‘Listen and then learn.’ Mattis tells Tri-Citians about leadership in the time of COVID-19
Leaders need to act with honesty, empathy and decisiveness in times of crisis, Retired Gen. Jim Mattis told a virtual crowd of Tri-Citians and beyond on Thursday.
The former U.S. Secretary of Defense and Richland native talked about leadership during times of crisis to the more than 800 watching the event sponsored by the Columbia Basin Badger Club.
The general didn’t mention President Donald Trump and wasn’t asked about his recent comments condemning the president’s suggestion to use the military on U.S. soil against protesters.
Mattis originally agreed to speak about leadership well before COVID-19 reached U.S. shores, but now he said it provides a good backdrop to talk about how to lead amid turmoil, he said.
He pointed to figures like Dr. Amy Person for her leadership in the crisis. She is the chief medical officer at the Benton Franklin Health District.
He praised the leadership at hospitals, grocery stores, postal workers and police and firefighters for filling a need in the community, as well.
Anyone in charge during an emergency has to balance time and knowledge, he said. They have to take charge with limited information because without it they will constantly be reacting, he said.
When the coronavirus first made its way to the United States, leaders had to act with incomplete information. Scientists continue to work as fast as they can to understand the virus.
“It’s this race between time and knowledge that makes a leader’s job so difficult,” he said. “Leaders must make decisions based on what prudence and science tells them at the time.”
In those times, it’s useful to have learned what other leaders have done previously, he said, adding any time spent on personal development will help you understand what type of questions to ask.
He warned that leaders will be judged harshly and sometimes be forced to make unpopular decisions. Quoting Winston Churchill, he said doing your best isn’t good enough sometimes. Sometimes you need to do what is required.
First, Mattis said, leaders need to define the reality around them, and that takes an honest assessment of what is known and what isn’t.
“You’re going to have to say what you don’t know,” he said.
Good leaders also need to use compassion. Even the most brilliant tacticians with the best plans won’t accomplish much unless they show that they care about the people working for them, he said.
It’s necessary to put others first, Mattis said.
His final point was about decisiveness.
“You must act quickly,” he said. “In that race you cannot regain time lost ... Successful leaders quickly lead with the boldest moves.”
He used George Washington as an example of someone who embodied all of these characteristics. As a leader in the Revolutionary War, Washington pulled together a army of diverse backgrounds and means.
“He would listen and then learn from them. Then he would help them,” Mattis said. “The troops knew that George Washington cared deeply about them.”
They also knew that he was competent and would study deep into the night. And he faced reality, Mattis said.