The Art of Leadership in Times of Crisis

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to identify and describe strategies exemplary Navy command master chiefs (CMDCM) used to lead in crisis using the Five Critical Tasks of Strategic Crisis Leadership (sense making, decision making and coordination, meaning making, accounting, and learning; Boin, ’t Hart, Stern, & Sundelius, 2017) during the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020. In addition, it was the purpose to understand and describe the experiences of exemplary Navy CMDCM during a time of crisis. Methodology: This study utilized a qualitative multiple case study research design. Qualitative data were collected through standardized, semistructured open-ended interviews. These interviews were used to describe the crisis leadership strategies U.S. Navy exemplary CMDCMs used to meet the challenge of leading during a crisis, specifically the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings: Exemplary U.S. Navy CMDCM interviewed for this study described the importance of maximizing communication, gathering information, leading by example, remaining flexible, and self-reflection of leadership strategies as being related to the five critical tasks of crisis leadership: sense making, decision making and coordination, meaning making, accounting, and learning. Conclusion: Based on this study’s findings, six conclusions were revealed to strengthen the understanding of the Five Critical Tasks of Strategic Crisis Leadership used by exemplary U.S. Navy CMDCM to effectively lead during the COVID-19 health pandemic of 2020. Recommendations: This study was conducted through the lens of Navy CMDCM. It is recommended that this study be replicated using CMDCM serving on board naval warships, female CMDCM, CMDCM trained in crisis preparedness, and subordinates. It is also recommended that this study be replicated to understand the training CMDCM receive prior to being assigned to an installation and the training required to prepare of a crisis