Question

Case: Covid-19 and Leadership Response
The COVID-19 pandemic remains a health and humanitarian crisis, but the business impact
on organizations is now profound. As governments make significant interventions in response to
the coronavirus, businesses are rapidly adjusting to the changing needs of their people, their
customers and suppliers, while navigating the financial and operational challenges. With every
industry, function and geography affected, the amount of potential change to think through can be
daunting. The greatest immediate impact of the COVID-19 outbreak is on people. Organizations
are focused on caring for their workforces while rapidly managing the shift to new patterns of
work. At this critical time, leaders must see through these changes in ways that gain and maintain
the trust of their people. That trust depends on leaders demonstrating their care for individuals as
well as the wider workforce and community. It means sharing a clear plan and transparently
showing how decisions are made. And it requires leadership teams who can proactively respond
rather than react, anticipating their people’s changing needs. This is particularly important in
Course Title: Advance Management and Leadership Exam Duration: 24 hrs.
Instructor: Dr. Sarfaraz Karim Program: MBA
Session: Evening Semester: Spring 2020
Time start: 10:00 AM, 19 May 2020, 10:00 AM 20 May,2020 Marks: 20 Public Service organizations, where leadership needs to calm markets and reassure citizens,
businesses, government employees and community stakeholders. When faced with a crisis, most
leaders are forced to think and behave in ways that feel unfamiliar. Whether it’s a technological,
financial, natural, or health crisis — at work or in the community — crises demand that leaders
take an emergency response plan and adapt it as new evidence and factors present themselves.
All the while, effective leaders are able to remain calm and maintain a sense of perspective.
The global COVID-19 pandemic has forever changed our experiences―as customers, employees,
citizens, humans―and our attitudes and behaviors are changing as a result. Once the immediate
threat of the virus has passed, what will have changed in the way we think and behave, and how
will that affect the way we design, communicate, build and run the experiences that people need
and want? The answers to these questions will be revealed in the ways people and businesses react
and find innovative ways to rise above these challenging times.
According to Gene Klann, author of book Crisis Leadership, “During a crisis, your goal
is to reduce loss and keep things operating as normal as possible.” Especially as organizational
leaders face the current coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and associated disruptions in the
global economy, Klann recommends the following 5 actions to prepare and respond.
5 Ways to Lead and Adapt Through a Crisis
1. Seek credible information.
2. Use appropriate communication channels.
3. Explain what your organization is doing about the crisis.
4. Be present, visible, and available.
5. Dedicate organizational resources for future crises.

Question#1: Summarize the above case study in your view with not more than 500 words?

No plagiarism, it will check the turnitin.

Answer 1

The above case study talks about the crisis situation due to Covid_19 pandemic and how has/will it impact the people, business and the leaders. It also used the context from Gene Klann's book and specify the five Ways to Lead and Adapt Through a Crisis. These includes-

• Seeking credible information.
• Using appropriate communication channels.
• Explaining what the organization is doing about the crisis.
• Being available, present and visible.
• And, dedicating organizational resources for future crises.

The author of the article talks about the deep-rooted susiness impact of the pandemic on organizations. Though government is doing interventions, but the businesses need to adjust to the changes in the needs of people, customers, suppliers etc. while also maintining thier financial and operational effectiveness.

Organizations need to balance out the shift, while also maintining trust in its people. There is an important role of the leaders, in maintaining trust & transparency and sharing a clear plan with the proactive decision making. Leaders need to anticipate the changing needs and act accordingly, rather than reacting later.

Corona Virus PAndemic has a huge impact, especially on Public service organizations as the leaders here need to also reassure citizens, businesses, community stakeholders and government employees, while also to calm the markets. Accoridng to the author, effective leaders are those who are able tomaintain a sense of perspective and reman calm while handling this sense of unfamiliarity.

Change in our experiences due to Covid_19 is leading to change in our behaviors and attitudes, be it as employees, customers, citizens or as humans. But once the immediate threat of virus goes, the real questions will rise with the changes in the way we think or behave, which will affect the businesses and everyone around. But it will depend on the ways the businesses and people react. Also, finding innovative ways to handle the challenges will be a huge determinant to these questions.

Thanks!