The response to the coronavirus is an interesting metaphor for leadership. Sometimes we think that leadership is about the guy at the top telling others what to do. That is only part of the story.
Unless leadership is distributed throughout the organization, it will be ineffective. Imagine how successful a response to the coronavirus would be if all efforts to curtail it were dependent on President Trump Alone:
- No Coronavirus Taskforce led my Mike Pence.
- No Center For Disease Control (CDC).
- No involvement by governors of the states affected.
- No local authorities taking measures to quarantine.
- No hospitals dealing with the victims.
- No doctors offering care.
- No hospital administrators retrofitting to increase capacity to deal with the crisis.
The most dangerous myth about leadership is that it is about the Leader. It is not. It is about creating a culture of leadership.
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Dr. Darin Gerdes is a tenured Professor of Management in the College of Business at Charleston Southern University.
All ideas expressed on www.daringerdes.com are his own.
FTC Disclosure: When I refer to a book, I often add a link to Amazon (#ad) so you can purchase it easily. I may earn a few cents if you buy it, but I never recommend any books unless they are worth reading.
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