Predictability And Signaling And Great Leadership

A mentor once told me,
“Great leaders are boringly predictable.”

The Chief Medical Officer
of the city I live in
is a great leader.

She has been consistent
and predictable
when it comes to the pandemic.

At this stage
of the pandemic,
residents know
when infection numbers
reach or lower
to certain points,
certain actions will be taken.
They can plan for it,
depend on it.

And that’s reassuring
in the midst
of an otherwise scary event.

The Chief Medical Officer
is also
very skilled at
signaling.

She will issue statements
that convey
the actions
she will likely take next.

Yesterday, she told businesses
they should encourage
their employees to work from home.
That tells me
we’ll going into
a more restrictive lockdown
soon.

That signaling is reassuring also.
We can plan.
We can adjust.
We know what to expect.

We aren’t wasting time
or other precious resources,
during a time
when these are all short,
guessing what the city’s response
will be.

We can be as productive
as we can be
during a time
like this.

Are you boringly predicable?