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Leadership in the COVID-19 Crisis

How leaders and organizations are navigating a new reality

Leadership for a Better World in Times of Crisis

Some say a crisis brings out the best in leaders. They set aside trivial grievances, band together for a shared purpose, and focus on helping others. But beneath the strategic choices and genuine care is fear, uncertainty, and exhaustion. Leaders must redistribute disrupted supply chains, enable a remote workforce, safeguard essential employees, and break bad news to employees, as well as maintain their own energy so that they can continue to inspire and motivate.

Over the past two months, using virtual video meetings, Egon Zehnder has convened CEOs, CFOs, CHROs, Corporate Communications and Affairs Officers, and Board members to share their lessons learned, their pain points and their triumphs. We have collected them here in hopes that they may provide fresh ideas or inspiration for others.

This page will be continually updated as the crisis continues.

Most Recent

Moving Towards Remote Organizations

Moving Towards Remote Organizations

Leadership Development Programs

Leaders currently face what is likely to be the largest challenge and opportunity of their professional lives. They are being asked to shape the… Read more

Performance Through Care – Why Psychological Safety and Resilience Are Key to Navigating the Crisis

Performance Through Care – Why Psychological Safety and Resilience Are Key to Navigating the Crisis

Leadership Development Programs

What should top executives take into consideration when leading their organizations during the pandemic? Egon Zehnder takes a look at five levers to lead,… Read more

CHROs in Portugal on Returning to the Office, and What Happens Next

CHROs in Portugal on Returning to the Office, and What Happens Next

Human Resources

Egon Zehnder held six webinars with a total of 52 Corporate Heads of HR across Portugal to put a finger on the pulse as… Read more

#LeadershipForABetterWorld

Leadership for a Better World Begins Right Now

Leadership for a Better World Begins Right Now

Leadership Development Programs

Egon Zehnder Chairwoman Jill Ader shares three behavioral shifts for leaders navigating COVID-19. Read more

Making Meaning Out of Mixed Messages

Making Meaning Out of Mixed Messages

Leadership Development Programs

In a video message, Egon Zehnder Chairwoman Jill Ader shares how to address paradoxes rather than shying away from them. Read more

Corporate Ingenuity in Trying Times: How Top Leaders Are Making a Difference During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Corporate Ingenuity in Trying Times: How Top Leaders Are Making a Difference During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Leadership Development Programs

Who is leading for a better world amid the COVID-19 crisis? Read more

Self Needs To Be In The Lead

Self Needs To Be In The Lead

Leadership Development Programs

A video message from Chairwoman Jill Ader on why and how leaders need to dig deeper than ever into the core of who we… Read more

Phase Four: The Post-COVID19 Workplace

Moving Towards Remote Organizations

Moving Towards Remote Organizations

Leadership Development Programs

Leaders currently face what is likely to be the largest challenge and opportunity of their professional lives. They are being asked to shape the… Read more

Performance Through Care – Why Psychological Safety and Resilience Are Key to Navigating the Crisis

Performance Through Care – Why Psychological Safety and Resilience Are Key to Navigating the Crisis

Leadership Development Programs

What should top executives take into consideration when leading their organizations during the pandemic? Egon Zehnder takes a look at five levers to lead,… Read more

CHROs in Portugal on Returning to the Office, and What Happens Next

CHROs in Portugal on Returning to the Office, and What Happens Next

Human Resources

Egon Zehnder held six webinars with a total of 52 Corporate Heads of HR across Portugal to put a finger on the pulse as… Read more

First-time CEOs in the Pandemic: How to Engage with the Frontline, Honor the Past and Build an Organization of Purpose

First-time CEOs in the Pandemic: How to Engage with the Frontline, Honor the Past and Build an Organization of Purpose

Chief Executive Officers

Highlights from a recent digital gathering with new external successor Chief Executive Officers, hosted by Egon Zehnder. Read more

The ‘New Normal’ Is Waiting: Are We Ready for It?

The ‘New Normal’ Is Waiting: Are We Ready for It?

