Exercising Leadership in Light of COVID-19
A Special Online Support Discussion
Friday, March 13, 1 PM (CT)

 
The World Health Organization has declared the Coronavirus a pandemic (a disease spreading in multiple countries around the world at the same time). The president delivered an address from the Oval Office. The NBA suspended its season after a player tested positive for the virus, and the NHL has quickly followed suite. The NCAA indicated that March Madness would be played without fans. Beloved actor Tom Hanks and his wife, Rita Wilson, testified positive for the virus. Colleges and universities are putting classes online and sending students home. The stock market continues to plummet after the end of the longest bull market in history. And as of this writing there are four known cases of infection in Johnson County, Kansas.

Situations like this call for deep diagnosis but swift action. Organizations and communities are taking preventative measures to protect the people they serve, including employees, volunteers and supporters. They are explaining difficult decisions to constituencies in ways that inspire trust, acknowledge loss and speak from the heart.  At the same time, organizations must hold to purpose, so they are finding ways to continue offering services. And of course, if they are to contribute to the common good, they must first stay in business, mitigating losses to keep the lights on.

Confronting uncertainty and conflicting values, we must manage ourselves throughout this process, caring not just for others but for ourselves. We must recharge to meet the next day’s challenges, for what we decide and how we respond may change tomorrow, even later today.

These are tough calls. All require adaptation. All require leadership. To support our partners throughout Kansas and around the world as they negotiate the uncertainties of leadership in light of the Coronavirus, Kansas Leadership Center is announcing a special return episode of On The Balcony.

President and CEO Ed O’Malley and Creative Technical Director Thane Chastain will appear via Facebook Live on Friday, March 13 at 1 PM (CT) for a special, one-hour dialogue to provide a space for reflection and support for our partners confronting the leadership challenges of this extraordinary health emergency.

No registration is required. To attend, simply visit our Facebook page on Friday, March 13 at 1 PM (CT).