Leadership in unpredictable situations, like global pandemics or political conflicts, has become increasingly crucial. Leaders must adapt, collaborate, and deeply understand crises to effectively guide their communities. Traditional ideas of leadership, which focused on stability and established rules, are now being challenged and reviewed because they don’t seem sufficient for modern crises. Leaders are now expected to be more flexible, understanding, and able to work well with others. This writing explores the leadership styles of two leaders, Donald Trump and Justin Trudeau, during crises.
Background
The Importance of Power and Influence in Leadership
Naturally, people in leadership positions like Donald Trump and Justin Trudeau are able to make changes because of their powerful positions. This power also means they have the responsibility to use that power ethically. Power is a tool that leaders use which helps them lead their teams and make important choices (Hughes, Richard, et al., 1993). Leaders obtain power through their use of knowledge, high ranking jobs, and good relationships with others. Leaders have many ways to use their power to affect people. They can use facts and logic, or they can give rewards or sometimes use pressure. But having power means they must use it carefully and for good reasons. Leaders need to think deeply about how they use their power, making sure it helps everyone and improves the group or organization. When leaders use their power positively, it makes the organization they are leading better and more supportive. It helps to make everyone feel important and do their best. Leaders should use their power to help everyone in the group work well together and perform at their highest level.
The Definition of a Crisis
What is considered a crisis has changed over time. This is because everything in the world, like organizations, systems, and countries, are more connected now. In the past, crises were seen as sudden dangers, but now they are more complicated and confusing, and they can affect a lot of people and areas. These crises can either happen all of a sudden or slowly grow worse over time because of ongoing issues or bad management within an organization. Leadership during a crisis needs to be dynamic, meaning it has to change and adapt quickly (Riggio & Newstead, 2023). Leaders should consider what is morally right and ethical when making decisions. They should use their previous knowledge and experiences to help manage the crisis, making sure they are open to new ideas and not stuck on old ways of thinking. Leaders also need to be careful when making decisions during a crisis. They should consider not only what is ethically right, but also what is practically possible, always thinking about the needs of everyone involved. Good leadership means being clear in communication, building trust, organizing resources well, and encouraging an environment where people can learn and improve. This helps organizations to be stronger and more able to deal with future crises, making it easier to manage difficult situations.
An Examination of Donald Trump’s Charismatic Leadership During Crises
A study conducted by Barreto et al. (2023) looks at the leadership style of Donald Trump, the former U.S. President, during tough times like his impeachment and the COVID-19 pandemic. The goal was to see how crises change the way charismatic leaders like Trump speak and how people see and support them. The first part of the study checked how Trump spoke to the public during important times, like his 2016 campaign, the start of his presidency, his impeachment in 2019, and the COVID-19 pandemic. The study found that Trump was most charismatic during peaceful times and election campaigns. But in tough times like impeachment and the pandemic, he focused more on his own problems rather than the needs of everyday Americans. The second part of the study looked at how these crises changed how voters saw Trump’s charisma and leadership. The results showed that charisma, mixed with a lot of narcissism, could change how people vote. After debates, how people saw Trump’s charisma changed based on how important they thought the COVID-19 crisis was.
To summarize, charismatic leaders like Trump change how they act based on how severe different crises are. But their ability to keep up charisma and support seems to go down when the country goes through big, unresolved problems. The way leaders speak and act during crises can really affect how people see them and if they get elected.
An Examination of Justin Trudeau’s Leadership Approach During Crises
A different study by Seijts, de Clercy and Miller (2022) carefully looked at the leadership style of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during the COVID-19 pandemic. It focused on understanding how important a leader’s character and the trust people have in them are in managing crises effectively. The goal is to find out whether Canadians believe that a leader’s character is crucial in dealing with the challenges of a crisis like a pandemic. The study didn’t just look at the leader’s personality but focused on their values and the virtues that are necessary for good leadership during tough times. Using online surveys taken at three different times during the pandemic, the study collected people’s opinions on leadership character, trust, and effectiveness. It helped discover how these opinions have changed over time and how qualities like responsibility, honesty, and good judgment play a role in leadership. The main findings of the study showed that a leader’s character became more important to people as the pandemic went on. The study also looked closely at Trudeau’s leadership, and described how people’s trust and opinions of effectiveness changed with the different challenges of the crisis. Trust, especially the kind based on identification, is seen as a subtle but strong force that influences the success of leadership during tough times.
