The strategies and skills political leaders need to manage global crises

This chapter examines the skills and political management strategies required for managing global crises at a national level. It provides an overview of the key political management tasks, tensions and challenges for leaders in times of crisis. Three case studies are covered: 1) New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s management of the Covid-19 pandemic; 2) German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s management of the 2015 EU refugee crisis; 3) Prime Minister Theresa May’s management of the 2018 Salisbury poisonings in the UK. The chapter concludes by arguing that political leaders at all levels would benefit from accessing a clear and easily comprehensible set of guidelines which will enhance their capacity to manage their way through such events. A toolkit for political leaders is identified, comprising ‘sense-making’, ‘getting the right team in place’, ‘crisis decision-making’, ‘multi-directional coordination’, ‘meaning-making’, ‘communication’, ‘accountability’ and ‘learning’.