In times of crisis, we tend to look for leadership that can guide us through hardships. As we welcome the third decade of the 21st century, we are facing something much bigger than what we experienced in the last two. We welcomed the new century with a terrorist attack on one of the most iconic cities of the modern world, New York. We welcomed the second decade with uprisings in the Arab world, with the Ancient Egyptian flare as the centerpiece. These were two moments in our modern history when we all turned on our televisions and watched the same events unfold. We were beginning to recognize our common humanity, but did we really?
Regardless, do our current political and corporate leaders have what it takes to lead during uncertainties? Are they equipped and prepared at all levels – mental, physical, tactical, and logistical? Have our leaders earned their positions of responsibility? Do leaders anticipate and project lessons learned from past experiences?
Suffice it to say honestly that no one is ever prepared for such eventualities!
A wise man once said, “Great Leaders are born in times of crisis.”
The current crisis will need more than one leader to rise to the occasion. It is the perfect moment in our modern history to act collectively for the sake of the collective good.
COVID-19 is the name of our latest enemy. It is unlike any kind of enemy the present collective has experienced. Each one of us must search deep within for all the qualities we search for in a leader. First, we must lead ourselves out of the darkness of fear and panic. We must lead ourselves to the forefront to fight together, while also adhering to the necessary measures put in place, including physical distancing and social solidarity.
An old African saying tells us that the most prepared will thrive. Therefore, we must prepare ourselves, and subsequently provide support to our leaders on their strategic vision. Our leaders are as good as the people they lead. If we want, our leaders to be bold risk-takers, authentic, ethical, transparent, honest, and to inspire hope, we too, must imbibe these distinctive qualities. We must become resilient and flexible. Most of all, we humans, must care for our lives and those of others. Is that too much of an ask?
Collectively, we will get through this, and we must be prepared for the post-COVID-19 decade. It must be a decade of action towards a better future for generations to come. The current crisis, if anything, has shown us that our current systems and our own psyches are vulnerable.
We will certainly beat the virus soon enough Inshallah but the next decade needs a newer and an upgraded version of us, humans 2.0. We should look into improving the quality of leadership. We must uphold our leaders and ourselves to better and higher standards. As the Ancient Egyptians said, “When the governing class isn’t chosen for quality it is chosen for material wealth: this always means decadence, the lowest stage a society can reach.”
Written by: Bakhtiar Safi, Sona Lakhanpal, Hani Selim
