Newswise — During a threat situation, the public generally has three core expectations that impact its confidence and trust in a leader, says Christine M. Riordan, Luther Henderson Chair in Leadership, M.J. Neeley School of Business, Texas Christian University (TCU). Ultimately, the public responds to how leaders meet (or don't meet) these expectations.
1. CORE EXPECTATION: "Help Us Recover".
"When a threat occurs, people look to leaders to immediately "fix" the problems associated with the crisis," says Riordan.
"In the case of the current devastation, individuals' core and basic needs as humans must be met: food, water, medical treatment, security. The media is filled with stories of people hurt and/or dying, people not receiving medical treatment, people without food and water, people stranded for days, damage to homes and businesses, looting, and so forth.
"People are now looking at the leaders, such as President Bush, to immediately address these problems: when are people going to be safe? when will people receive the medical treatment they need? when will people receive the food, shelter and water needed for basic survival?
"Before Hurricane Katrina, the citizens of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama for the most part, had these basic needs met. According to many media stories, this crisis has prevented meeting the core needs of many individuals. So, as the general public watches other citizens suffering, it is judging the responses of its leaders to this expectation of "Help Us Recover." In this case, many people feel that leaders such George Bush have not done enough nor have done it quickly enough to help the citizens of those affected states. So, their confidence in him and other leaders has eroded.
"In short, during times of crisis, people psychologically need a leader to quickly provide a plan and quickly provide action on how the problems associated with a crisis will be fixed. We want leaders to address our and others' needs and help us get through the crisis. During a crisis, we want them to quickly plan, communicate, and execute a strategy for recovery and clean-up."
2. CORE EXPECTATION: Give Us Hope.
"During a threat situation, people also look for some hope for the future-some vision for the future such as we will rebuild, we will recover, we will be a great city again," she says.
"Again, psychologically, people need to focus on something positive for the future. A vision provides inspiration and helps people get through the present situation, as well as any setbacks they may encounter.
"Leaders can't deny the devastation and the reality of the situation, but they must also provide hope to others that they will recover and triumph. "
3. CORE EXPECTATION: Be There With Us Through It All".
"During a threat, a leader needs to be visible, show compassion and understanding for what others are facing, and also show strength," she says. "It is important for leaders to get into the trenches and listen, empathize, communicate, and support those that are affected by the crisis. A lack of visibility and communication from a leader erodes confidence in him/her. High visibility and compassion demonstrate interest, concern, and caring on the part of the leader during crisis. Confidence and trust are heightened when a leader is present with those that are affected.
"Referring to these expectations, it is fairly easy to tease out why people have lost confidence in some of the leaders associated with the crisis. It is a common perception that leaders did not quickly and clearly articulate a plan for recovery. Several days elapsed with continued and highly visible suffering of the residents of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Leaders seemingly let bureaucracies get in the way of formulating a quick and articulate recovery plan. Most of the public opinion is that George Bush has not really helped the people recover from this disaster.
"The current leaders are being blamed for not helping the citizens of those states meet basic physiological and psychological needs of food, water, medical treatment, and safety. In short, many believe that they have not helped the citizens of Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi recover. Additionally, many of the significant leaders have not visited the disaster areas or went too late to be effective.
"Contrasting this crisis to 9/11, Rudy Guiliani immediately started providing responses to the problems that they were facing in NYC. He provided a strong plan for recovery. While he did not have all of the answers, he had a reasonable approach and plan to help the city recover (Help Us Recover). Additionally, while he never diminished the devastation of 9/11, he also focused on how the city of New York would fully recover and be stronger and better than ever. In short, he provided the citizens of New York some hope with a vision that they would unite and be a strong city after the recovery (Give Us Some Hope). Finally, Guiliani was in the trenches talking, listening, empathizing, and responding. He showed great visibility, compassion, and strength (Be There With Us Through It All).
"Why has Homeland Security head Michael Chertoff seemed so ineffective? Michael Chertoff is not thought of as an effective leader because he has not clearly defined the threat(s) to the United States, how they can be blunted or recovered from, nor has he interacted with the public. As a result, the public is not aware of what Homeland Security is responsible for or how it has made the United States safer during a threat situation."
Christine M. Riordan, Ph.D., joined the M.J. Neeley School of Business at Texas Christian University (TCU) in August 2005 as the Associate Dean for External Relations responsible for developing strategic partnerships for the business school with external groups. She is also a professor of management and the Luther Henderson University Chair in Leadership.
Throughout her 19-year career, Dr. Riordan has built a solid reputation as "a builder," bridging academia and business through: scholarship, partnership, and teaching. She joins TCU from The University of Georgia in Athens where she served as Director of the Institute for Leadership Advancement and Associate Professor of Management. At the University of Georgia, Dr. Riordan created the Institute for Leadership Advancement (ILA) and grew it into one of the most comprehensive set of leadership programs to exist within a university setting.
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