Human Resources

FTSE 125 HR Directors discuss the complexities of returning to work. Read more

Eight Things CTOs Think Have Changed Forever

Eight Things CTOs Think Have Changed Forever

Technology Officers

In March, Egon Zehnder's Lindsay Trout co-moderated an online discussion with 12 CTOs in the high-tech space & learned how the crisis is driving… Read more

The Return: How Leadership is Transforming

The Return: How Leadership is Transforming

Leadership Development Programs

How leadership has changed from the crisis—and how it hasn't. Read more

Virus Sparks Digital Push In Asia

Virus Sparks Digital Push In Asia

Digital

Even when the COVID-19 outbreak is contained, it is unlikely things will return to pre-virus normal. Financial Services is one industry that may well… Read more

How Alibaba’s Tmall is Changing eCommerce in China

How Alibaba’s Tmall is Changing eCommerce in China

Consumer

Insights for western brands looking for global eCommerce growth in a post-COVID world from Chris Tung, Chief Marketing Officer of Alibaba. Read more

Crisis-Ready Leadership in Hong Kong

Crisis-Ready Leadership in Hong Kong

Leadership Development Programs

Hong Kong leaders have always had to adapt. Their experience with crisis will serve them well in the months and years to come. Read more

“Humbled by the Inability to Forecast”

“Humbled by the Inability to Forecast”

CFO & Audit Chair

CFOs of the world’s largest companies tackle reopening, fair compensation, and how to forecast following a black swan event. Read more

“Don’t Let the Urgent Crowd Out the Important

“Don’t Let the Urgent Crowd Out the Important"

Board Advisory Services

15 Audit Committee Chairs share what they deem most important going forward, and how the audit process may change forever. Read more

Data in Difficult Times

Data in Difficult Times

Technology & Communications

The role of Chief Data and Analytics Officers has expanded dramatically in recent months. Learn more about what they think has changed. Read more

Risk and Opportunity: Healthcare Leaders in Asia Reflect on Post COVID-19 Recovery

Risk and Opportunity: Healthcare Leaders in Asia Reflect on Post COVID-19 Recovery

Health

Healthcare CEOs in Asia have embraced that duality and in a teleconference organized by Egon Zehnder, they gathered to discuss the fallout from COVID-19. Read more

COVID-19: The Only Way is Forward, Say Italian CHROs

COVID-19: The Only Way is Forward, Say Italian CHROs

Human Resources

In a world that keeps changing, there is no longer an instruction guide showing you how to act. Instead a company’s vision needs to… Read more

CSOs Discuss Hopes and Fears for A Post COVID-19 World

CSOs Discuss Hopes and Fears for A Post COVID-19 World

Sustainability

COVID-19 is changing the world we live in, including for sustainability leaders. Egon Zehnder’s recent virtual meeting with a group of sustainability leaders shared… Read more

A Post-Crisis Role for CIOs: Coach

A Post-Crisis Role for CIOs: Coach

Technology Officers

Egon Zehnder gathered CIOs for a series of three video conferences to hear how they were embracing this new reality and what they see… Read more

CPG: Big Is Back

CPG: Big Is Back

Consumer

It’s easy to forget, but not too long ago, large fast moving consumer goods companies such as Procter & Gamble, Mars, Nestle and Unilever… Read more

Newly Appointed CEOs to Make Tough Calls Amid COVID-19

Newly Appointed CEOs to Make Tough Calls Amid COVID-19

Leadership Development Programs

Highlights from a recent digital gathering with new internal successor Chief Executives, hosted by Egon Zehnder. Read more

COVID-19 Gives Us the License to Fully Embrace a Digital Culture

COVID-19 Gives Us the License to Fully Embrace a Digital Culture

Digital

Accelerated digitalization is one of the main results from the global pandemic. But at the same time, tech leaders are learning how to show… Read more

Global Banking CEOs Strike a Balance Between Capitalism and Care Amid COVID-19

Global Banking CEOs Strike a Balance Between Capitalism and Care Amid COVID-19

CEO Search

Highlights from the eighth digital gathering of CEOs from the banking world, hosted by Egon Zehnder. Read more

Global Luxury Goods CEOs Glimpse a Silver Lining in the Coronavirus Crisis

Global Luxury Goods CEOs Glimpse a Silver Lining in the Coronavirus Crisis

Retail, E-commerce, Apparel and Luxury

Highlights from a digital gathering of CEOs from the global lifestyle and luxury goods’ sector, hosted by Egon Zehnder. Read more

Learning from the Crisis, Insurance Embraces Change

Learning from the Crisis, Insurance Embraces Change

Insurance

How Insurance leaders have moved on from the initial operational trials of Covid-19, to the larger strategic issues facing the industry. Read more

Phase Three: The Slow Restart

The Reopening Dilemma: Care, then Performance

The Reopening Dilemma: Care, then Performance

Human Resources

Global CHROs in Asia and elsewhere on what’s working and what isn’t. Read more

Now What? China-based CEOs on What Reopening Really Means

Now What? China-based CEOs on What Reopening Really Means

CEO Search

China is slowly reopening. We asked a group of CEOs what that means and what happens next. Read more

