To quote Doors vocalist Jim Morrison, “The future’s uncertain/the end is always near.” While not a prophet, his statement is reasonably succinct given the current human condition. From floods, to tornadoes, and now the coronavirus, we are constantly reminded of just how dangerous a place the world can be, and how important it is to react decisively when disaster strikes, as it inevitably will.
That inevitability is something few of us like to think about. And that’s the reason our response to crisis situations is oftentimes lacking.
Truly exceptional leaders go beyond simply handling a crisis. They understand that a crisis, in addition to being a challenge that must be met and overcome, can also be an opportunity. The key is to harness the sense of urgency that comes in critical situations such as the coronavirus pandemic. During times of crisis people are at their creative peak and band together for the common good. Evidence of this is the Federal government’s passage of emergency relief legislation in a bipartisan manner. The lessons to be learned from this healthcare crisis, to name a few, are an underfunded public healthcare system, a pharmaceutical industry far too reliant on foreign manufacturing, and contingency planning inadequacies with the healthcare, education, and economic systems.
The bottom line is that the catastrophic event itself is irrelevant. It is our response to the event that matters. Sometimes bad news becomes good news if you know how to harness it. Keep the faith as we will get through this crisis, as we have so many times before. No one can ever say that we are not resilient! Stay calm, and continue to practice all health advisory precautions.