A crisis like that of the crown demands strong leadership. What is “strong” and how leaders respond to the crisis differ greatly from country to country, and leader to leader. The Netherlands has a culture of liking for egalitarian and consensus-based leadership. which has its own call – “polder model” – and a Wiki page.
While effective in “normal” circumstances, this is not necessarily the kind of immediate and decisive leadership that some would like to see in times of crisis. Therefore, it makes sense to analyze the Dutch technique for crisis leadership and be informed of how it works.
In doing so, I will not talk about the actual measures taken in reaction to the corona virus, nor will I make any statements about the effectiveness of dutch crisis leadership technique compared to other leadership techniques. leadership in itself, and specifically on how Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Deputy Prime Minister Hugo de Jonge are leading their country through the existing crisis. Your leadership can be described in six principles.
This first precept is typical of Mark Rutte’s general leadership taste and is illustrated in the photo above. The Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant recently called him “Zen Master” Rutte. Whatever happens, it turns out nothing really touches it. Myagi, never loses his temper, and remains positive and optimistic, even cheerful, like a child, you might say.
Sometimes it’s very difficult. When hounds continue to ask the same questions or charge fees at press conferences, you witness an annoying Rutte who has physical difficulties controlling her feelings, but does so and remains calm and optimistic. Always.
Some would possibly consider this taste for leadership naive, and indeed annoys many other politicians because they cannot actually touch or reject it from their game, but in times of crisis, this reflects confidence and their calmness and optimism are widely appreciated. As several polls have shown, citizens accept Mark Rutte as true, which translates into greater popularity as a political leader.
Rutte, as well as deputy prime minister and minister of health, welfare and sports, Hugo de Jonge, are very transparent that they do not have all the experience. At the beginning of the crisis, this is obvious, because no one knew much about the virus or how to react, but also today, 3 quarters of a year later, they remain transparent about the fact that they are not the experts.
Therefore, they surround themselves with experts. In particular, there is an “Epidemic Management Team” (UNWTO) made up of experts who advise the government. Sometimes their recommendations are followed and implemented. There is also the unofficial Red Team, which has been formed through criticism of UNWTO and the government. , to have a more balanced vision. Again, recommendations are taken seriously.
In addition to these central teams, there are also 25 decentralized “security regions” made up of mayors of the largest cities in those regions. The central government meets with them and requests their reports and advice. ) discussion sessions with various teams of other people to also remain in direct contact with citizens.
While specialist physicians and virologists are well represented in these teams, the framework of experience on which the government is based is more multidisciplinary than that, for example, they also seek the recommendation of economists, psychologists and sociologists, in order to deal with the Covid-19 crisis in a multidisciplinary way.
Perhaps the biggest difference between Dutch technique and the taste of crisis leadership in other countries is that the Dutch government sometimes advises rather than telling its other people what to do. With Principle 2, this shows that the consensus-based “pordder model” remains intact: there is a discussion in which the government assumes that others are intelligent and guilty adults who will act when they know the facts.
In this sense, so far there has been no formal foreclosure; others were allowed to faint without a permit; the army did not play a significant role in maintaining order; and masks are only “highly recommended”, not mandatory.
Treating others as guilty adults also means that Mark Rutte and Hugo de Jonge continue to point out that it is the habit of others that can prevent the crown virus, not legislation, formal measures or politicians, and while they emphasize this, they continue to point out the day-to-day work of others, especially for weaker and older citizens.
Treating others as guilty adults requires common communication, because if law and order are not perceived as the solution, other people want to know what kind of behavior is expected of them.
Since the beginning of the crisis in March, the main means of communication has been the press convention on Tuesday night at 7 p. m. While press meetings do not take place as much one week as two or other constant periods, their periods are predictable. The next one is already announced at the press convention. Sometimes more press meetings are held, but create a predictable speed that others know what to expect.
Just as predictable, a day or two before a press conference, the most important data is already being leaked, so the media and citizens already know what to expect to be surprised.
