Articlebronze2020

Resilient Leadership as Paradox Work: Notes from COVID-19

Luca Giustiniano · Miguel Piña e Cunha · Ace Volkmann Simpson · Arménio Rego · Stewart Clegg

95 citations0/0 files storedManagement and Organization Review

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Leadership and Management in Organizations Corporate Management and Leadership Public Administration and Political Analysis

Abstract

Crises and tragedies befalling individuals, teams, organizations, or communities call for leadership that builds resilience in the face of danger.The COVID-19 pandemic, full of both known and unknown unknowns, is no exception and variable national responses to it epitomize the importance of resilient leadership.In such situations there is always the expectation that 'something has to be said' in response to commentators and authorities calling for a clear unambiguous direction (in politics, in business, and in communities) and that it is best said by 'the leader'.Saying something and dealing with a reality unravelling in the midst of uncertainty and ambiguity can lead to paradoxical situations.In the words of Deloitte Global CEO Punit Renjen (2020), COVID-19 has challenged leaders with 'fixing the plane while it flies'.For passengers to remain calm while doing so requires the tension-laden goal of 'building recovery on a foundation of trust'.The balance between saying something reassuring and responding to something threatening in process is difficult to weigh.While to lead means to guide, to resile means to respond or be guided by circumstances through a process of adaptation and growth within a risky environment.In this commentary, we discuss resilient leadership as paradox work, i.e., guiding while being guided by contingencies. RESILIENT LEADERSHIP: BUILDING WALLS AND WINDMILLSAs highlighted in Lewin, Li, and Välikangas's (2020: 225) call for commentaries, the COVID-19 pandemic 'will be a test of resilience and responsible leadership at the global, country, industrial, firm, family and individual level'.We interpret that challenge in light of an interesting proverb: 'When the winds of change blow, some people build walls and others build windmills'.Resilient leadership

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References

1993The Collapse of Sensemaking in Organizations: The Mann Gulch Disaster 2011TOWARD A THEORY OF PARADOX: A DYNAMIC EQUILIBRIUM MODEL OF ORGANIZING.2011Toward a Theory of Paradox: A Dynamic equilibrium Model of Organizing 2020Pandemic leadership: Lessons from New Zealand’s approach to COVID-19 2018Paradox versus dilemma mindset: A theory of how women leaders navigate the tensions between agency and communion 2008Paradox in Positive Organizational Change 2014The Unique Value of Yin-Yang Balancing: A Critical Response 2010The Resilient Organization: How Adaptive Cultures Thrive Even When Strategy Fails

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2021Cultivating Resilience During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Socioecological Perspective 2022Exploring the role of leaders in enabling adaptive capacity in hospital teams – a multiple case study 2023Resilient leadership in hospitality and tourism enterprises: conceptualization and scale development 2023Organizational resilience: leadership, operational and individual responses to the COVID-19 pandemic 2021Being resilient for society: evidence from companies that leveraged their resources and capabilities to fight the COVID‐19 crisis

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