The Times Australia
The Times World News

.

Scott Morrison's tone-deaf leadership is the last thing traumatised flood victims need. Here are two ways he can do better

  • Written by Alex Haslam, Professor of Psychology and ARC Laureate Fellow, The University of Queensland
Scott Morrison's tone-deaf leadership is the last thing traumatised flood victims need. Here are two ways he can do better

As French statesman Charles de Gaulle once said, faced with crisis a man of character “falls back on himself. He imposes his own stamp of action, takes responsibility for it, makes it his own”.

So how, then, might we judge Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s character amid the flood catastrophe facing parts of Queensland and New South Wales?

Morrison has faced heavy criticism for his sluggish response. When touring flood-ravaged Lismore in NSW this week, he avoided locals[1] who wanted to meet him. And his declaration[2] of a national emergency came many days too late, well after the floodwaters peaked.

For the last two decades, I’ve worked with colleagues around the world to study the psychological resilience of communities in a crisis, and the importance of leadership in dealing with trauma. We offer lessons that might help Scott Morrison and other leaders better serve disaster-stricken people next time.

person holds sign saying 'he's a real nowhere man'
Protesters in Lismore during the prime minister’s recent visit. AAP Image/Dave Hunt

Give us hope

Only three months in, 2022 has already provided a glut of crises around the world requiring strong leadership. Along with the horrendous flooding along Australia’s east coast, we have a new wave of a deadly virus and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine threatening to start a world war.

For Australian leaders, COVID has been one long lesson in crisis management. What’s more, it came on the heels of devastating bushfires in the summer of 2019-20 and floods in early 2021.

But Morrison has struggled with this crash course in leadership. When criticised about the speed of his flood response, the PM focused almost entirely[3] on limits to material resources, saying:

I don’t think in situations like this there can ever be enough support […] I mean, no amount of support is going to measure up to what people need in a desperate situation like this.

At a material level, this is entirely true. Indeed, given the utterly desperate situation in which Ukrainians find themselves, President Volodymyr Zelentskyy might well have made the same point to his people even more convincingly.

He didn’t, though. The core task for a leader in a crisis is not to explain why we are going to fail. People need hope that, together, we can prevail – and that costs nothing.

So how might Morrison have done better?

My colleagues and I recently released a book[4] examining the dynamics of effective leadership across contemporary society. We have also published research on leadership during recent crises, notably COVID-19[5] and the Black Summer bushfires[6].

Our work points to several lessons for leaders looking to rally the groups they lead. Below, I focus on the two most important.

Being one of us

Whatever group they belong to, people are generally most influenced by those who seem to represent that group – whether it’s our team, our party or our country.

The more a leader is seen to represent us[7], the more we’re inclined to trust and follow them.

This is particularly important in a crisis. After the Christchurch massacre[8], New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern went to great lengths to engage with the Muslim community, and dressed in ways that spoke to a sense of shared grief and shared identity.

NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Adern’s handling of the Christchurch massacre was a masterclass in leadership during a crisis. SNPA Pool/EPA

Likewise, in Kyiv, Volodymyr Zelenskyy reassured Ukrainians[9] by posting videos of himself in battle fatigues on the ground, mingling with his followers. “We are all here,” he proclaimed. “Our soldiers are here. The citizens are here. And we are here”.

Yet for many Australians, a defining feature of Morrison’s crisis leadership is that he is never here. And when he is, he seems not to be here for us.

Probably the most enduring image of Morrison’s handling of a disaster is of his holiday in Hawaii[10] as bushfires raged in the summer of 2019-2020.

Unfortunate timing perhaps, but it was compounded by his seeming reluctance[11] to return to Australia, together with his excuses for not doing so.

“I don’t hold a hose,” Morrison famously said in his defence.

As a statement of fact this is correct – just as Ardern didn’t hold a stretcher in Christchurch and Zelenskyy didn’t hold a rocket launcher in Kyiv. Psychologically though, they did. And it was this that motivated others to put their shoulders to the collective wheel.

Read more: Whether people prepare for natural disasters depends on how the message is sent[12]

A mural by artist Scott Marsh of Prime Minister Scott Morrison after he was seen in on holiday in Hawaii during the bushfire catastrophe in 2020. AAP Image/Scott Marsh

Doing it for us

A key reason leaders need to represent shared identity in a crisis is to allow communities to draw from a sense of solidarity and provide a platform for social support.

Finding common ground with a stranger allows us empathise with their plight. It motivates us to offer a hand to help others[13], and in turn motivates them to accept it. Without this – as we saw when a volunteer firefighter withdrew his hand from Morrison during the 2019-2020 bushfires – aid is ineffective and unwelcome.

Shared identity also fuels resilience[14] – helping people cope with ongoing stress[15] and overcome trauma[16].

The power of shared identity came to the fore as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold, when “mutual aid[17]” groups sprang up around the world. These groups involved people helping their neighbours, such as by collecting groceries, walking pets or giving moral support.

This cooperation involved people from all walks of life, creating a life-saving[18] sense of meaningful community at a deeply challenging time.

