UKH

New Zealand, Germany, Switerland, Taiwan and Norway, more revelations on the character of a nation's crisis management:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/tomaspremuzic/2020/04/10/are-female-leaders-be...

Cultures that see leadership as less masculine may not just be more likely to have women in charge, but also more likely to act in empathetic, collectivistic, altruistic, and risk-averse ways, all of which reduce the damage of a contagious virus

And by comparison;

The traditional approach to facing illnesses (a stoic, seemingly tough or macho attitude conveying a sense of invincibility) is a particular liability in the face of pandemics

The range of decision-making tendencies or cognitive biases, such as reckless risk-taking, overconfidence, and hubris ... are all common to men

In reply to LeeWood:

That's the second Forbes article I've seen which is basically just that meme of going round Facebook or women leaders doing well. Of course people keep changing the meme as it gets pointed out why including someone or excluding another is ridiculous.

I really think, as this article sort of admits, we won't have any idea for some time which states have come through this well, and then why. Maybe leadership has something to do with it, but it could be all sorts of other factors that are just as important.

In reply to LeeWood:

Merkel  empathetic, collectivistic, altruistic, and risk-averse?

No, partially, NO and YES!

CB

In reply to LeeWood:

If the pandemic had arrived a few months earlier, we would have had a female leader, do you think the UKs response would have been any different?

In reply to Richard Horn:

Not to be a conspiracy theorist, and all that, but the pandemic was put on hold for Brexit.

There I said the "B" word.

In reply to LeeWood: Have you actually compared Switzerland and Norway? Response and numbers?

In reply to Richard Horn:

I'm not a fan of May, but I reckon she would have at least attended the meetings.

In reply to The New NickB:

Maybe it was better that Boris did not turn up for the COBRA meetings. There is nothing worse than having a meeting or training course with a person in attendance who does not want to be there and makes this fact known by their input or lack there of.

In reply to cb294:

On the other hand, she does have a science PhD, so she may a different approach and understanding to scientific issues than some other, less scientifically robust leaders. 

In reply to Harry Jarvis:

That may be true, but her science degree did not prevent her from ignoring climate change and acting as the paid lackey of the car industry.

CB

In reply to Harry Jarvis:

So you would have prefered Margaret Thatcher....

In reply to cb294:

And of course ignores the fact that Frau Merkel doesn't have much to do with health matters anyway as it is the responsibility of each land which is why we have a hotch-potch of different rules and responses.

In reply to neilh:

I think even the most ardent Thatcher hater, would concede that despite her multitude of faults, she and importantly, her cabinet, where considerably more competent than Johnson and his ship of fools.

In reply to Richard Horn:

I think the greater argument is on the national character which supports certain ideology / methodology for principles of governance. It must be agreed (Maggie Thatcher !) that the presence of a female leader in any given epoch may just be happenstance to a positive result.

In reply to cb294:

One might be obliged to make relative judgments, using Trump as the benchmark of complete machoism - in which case the desirable characteristics of all others will quickly shine through  

In reply to LeeWood:

Yes, I would never vote for Angie (and now will not have the chance anymore, YES!!!) or her vile party, but have to pause and think when my international colleagues offer a swap. Used to be worse a few years ago (Berlusconi, that French gnome, Aznar in Spain....), but even today give me boring Angela over Johnson any day.

CB

In reply to LeeWood:

Is it ok again to say certain sexes may, on average, perform differently in differing circumstances?

I thought people who believed this were sexist dinosaurs deserving of no-platforming or even sacked?

In reply to LeeWood:

I'm glad we have Nicola up here in Scotland, rather than Boris !

I feel she's doing a very competent job and seems on top of everything....... very impressed.

Barbeg

In reply to Pan Ron:

That does seem to be an inevitable conclusion - PC or not !