How to Return to The Workplace: A Practical Guide

How to Return to The Workplace: A Practical Guide

Human Resources

You need to be strict and disciplined with procedures when returning your employees to work. Read more

Keep Your Innovation Muscle Pumping in a Crisis

Keep Your Innovation Muscle Pumping in a Crisis

Organization Innovation Quotient (IQ) Framework

How COVID-19 should – and shouldn’t – impact the innovation agenda. Read more

Creating Opportunities While Weathering a Crisis

Creating Opportunities While Weathering a Crisis

Consumer

Egon Zehnder gathered Chinese executives and US public board members on May 14th to exchange their experiences and share their outlook for the future. Read more

COVID-19: Planning for an Unknown Future

COVID-19: Planning for an Unknown Future

Financial Services

As COVID-19 continues to massively impact banks worldwide, leaders’ thoughts are turning to what will happen after the crisis and how banks can already… Read more

NGO Board Chairs: Providing a True North

NGO Board Chairs: Providing a True North

NGOs, Charities & Foundations

Boards have played an invaluable role in looking beyond the disruptions to maintain a focus on the bigger picture. Read more

Starting a New Job During a Global Pandemic

Starting a New Job During a Global Pandemic

Leadership Development Programs

Tips to manage the anxiety of a fresh start in times of uncertainty and social distancing. Read more

Banking CEOs Work out a New Normal

Banking CEOs Work out a New Normal

Financial Services

Banks are endeavoring to return to a new normal, looking at reopening branches while adapting to a changing world, as Egon Zehnder found out… Read more

Governance in the COVID-19 Crisis

Governance in the COVID-19 Crisis

Board Advisory Services

Egon Zehnder’s board consultants interviewed global directors to see how governance has changed as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. Read more

Foundations Look to Fund the Future

Foundations Look to Fund the Future

NGOs, Charities & Foundations

Leaders of philanthropic foundations from Europe and the U.S. discuss the challenges and the major themes they see rising out of the global health… Read more

Asset Management in Asia

Asset Management in Asia

Asset Management

16 asset management CEOs in Asia discuss leading the way – into and out of the crisis. Read more

PE in Latin America: How the Rules of the Game May Change Post-COVID-19

PE in Latin America: How the Rules of the Game May Change Post-COVID-19

Private Capital

A gathering with top Country Heads of Private Equity in Mexico and Latin America to discuss how consumer behavior is changing, its impact in… Read more

A Generation of Medicines at Risk

A Generation of Medicines at Risk

Health

Senior Biotech R&D execs brainstorm on saving clinical trials, modifying procedures, and getting people back to work. Read more

Together, Alone: Defining the Right Social Distance for Family and Teams in the New Normal

Together, Alone: Defining the Right Social Distance for Family and Teams in the New Normal

Leadership Development Programs

How much time together is healthy as we negotiate the framework of the new normal? Read more

European Biotech CEOs Navigate Towards a “New Normal” Pt 1

European Biotech CEOs Navigate Towards a “New Normal” Pt 1

Digital

Highlights from the third round of digital gatherings with European Biotech CEOs, hosted by Egon Zehnder. Read more

Middle East CEOs Balance Present Action with Future Thoughts Amid COVID-19

Middle East CEOs Balance Present Action with Future Thoughts Amid COVID-19

Chief Executive Officers

Highlights from recent digital gatherings with CEOs from various industry sectors in the Middle East, hosted by Egon Zehnder’s Dubai office. Read more

Responding to the Crisis, Insurance Looks Ahead

Responding to the Crisis, Insurance Looks Ahead

Insurance

As the crisis drags on, industries must make the transition from coping with the initial emergency to crafting the changes that will shape the… Read more

Phase Two: Managing During the Crisis

COVID-19: Supply Chain Lessons from Asia

COVID-19: Supply Chain Lessons from Asia

Supply Chain & Operations

Egon Zehnder interviewed a dozen supply chain leaders and executives in Asia in recent days to see what they’ve learned about managing the crisis. Read more

COVID-19: A True Test of Board and CEO Leadership

COVID-19: A True Test of Board and CEO Leadership

Board Advisory Services

How Boards are handling emergency succession planning, communicating with management and investors, and planning for the future. Read more

Navigating a Global Crisis: How Organizations, CEOs, and Managers Need to React

Board Advisory Services

Egon Zehnder's Benito Cachinero speaks with Wharton Business School on what it takes for a leader to succeed in times of crisis, particularly a… Read more

