Working Paper
Humanity is facing an increasing number of wicked problems. The COVID pandemic is a telling example. Wicked problems are novel, complex, without a single “right” answer. They provide an ultimate test of leadership, as distinct from management.
The authors suggest that effective leadership in the face of wicked problems calls for a set of virtues that differ from those traditionally associated with “strong” leadership. These virtues also need to be balanced as they may at prima facie appear contradictory. They include confidence and humility, decisiveness and curiosity, honesty and empathy, courage and patience. The authors discuss specific behaviors through which leaders can enact these virtues.
The authors emphasize that especially in the face of wicked problems, distinct leadership behaviors are required at each of the successive stages of effective decision making. These stages include framing the problem, exploring alternatives, “taking” a decision, executing the decision, and learning from the decision outcomes. Fairness permeates the five-stage process.
The proposed five-stage framework for effective leadership in crisis equally applies to problems that are not wicked. The authors thus provide a common framework for both crisis and more “normal” times, bridging leadership and management.
Faculty
Professor of Decision Sciences
Emeritus Professor of Technology and Operations Management