Read more: The community-led movement creating hope in the time of coronavirus[19]

Women deliver meals to needy people in Athens, Greece, at the peak of the pandemic. KOSTAS TSIRONIS/EPA

Holding the hose

Social identity is the most important resource leaders need to build and draw upon in a crisis.

It doesn’t necessarily require money, though this can help. It isn’t created by meaningless photo opportunities. It comes from a genuine identification with the people you represent and from a desire to work together to “make us better”.

One senses this point would not be lost on Volodymyr Zelenskyy. But after more than three years as leader, Scott Morrison still appears to be struggling with the idea of being there as one of us, for all of us.

Read more: Why good leaders need to hold the hose: how history might read Morrison's coronavirus leadership[20]

References

  1. ^ avoided locals (www.smh.com.au)
  2. ^ declaration (www.abc.net.au)
  3. ^ almost entirely (www.pm.gov.au)
  4. ^ book (www.routledge.com)
  5. ^ COVID-19 (spssi.onlinelibrary.wiley.com)
  6. ^ Black Summer bushfires (psycnet.apa.org)
  7. ^ represent us (psyarxiv.com)
  8. ^ the Christchurch massacre (thepsychologist.bps.org.uk)
  9. ^ reassured Ukrainians (www.youtube.com)
  10. ^ holiday in Hawaii (womensagenda.com.au)
  11. ^ his seeming reluctance (www.theguardian.com)
  12. ^ Whether people prepare for natural disasters depends on how the message is sent (theconversation.com)
  13. ^ help others (psycnet.apa.org)
  14. ^ fuels resilience (www.researchgate.net)
  15. ^ ongoing stress (psycnet.apa.org)
  16. ^ overcome trauma (www.tandfonline.com)
  17. ^ mutual aid (www.cambridge.org)
  18. ^ life-saving (bpspsychub.onlinelibrary.wiley.com)
  19. ^ The community-led movement creating hope in the time of coronavirus (theconversation.com)
  20. ^ Why good leaders need to hold the hose: how history might read Morrison's coronavirus leadership (theconversation.com)

Read more https://theconversation.com/scott-morrisons-tone-deaf-leadership-is-the-last-thing-traumatised-flood-victims-need-here-are-two-ways-he-can-do-better-178984

Times Magazine

Building a Strong Online Presence with Katoomba Web Design

Katoomba web design is more than just creating a website that looks good—it’s about building an online presence that reflects your brand, engages your audience, and drives results. For local businesses in the Blue Mountains, a well-designed website a...

September Sunset Polo

International Polo Tour To Bridge Historic Sport, Life-Changing Philanthropy, and Breath-Taking Beauty On Saturday, September 6th, history will be made as the International Polo Tour (IPT), a sports leader headquartered here in South Florida...

5 Ways Microsoft Fabric Simplifies Your Data Analytics Workflow

In today's data-driven world, businesses are constantly seeking ways to streamline their data analytics processes. The sheer volume and complexity of data can be overwhelming, often leading to bottlenecks and inefficiencies. Enter the innovative da...

7 Questions to Ask Before You Sign IT Support Companies in Sydney

Choosing an IT partner can feel like buying an insurance policy you hope you never need. The right choice keeps your team productive, your data safe, and your budget predictable. The wrong choice shows up as slow tickets, surprise bills, and risky sh...

Choosing the Right Legal Aid Lawyer in Sutherland Shire: Key Considerations

Legal aid services play an essential role in ensuring access to justice for all. For people in the Sutherland Shire who may not have the financial means to pay for private legal assistance, legal aid ensures that everyone has access to representa...

Watercolor vs. Oil vs. Digital: Which Medium Fits Your Pet's Personality?

When it comes to immortalizing your pet’s unique personality in art, choosing the right medium is essential. Each artistic medium, whether watercolor, oil, or digital, has distinct qualities that can bring out the spirit of your furry friend in dif...

The Times Features

NSW has a new fashion sector strategy – but a sustainable industry needs a federally legislated response

The New South Wales government recently announced the launch of the NSW Fashion Sector Strategy, 2025–28[1]. The strategy, developed in partnership with the Australian Fashion ...

From Garden to Gift: Why Roses Make the Perfect Present

Think back to the last time you gave or received flowers. Chances are, roses were part of the bunch, or maybe they were the whole bunch.   Roses tend to leave an impression. Even ...

Do I have insomnia? 5 reasons why you might not

Even a single night of sleep trouble can feel distressing and lonely. You toss and turn, stare at the ceiling, and wonder how you’ll cope tomorrow. No wonder many people star...

Wedding Photography Trends You Need to Know (Before You Regret Your Album)

Your wedding album should be a timeless keepsake, not something you cringe at years later. Trends may come and go, but choosing the right wedding photography approach ensures your ...

Can you say no to your doctor using an AI scribe?

Doctors’ offices were once private. But increasingly, artificial intelligence (AI) scribes (also known as digital scribes) are listening in. These tools can record and trans...

There’s a new vaccine for pneumococcal disease in Australia. Here’s what to know

The Australian government announced last week there’s a new vaccine[1] for pneumococcal disease on the National Immunisation Program for all children. This vaccine replaces pr...