Finally, the format is almost the same: Mark Rutte and Hugo de Jonge stop side by side with a signal language interpreter in between. Mark Rutte begins, and after a while gives the floor to Hugo de Jonge. And after about 20 minutes, there’s still time for media questions.
It is not only applicable to see how much and how communication is carried out, but also what is communicated and how, once again, the basis is to treat others as guilty adults, above all it means, obviously, to explain what will be done, what will not be done and why.
In giving such explanations, Rutte en De Jonge tries to be as transparent as possible, analyzing how a virus works, what kind of data is included in the “Crown Board” on which they base their decisions and what kind of action during the coming weeks. And they, finally, what steps they don’t take and why, because other people may be waiting for or anticipating safe measures when looking at other countries.
One of the things that arises in each and every press convention is to congratulate others on their behavior, when things go well it congratulates other people in general, and when there is an express organization that behaves well, that organization is congratulated and used as an example. At the same time, there is also repeated attention to other people’s emotions, with awareness of the tension and uncertainty experienced by many other people.
Finally, a vital component of the way you speak are easy-to-remember words and words. For example, ‘1. 5 meter economy’, ‘smart lock’, ‘we would probably have ended up with crown, but crown is not over with us’ and the aforementioned ‘Dashboard Corona’, in this way a new jargon is created that allows discussion and discussion about the crisis and helps to maintain what has been said.
The last, and probably the most criticized, precept of Dutch technique to the Covid-19 crisis is to react insufficiently than to overreact. effects on the economy, privacy or any other non-medical facet of society. They’re just doing what they think is obligatory and not before it’s probably mandatory.
This shows that there is no thirst for action; They don’t prefer to show their strength and vigour. Or, to the extent that thirst is there, it is contained and untreated. Some place this weak and a sign of indecision, arguing that the Dutch government reacts too far behind and too little, thus creating more damage.
But that’s consistent with the other principles. This demonstrates a degree of calm and confidence in other people’s ability to behave like intelligent and guilty adults. It also helps the government have something up its sleeve. When taking modest action, there are more powerful reserves in reserve. , Rutte and De Jonge refer to this when they argue that they will do “whatever is necessary” to reduce the number of other infected people. This small risk deserves to push enough others to do what is mandatory to ensure that their implementation is never mandatory.
In short, the Dutch crisis leadership technique that has emerged in recent months is characterized by modesty and honest confidence in people’s ability to do what is for themselves and others.
Is this the best approach? Not at all, as in many other countries, the crown goes up and down, and as in many other countries, there is unease and discontent, and conspiracy theories are flourishing. In addition, there are many complaints about the six principles. Some place the kind of weak leadership, others place it as harmful, and others criticize the government for its indecision and confusing communications, even misleading one can expect such a complaint at a time when others are anxious, dubious, and angry.
Treating others as guilty adults doesn’t work. While quite effective during the first wave, other people’s willingness to keep social distance alive declined significantly during the wave at the moment, so there would possibly be a restriction to that taste for leadership.
But since, in general, the Netherlands does not seem to be worse or better than other countries to involve the effects of Covid-19, I am satisfied with this taste of leadership. Overall, I prefer leaders who remain calm and optimistic. , who rely on layers of experience, treat others as guilty adults, speak and at predictable intervals, speak in an obvious and rich way, and contain the most time possible.
I am a strategy consultant, professor, speaker and founder of Better as Strategy, an online strategic learning platform and community. My will is to bring you
I am a strategy consultant, professor and lecturer and founder of Better as Strategy, an online strategic learning platform and community. My will is to take you and your organization to the next point with new and effective strategic approaches and tools. I wrote “Strategy Consulting”, “No More Bananas” and the two volumes “The Strategy Manual”. You can touch me jeroenkraaijenbrink. com, LinkedIn or jk@kraaijenbrink. com or sign up for my online strategy learning platform at betterasstrategy. Com