When People Matter Most: The People Function and COVID-19

Human Resources

Egon Zehnder's Gizem Weggemans spoke with Prof Carl Zangerl at Northeastern University, on how the global pandemic is transforming the human resources function. Read more

Trial by Fire – First-time CEOs During a Pandemic

Trial by Fire – First-time CEOs During a Pandemic

CEO Search

First-time CEOs talk about the importance of focus and authenticity as they take the reins in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more

Move Over, Customer Experience

Move Over, Customer Experience

Consumer

We’re in a new era. Our leaders must think beyond customer experience and focus on total Human Experience, which takes into account both employees… Read more

Purpose and Optimism: The Mission for Brand Marketers in a Time of Crisis

Purpose and Optimism: The Mission for Brand Marketers in a Time of Crisis

Marketing and Sales

Purpose and optimism are important messages to communicate especially in a crisis. Twelve Chief Marketers discuss how to adjust plans to keep their brands… Read more

Telecom on the Front Lines

Telecom on the Front Lines

Technology & Communications

30 Telecom industry CEOs from Italy and other regions around the world share how they are responding to COVID-19. Read more

Coronavirus: HR Learnings & Takeaways from China and Italy

Coronavirus: HR Learnings & Takeaways from China and Italy

Human Resources

50 HR Directors across Spain and Portugal share the lessons learned, challenges, and personal stories as they navigate the pandemic. Read more

How Healthcare Leaders Are Handling the COVID-19 Crisis in APAC

How Healthcare Leaders Are Handling the COVID-19 Crisis in APAC

Health

Egon Zehnder’s Singapore and China offices convened a virtual round table on March 12, 2020, with HR leaders to share learnings. Read more

Solidarity is More Contagious Than the Virus

Solidarity is More Contagious Than the Virus

CEO Search

On March 27, Egon Zehnder hosted a virtual CEO meeting between 20 Chief Executives of some of the world’s largest companies. Their message: Solidarity… Read more

All Eyes and Ears on Communications During the COVID-19 Crisis

All Eyes and Ears on Communications During the COVID-19 Crisis

Technology & Communications

How corporate affairs and communications leaders are steering organizations through a pandemic. Read more

COVID-19: Keeping Morale High

COVID-19: Keeping Morale High

Financial Services

In these extreme times, it’s vital to keep the lines of communication open. Egon Zehnder continued to speak with CEO and CHROs of financial… Read more

Sharing Circle from Italy to Turkey: Senior HR Leaders on What They’re Learning

Sharing Circle from Italy to Turkey: Senior HR Leaders on What They’re Learning

Human Resources

What can Turkey learn from the Italian Covid-19 experience? Egon Zehnder brought together 60 executives to share their experiences. Read more

How Retail HR Leaders Are Navigating a New Normal During the COVID-19 Pandemic

How Retail HR Leaders Are Navigating a New Normal During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Retail, E-commerce, Apparel and Luxury

We virtually gathered HR leaders of retail companies to share how they are handling the crisis—from benefits for part-time workers, to emergency succession planning,… Read more

The Great Digital Opportunity: Technology Officers in the Age of COVID-19

The Great Digital Opportunity: Technology Officers in the Age of COVID-19

Technology Officers

As businesses rapidly embraced technology to enable remote work and preserve business continuity, technology officers see a new task for the weeks and months… Read more

HR Leadership Lessons From the Early Days of the COVID-19 Pandemic

HR Leadership Lessons From the Early Days of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Human Resources

How leaders rapidly readied their organizations and the function to respond to the crisis and what is to come. Read more

Middle Eastern CEOs Rethink Their Businesses

Middle Eastern CEOs Rethink Their Businesses

CEO Search

Leadership skills are in heavy demand in the Middle East amid the uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, regional CEOs told Egon Zehnder in… Read more

Maintaining the Human Touch: HR Leaders Discuss Best Practices for Employees In the Field

Maintaining the Human Touch: HR Leaders Discuss Best Practices for Employees In the Field

Human Resources

30 Human Resources leaders discuss how to manage the new and pressing needs of employees not working from their homes, especially the critical mandate… Read more

When People Matter Most

When People Matter Most

Human Resources

How HR executives have stepped more firmly into leadership roles during the COVID-19 crisis Read more

Responding to the Crisis, Insurance Looks Ahead

Responding to the Crisis, Insurance Looks Ahead

Insurance

As the crisis drags on, industries must make the transition from coping with the initial emergency to crafting the changes that will shape the… Read more

Asset Management: “All Firms Will be Remembered by How They Treat Employees and Clients”

