Leaders are expected to guide, inspire and direct a community through crisis.  A brilliant example of leadership is New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo and his response to the Corona virus currently enveloping the nation. Prior to the crisis Governor Cuomo’s name was thrown around as a possible democratic presidential candidate. He never went above 5% in the polls for democratic presidential nominee and some were saying that his run as Governor may be coming to an end due to Cuomo fatigue setting in. Fast forward to this planetary crisis and Governor Cuomo is being encouraged from almost all sectors to run for President. What happened? His leadership during crisis. He exemplified the following four strategies and attributes:

1. You can’t just “wait it out.”  You must be highly visible, demonstrate and communicate that you are calm and that you are in charge. You must show that chaos will not reign and that “You got this!” Governor Cuomo from the outset of this virus has been a daily fixture on television giving updates and describing the plan for containing the virus and how he is deploying resources. His news conferences are calm, informative and full of relevant information
2. Just tell the truth! Listen closely to those that report to you, they know what is going on before you do. People can handle bad news if you have a coherent plan for resolving the situation. The minute you have been found to not be truthful, you will lose the respect of those that report to you in addition to the community which you serve.
3. Truly powerful people give up power, micro managers struggle with this concept. They usually want everyone to run things by them for approval. In times where split-second decisions must be made you must trust your direct reports to make informed decisions.
4. Compassion and empathy- Your community must know that you “get it,” that you can feel their pain and frustration and that you are doing everything possible to handle and fix the crisis.  Governor Cuomo’s brother, Chris Cuomo contacted the virus. The Governor made it clear-This is personal, I feel you, I know your pain,