By Erica and Karen

We Lustre Ladies have lived through plenty of crises—some personal, some professional, and some national or global. We have learned a few things about crises. The most important thing: leadership is essential.

We know the feeling of shock when the crisis first looms—and the panic when we see a horrifying series of events over which we have no control. We have felt the profound emotional and physical reactions that panic can induce. We dislike having no control over our lives, and we fear what might happen when leadership is lacking.

But we also know that at some point in every crisis a leader emerges to take charge. We learned that in 1962, when we were very young, during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Erica huddled with her family in New York, in a makeshift bomb shelter stocked with cans of tuna and Campbell’s chicken noodle soup. Karen was living in England, where her mother said, as she sent her off to school: “I may never see you again.” We were scared. But then we heard JFK on our small black and white TV sets. We realized that he was taking charge, that he understood the gravity of the situation and would take steps to deal with it. We breathed again. And we learned that panic did not get us anywhere useful. What helped was knowing that someone was going lead us out of the crisis.

There were other crises. In the public sphere, assassinations, Kent State, 9/11, the economic collapse of 2008. In our families, all kinds of dramas. Sometimes we could take charge, sometimes not. In our professional lives, assignments in dire situations that scared us at first, until we did take charge. We learned that no matter what was going on, the only way to proceed was to try to keep calm, get the facts, come up with a plan, and execute that plan.

So what is leadership? It is being calm, being credible, being smart, being knowledgeable, being kind.

It is also taking on the fears of those who are younger or less resilient. When political events were shocking, we learned to hide our own terror or grief and assure others that there would be a resolution. In our personal lives it was the same. If something bad was happening, we tried to take the fear away from others. In our professional lives, we learned to say: “I understand how difficult and important this is. I will handle it. You get back to your business and your life.” 

This crisis feels different in some ways. It is big, it is global, it is remorseless. The economy is crashing. Our children are at risk. The end is not in sight. We know nothing about viruses and tests and vaccines, and we don’t know how to make ventilators. Once again, we are scared. We know there is no one really in charge right now, and that scares us too. This is truly a disaster scenario.

But leaders are emerging. Solutions must exist. And we all have a role to play, even if we are nowhere near the center of decision making.

How should we show leadership, now?

• First, get credible information. Keep up with the CDC announcements. Find other good sources. We favor online print over talking heads. Here are two that we have found useful: WIRED magazine, which has a new coronavirus newsletter, and a New York-centric tech compilation of articles, many of which report developments with broader interest. There are many others. Armed with the facts, you can use your authority.

• Second, do not, and do not let others, wallow in every last update from a fevered media. This virus situation is dire. The economic consequences are terrifying. But nothing is accomplished by falling into media-induced despair.

• Third, get ready. Stock the pantry. Set up a telehealth account at a proximate health facility. Get your head in the game. Make sure your family is in close communication.

• Fourth, do whatever the CDC and other governmental authorities tell you to do.

• Fifth, demand leadership from our government. Only the governments of the world can meaningfully address this crisis.

• Sixth, be kind, and try to take on the anxiety of others who have not been in such scary situation before.

We are all leaders. Let’s lead.