An invited presentation to the The Compassion and Social Justice Lecture Series on Courageous Leadership in a Crisis "This event explores the courage required when leading in a crisis and making important decisions without precedence. Given the global impact of COVID, leaders are being tested daily. Hear perspectives from two global leaders and learn from their courageous leadership during the historical HIV/AIDS crisis and the more current COVID pandemic." Speakers:https://beholdvancouver.org/events/courageous-leadership-in-a-crisis

1. Courageous Leadership:
Flying the aeroplane of Covid Response while
still building it
Jim McManus
Director of Public Health, Hertfordshire County Council
Vice President UK Association of Directors of Public Health
27th April 2021

2. A year…

3. A Journey –Pandemics and Crises
HIV
Drug Related Deaths
Violence Reduction
H1N1, 2009
SARS 1
Ebola – support to Caritas
SARS –CoV - 2
What Have I learned?
Resilience
Change
Vocation
The enduring witness of Catholicism about dignity of
the person
Health Care as participation in the Ministry of Christ
Public Health as a “Franciscan” Venture
14 Hour days 7 days a week
“How dare you…”close our churches, use psychology,
close our schools, open our schools

4. The Biggest
Lesson:
Syndemic not
Pandemic
Singer, 2009

5. Religious worldviews in a Covid-19 World
DISCOURSE 1
It is my OBLIGATION to attend Church
come what may
I have a right to communion on the
tongue
I will not Mask
I will never take the vaccine
My access to sacraments and
sanctification
DISCOURSE 2
The Common Good
Solidarity
Scientifically – epidemiology shows
we are not Islands
We are in this together
We will care for our world
I will be aware of my Privilege

6. Lessons
Closing and re-opening churches
Easing the burden for people caught in the system (funeral)
Listening, Reassuring, Showing Vulnerability
Manufacturing PPE
Schools
The uncertainty of science
No roadmap, little scientific consensus
Great Barrington Declaration, Ivermectin and Hydroxychloroquine
Conflicting versions of “truth” – “It’s just flu”

7. COVID-19 Ethnicity
death rates
Rate of COVID-19 death by ethnic group
and sex relative to the White population,
England and Wales, 2 March to 15 May
2020
7
PHE’s disparities report and other emerging evidence
has also demonstrated a disproportionate impact on
BAME communities:
• Critical care admission was 28% more likely in South
Asian and 36% more likely in Black ethnic groups,
compared to the White group (after taking into account
age, sex, location, deprivation and comorbidities)
• Risk of death was between 10-50% higher amongst
BAME communities compared to people of White British
ethnicity after accounting for the effect of age, sex, age,
deprivation and region
Source: Public Health England

8. Ethnicity cases by week
All positive cases with specimen dates up to 19 September 2020
8 Source: Public Health England

9. COVID-19 in Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic
populations: An evidence review and
recommendations from SAHF (2020).
Available at: https://www.sahf.org.uk/covid19

10. 7/13/2021 10
A LEADERSHIP SCORECARD
I have based these on the Four Domains of Leadership developed for the Health Foundation by Ashridge Hult Business School
• Self care plan
• Leadership and influencing style
• Finding time to do the important
and the thinking as well as the
urgent
PERSONAL: YOU PLC
• Keeping your skills up to date. Art
as well as science. Having a ready
reckoner of who leads on stuff
• Legal, Media, Influencing and
Quality Skills every bit as important
as Science
TECHNICAL : SCIENCE AND
ART
• Understand local government and
the NHS, and how it works.
• The soft as well as hard systems
• power structures of getting things
done
CONTEXTUAL : THE SYSTEM YOU’RE IN
• Key Relationships: Some shift,some
are enduring. Your exec member,
CEO and peers and NHS CEO need
to be key. Others may shift.
• Build a “board of allies”
INTERPERSONAL
But something
is missing:
Fundamental
Motivation
Vocation

11. A Leadership Compass: Leadership is Theological
and Vocational as well as Organisational
Love
Compassion
The Dignity and Worth of our Residents
The Example of the Church, the Witness of the Saints and Founders
The Charism of Religious Communities
“I can do all things in Him who Strengthens me”
Gaudium et Spes

12. Research on Faith and Health : Public
Health is a theological issue for us
◦ Rise of public health discourse
on Faith and social
determinants
◦ Attempting to place religion as
a social determinant of health
in same way housing,
education and employment
work
◦ (Idler, 2014)

13. Patristrics to Public Health
Science - Synergies
God is active in human history
Covenant relationship
God – Humankind - Creation
Community – social elements, justice
Anawim -- "the widows, orphans
and aliens”
Challenge of the prophets when
Israel fails in its obligations
The example of Jesus – reign of
God, healing
“Health is Social, Teleological
(aligned to our creatureliness ) and
structural, not just individual”
[Pennington, 2015]

14. Human Ecology to Integral
Development
•Humanity is God’s gift to Humankind (John Paul II)
•Human Ecology (John Paul II)
• Integral Development: development of each person and the
whole person - scientific and theological hooks here-Benedict
XVI
•The Social and the individual in dynamic tension are needed for
Integral Development
•Ecological – Social – Personal development for flourishing
important
•Access to the means to flourish – Access as a theological
principle
Thought Experiment: Read this while thinking about access to
Covid Vaccines

15. Social dimension of Mission
in Health(care) in revised
Charter
Those involved in health care policy…have a
responsibility not only to their specific fields, but
also towards society and the sick.
It is up to them, in particular, to defend and
promote the common good, performing the duty
of justice, according to the principles of solidarity
and subsidiarity, in developing…policies aimed at
the authentic development of peoples
(Pontifical Council, 2016; Para 7.)

16. Thank You