualities of transformational leaders—vision, inspiration, direction-setting and out-of-the-box thinking”.
The events of the past few months have reinforced what we have all known for a long time - our ways of living were wildly unsustainable for the environment, for our mental health, and for our high levels of inequality. We need a bold vision and imagination to lead us through this uncertain period that has no road map. When faced with the ‘glass cliff’ of high stakes success or failure, women have been proven to take a leap on community-oriented change. That’s why we should use this crisis to challenge the status quo and utilize the public’s current willingness to embrace societal changes.
3. Embrace feminine leadership
Donald Trump has been afraid to wear a mask because of concerns that it makes him look weak and subservient. Unfortunately, swagger and hyper-masculinity aren’t proven vaccines for COVID-19. Thankfully, they no longer have to be prerequisites for power either. In fact, the more Trump has politicized the issue of mask-related masculinity, the more other leaders have embraced the mask as a public symbol of community care.
The success of female leadership during this crisis strengthens the argument for smart, compassionate, and kind leadership. In times of fear and uncertainty, people aren’t interested in strongmen bullying other countries, demeaning their anxiety, or dismissing the illness as a flu for weak people. Instead, the public has responded positively to live streams of Jacinda Ardern in pyjamas levelling with constituents about the difficulties ahead. Or Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg holding a press conference for kids, letting them know that it’s okay to be scared.
If the COVID-19 crisis has taught us anything, it’s that we don’t have to take on traditionally masculine qualities to succeed in politics. Authenticity, compassion, and clarity have proved to be far better indicators of trust than bravado and bluster. But we also don’t have to conform to traditionally feminine roles either if it doesn’t suit us.
The seismic shifts brought on by the COVID-19 crisis have accelerated changes to our world that have been decades in the making. Women might only make up a fraction of global leaders, but we can provide the leadership needed to navigate the world in a sustainable direction. If leadership in the COVID-19 crisis has taught us anything, it’s that young women are not just statistics to fill a personnel quota.
We are an essential part of 21st-century leadership.
Edited by Ashvini Rae
Published 26 May 2020