Leadership Styles in Crisis Management: Lessons from Covid-19

Ahairwe Frank and Atukunda Lucky

Faculty of Business Administration and Management Kampala International University Uganda

Email: ahairwefrank56@gmail.com

ABSTRACT

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the critical importance of effective leadership in navigating complex crises. This paper investigates the role of leadership styles in crisis management, with a specific focus on lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic. By reviewing existing leadership theories, including transformational, transactional, and situational leadership, this study identifies adaptive and change-focused leadership as particularly relevant during crises. The research analyzes the phases of crisis management preparation, response, recovery, and mitigation—and examines how various leadership approaches influenced outcomes during the pandemic. Using COVID-19 as a case study, the findings underscore the need for agility, flexibility, and systemic thinking in leadership. The paper concludes with practical lessons for future crises, emphasizing the value of situational awareness, emotional intelligence, community engagement, and collaborative strategies. These insights provide a framework for improving leadership effectiveness in managing large-scale emergencies.

Keywords: Crisis management, Leadership styles, COVID-19 pandemic, Situational leadership, Adaptive leadership.

CITE AS: Ahairwe Frank and Atukunda Lucky. (2025). Leadership Styles in Crisis Management: Lessons from Covid-19. RESEARCH INVENTION JOURNAL OF CURRENT ISSUES IN ARTS AND MANAGEMENT 4(1):27-30. https://doi.org/10.59298/RIJCIAM/2025/412730