In summary, this study discussed the importance of character, trust, and effectiveness in understanding political leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic. It provided a deeper understanding of how these characteristics work together to shape leadership success in the face of crisis challenges.
Comparing Leadership in Crises: Donald Trump and Justin Trudeau
Donald Trump’s leadership style was filled with charisma and powerful speech. His leadership showed changes, being more charismatic when times were stable but focusing more on personal complaints during big crises like impeachment and the COVID-19 pandemic. The study by Barreto et al. (2023) found that charisma, mixed with a focus on self, affects how the public sees a leader and how people vote. A leader’s words and how they communicate during a crisis can deeply affect their reputation and the support they receive.
Justin Trudeau’s leadership, on the other hand, highlighted the importance of a leader’s character and the trust they build during hard times like the COVID-19 crisis (Seijts, de Clercy, & Miller, 2022). Trudeau’s leadership showed the importance of being responsible and honest, and how these qualities, together with trust, help improve a leader’s effectiveness. His leadership style, which blended good character traits, trust, and the ability to adapt, offered a detailed example of managing through crises, showing the importance of good values and connecting emotionally to successfully navigate through tough challenges.
Good crisis leadership requires more than just traditional authority. A leader needs to be ethical, adaptable, communicate well, and truly understand the many challenges of modern crises. Leaders who can handle these aspects, combining charisma with true character and a focus on the community, seem more ready to lead societies through the complex and tough situations found in today’s crises.
Citations
Barreto, T. S., Williams, E. A., Sims, R. L., Pillai, R., McCombs, K., & Lowe, K. B. (2023). Charismatic rhetoric, perceptions of charisma and narcissism, and voting behavior: Leadership under crisis. Leadership, 19(3), 231-254. https://doi-org.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/10.1177/17427150231165629
Hughes, Richard, et al. (1993) Power and influence. Leadership: Enhancing the Lessons of Experience. Homewood, IL. Irwin. 1993. 0256102783. Ch. 5. pp. 107-131.
Riggio, R. E., & Newstead, T. (2023). Crisis leadership. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 10, 201-224. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-120920-044838
Seijts, G., de Clercy, C., & Miller, R. (2022). Character and trust in crisis leadership: Probing the relationships among character, identification-based trust, and perceptions of effectiveness in political leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 59(1), 127-154. https://doi.org/10.1177/00218863221110627
In today’s unpredictable world, leadership has become increasingly important in dealing with pandemics, political conflicts, and other crises.
I agree that the traditional concept of leadership, which focuses on stability and established rules, must be replaced by leadership that is adaptable, collaborative, and deeply aware of crises to effectively guide their communities. It is imperative to be able to lead a team during a crisis. For example, during a pandemic, a leader needs to be capable of adapting to changing conditions, changing strategies, and pivoting to new strategies as needed.
Leaders need to remain composed and act swiftly to provide guidance and direction, as well as possess excellent communication skills to make complex situations understandable to their teams and other stakeholders. They must be able to motivate and inspire their team to remain focused and dedicated to achieving the objectives at hand.
Leadership qualities such as open communication, adaptability, critical thinking, empathy, and compassion is essential during emergencies. Leaders can maintain team morale and motivation by acknowledging and offering support to individuals during a crisis. They provide regular updates, address concerns promptly, and adjust strategies as needed. Finally, in times of disaster, leaders need to lead by example, demonstrating resilience, determination, and a positive attitude. They inspire their teams to stay focused, motivated, and united, despite the challenges they may face, by setting an example of perseverance and optimism.
In conclusion, leadership in crisis requires a combination of various qualities and skills. By remaining calm, communicating effectively, being adaptable, showing empathy, and leading by example, leaders can successfully navigate through challenging times and guide their teams towards resilience and success.