How Good Leadership Decides Outcome Of Everything

The way some nations have contained the virus speaks volumes about effective leadership 

America is exhibiting the worst kind of leadership ever while tackling a pandemic where it would have otherwise spearheaded an active plan of action 

The United States has never been so unprepared to handle a disaster as it is today. The country which is known to the super power of all nations has been brought to its knees- thanks to selfish leadership at the helm.

The best way to show you care about your nation and are genuinely there as a leader to serve is when you can pre-empt danger, have the right people in place to mobilize resources, take informed and timely decisions and then work in unity to make a solid defense or backup plan.

If one was to learn a lesson from these instances, one can see, that it is not just powerful nations that can prevent such outbreaks from becoming epidemics. Instead, it is the head of the nation, whose sound leadership, sound judgment and sense of responsibility towards sovereignty that can actually save the day.

Let us start from the country from where the virus was let lose.

China had already had a bad experience in 2003. But it did not learn from its lessons. It ignored the warning signs. When the virus did break lose to epidemic proportions in late December 2019, it handled the onset of the outbreak in a careless and arrogant manner. The leadership instead, scolded the medical officers and other related agencies for creating a panic like situation. They ignored the calling from Wuhan Animal Market, from where the virus was thriving and growing. They continued to believe things were under control.

But the fact is, there was a need to panic; something which can be seen across the globe as the COVID-19 virus has spread without any possible anti-virus in sight.

Many examples are being seen at this juncture. It is going to mark history. King Salman of Saudi Arabia has been in news for having generously made contributions to the UN as support fund for countries with weak medical infrastructures.  The country has also shown great preparedness to handle the onset of the coronavirus. They went out of their way, but well prepared (unlike America which sent off a medical team ill equipped to bring back its own from Iran) to bring back not just their own, but many students stranded in China, when the outbreak has started to spread.

Italy realised its mistake a little too late. A fragmented economy and leadership could be blamed for some serious mistakes made on handling the outbreak. First the signs weren’t taken seriously. Then, when they did start to become obvious, a secret strategy note got out in the open creating panic amongst civilian population and leading to mass infection over two days, spreading the virus from the South to the North of Italy.  A sad result has been the complete lockdown of the whole country.  The current president is Sergio Mattarella, and the current prime minister is Giuseppe Conte. A high degree of fragmentation and instability, leading to often short-lived coalition governments, is characteristic of Italian politics.

Britain, on the other hand has been prompt and careful. Under the leadership of Boris Johnson, they are now asking even the mildly sick to remain at home. In India, under Narendra Modi, the government has already started sounding the public, messages are being reiterated. India has a mixed population of largely illiterate and educated lot. So strong messaging about prevention and hygiene are being given to control any chances of an outbreak. Action has been prompt and well thought out.

Preventive action can go a long way in running a nation and keeping its population safe.