"One thing I promise you about my leadership during this crisis: I'm going to

tell it to you straight. I'm going to tell you the truth. And here's the simple
truth: Our darkest days in the battle against Covid are ahead of us, not behind
us."

So said President-elect Joe Biden recently. As foreboding as these words are,

they come as a breath of fresh air. We have a leader who respects our native
intelligence and ability to deal with uncompromising news.

And Biden is wise to play it straight. Todd Purdum, the veteran journalist, and
author penned a piece for STAT quoting a healthcare provider warning us to
avoid “vaccine euphoria.”

Peter Sands, executive director of a global fund to fight infectious

diseases, tells Purdum, “We get so kind of blinded by vaccine euphoria — the
light at the end of the tunnel — that we underestimate how long that tunnel is,
and how dangerous that tunnel is.”

It’s not “what you think the risk is,” says William Hallman, a psychologist at
Rutgers University.  “From a risk perception standpoint, there is a potential
danger that people will now get vaccinated and think they are super-human
and nothing can touch them, which is certainly not true.”

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Be honest

Samantha Penta, an assistant professor of emergency preparedness at SUNY

Albany, told Purdum, “it’s really important for people to keep in mind that
while the vaccine is a great step and great progress toward a future in which
we don’t have to worry about Covid-19, it’s really hundreds or thousands of
little steps that are going to take a long time. Much of the next few months, for
a lot of people, are going to look and feel very similar to the last few months.”

No matter how upbeat we want to feel, we must not drop the vigilance we have
developed over the past year. Covid-19 is virulent, and it can be lethal. The
challenge for leaders is to remind us of our vulnerability and keep us focused
on the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel.

Biden noted the sense of loss, so many Americans feel. “Our hearts go out to

all of you who have fallen on hard times — through no fault of your own, I
might add — unable to sleep at night, way down with the worry of what
tomorrow will bring to you and for your family."

Be straight

That predicate reminds us of the stakes we are facing. And while few leaders
want to speak negatively, it falls to those in charge to level with people.
Sheltering people from the truth can have negative consequences, especially
with a contagion such as Covid-19. Furthermore, when an executive avoids
honesty, he shows a lack of respect, even contempt, for those he is to lead. 

Leaders, therefore, need to do the following. 

State the truth. Be square with people let them know the consequences of
failing to take precautions.

Address the consequences. If we ignore the problem, it will worsen. If we

address it and act responsibly, we can have a voice in our destiny.

Express hope. Mourn for what we have lost but point us in the direction
toward a better tomorrow. In other words, lament the loss and plan for the
future.

Finally, it is essential to create a sense of shared experience. Some of us are

suffering from the loss of employment or loss of a loved one. All of us are
suffering from the loss of our previous lives. While the world as we knew it will
not return, the "new normal" will be forged with the resilience we have
developed and the courage we have exerted to move forward.