In times of crisis, we look first at our leaders to step up and be an inspiration to their people. Leaders are not tested in the calm seas, rather it is during the turbulent storms that they firmly establish their strong credentials as leaders. Those who shy away from the fight, frightened of accountability, and quick to pass the buck to their inferiors, are no leaders at all. These are hypocrites who await their officers to make mistakes so they can later blame them.
Leaders who hide under the bed during crises are either incapable, incompetent, or both. Sometimes, a leader has all the knowledge but no willingness to take the bullet. In other instances, a leader is willing but lacks the industry know-how on how to tackle certain crisis situations. One thing we can be certain of is that while the leader is smart and capable, resources such as time and effort are scarce thus, necessitating proper delegation of decision-making and implementation. It is therefore important to realize that not all things must be centered and decided upon by the leader considering that leaders are not omnipotent and omnipresent individuals.
The Undas weekend brought about two crises, here and abroad. Tropical storm "Paeng" ravaged the entire country, from Luzon to Mindanao, causing widespread damage amounting to billions, and loss of lives, totaling 121, as of this writing.
In South Korea, tragedy struck the Halloween night festivities in the famous Itaewon District, comparable to our Poblacion District in Makati City. A deadly crowd surge killed 156 young partygoers. In both instances, the Presidents of both countries were given the opportunity to lead and be an inspiration to their countrymen. Elected to the office at virtually the same time in May 2022, President Bongbong Marcos Jr. and President Yoon Suk-yeol displayed leadership to uplift the spirits of their people.
"Paeng's" destruction was well-documented, from how the vehicles lined up along SLEX were subjected to flood waves caused by fast-moving buses, to how the BARMM was submerged by flash floods.
It would not be wise for a President to jump into an active storm, and President Marcos Jr. did the next best thing by immediately convening the disaster council to coordinate rescue and relief efforts.
President Marcos Jr. then joined relief efforts in Cavite and is reportedly scheduled to visit farther areas. Incidentally, this should reinvigorate talks on legislating the Department of Disaster Resilience given climate change's disastrous effects on our country.
We all are affected by the Halloween tragedy in South Korea. Arguably, the Itaewon crowd surge could have been prevented with proper crowd management. Given the enormity of the crowd that evening, it was a disaster waiting to happen, but not at this scale. People were expected to get hurt, but nobody expected over 150 killed. President Yoon, who, unlike President Marcos, Jr., was elected to the slimmest of margins, must lead his country in this period of mourning. He was seen visiting Itaewon immediately after the incident where he held a press conference on the ground.
Styles differ per leader, but the goal must be the same. Leaders must exude confidence, evoke trust, and inspire orderliness, not sow chaos and fear. Every crisis should be met with resolve and composure. Leaders are bound to be faced with crises that should never be avoided and must be tackled head-on. Those who run away from crisis, or, worse, those who create a crisis, are hypocrites, not leaders.
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For comments, email him at darren.dejesus@gmail.com.