Asset Management: “All Firms Will be Remembered by How They Treat Employees and Clients”

Asset Management

On April 7, Egon Zehnder and CFA Institute virtually convened 24 CEOs from asset management firms for a candid discussion of the impact that… Read more

The Ultimate Stress Test

The Ultimate Stress Test

CEO Search

On 9 April, 20 top Chief Executives from five European markets convened to discuss the COVID-19 crisis, part of a series of weekly calls… Read more

Indonesia CEO Discussion: Lessons Learned from China and Opportunities for the Future

Indonesia CEO Discussion: Lessons Learned from China and Opportunities for the Future

Leadership Development Programs

On 6th April, 2020, Egon Zehnder, together with Boston Consulting Group, held a virtual gathering of 20+ CEOs in Indonesia to share their experiences… Read more

How the COVID-19 Crisis Is Changing – and Challenging – Humanitarian and Development Organizations

How the COVID-19 Crisis Is Changing – and Challenging – Humanitarian and Development Organizations

Public & Social Sector

CEOs of NGOs share how the pandemic has changed their views on their organizations and their work in the world. Read more

Pharma’s High-Stakes Leadership in Times of COVID-19

Pharma’s High-Stakes Leadership in Times of COVID-19

Health

The pharma and healthcare sector faces a serious threat of operational challenges due to COVID-19. Operations leaders gather to discuss how to move forward. Read more

How to Best Support Portfolio Businesses During the COVID-19 Crisis

How to Best Support Portfolio Businesses During the COVID-19 Crisis

Private Capital

The threat of the coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to grow, and Operating Partners are fighting to support their portfolio businesses. Read more

A Conversation with EPC CEOs on COVID-19

A Conversation with EPC CEOs on COVID-19

Industrial

Egon Zehnder hosted a virtual meeting with CEOs in the Engineering, Procurement and Construction industry across a wide and diverse range of sectors, to… Read more

Private Equity Implications of COVID-19 in Emerging Markets

Private Equity Implications of COVID-19 in Emerging Markets

Private Capital

A digital gathering with top Country Heads of PE in Mexico. Read more

The Outlook from Biopharma Commercial Leaders: What to Expect Next

The Outlook from Biopharma Commercial Leaders: What to Expect Next

Health

Egon Zehnder's lessons from how the biopharma industry has responded to Covid-19 with focus, collaboration and resilience. Read more

Voices of Leadership

Voices of Leadership

Communications & Public Affairs Officers

CEOs are turning to Corporate Affairs like never before. Read more

Middle Eastern CEOs Remain Centered to Generate Trust Amid COVID-19

Middle Eastern CEOs Remain Centered to Generate Trust Amid COVID-19

Digital

Highlights from a recent digital gathering with CEOs from various industry sectors in the Middle East, hosted by Egon Zehnder’s Dubai office. Read more

Coronavirus – Learnings and Takeaways from Small Biotech

Coronavirus – Learnings and Takeaways from Small Biotech

Health

Highlights from the second round of digital gatherings with European Biotech CEOs, hosted by Egon Zehnder. Read more

Beyond Keeping the Lights On

Beyond Keeping the Lights On

Industrial

Senior P&L leaders are forced to make difficult choices with regard to their employees, suppliers, customers, and business partners. Here's how they are tackling… Read more

Phase One: The Emergency Unfolds

COVID-19: Prepare for the Worst-case Scenario

COVID-19: Prepare for the Worst-case Scenario

Financial Services

A digital gathering with Jean Pierre Mustier, Group Chief Executive Officer of UniCredit, and 40 CEOs from the banking world, hosted by Egon Zehnder’s… Read more

Leading in These Uncertain Times

Leading in These Uncertain Times

Leadership Development Programs

Top IBM executives in China share lessons from the COVID-19 crisis with Indian counterparts. Read more

Leading with Care, Purpose, and Resolve During a Pandemic

Leading with Care, Purpose, and Resolve During a Pandemic

Human Resources

How HR leaders can help employees and companies weather the COVID-19 crisis. Read more

Leading Through the Coronavirus Crisis

Leading Through the Coronavirus Crisis

Leadership Development Programs

Top executives share lessons learned from previous crises in the Asia-Pacific region – and how they may help today. Read more

COVID-19: Healthcare Leaders Respond

COVID-19: Healthcare Leaders Respond

Health

We convened global health care CEOs on March 21 and 22 to discuss what’s needed now and how best to lead in this crisis. Read more

“In the Eye of the Storm”: A New CEO Mandate

“In the Eye of the Storm”: A New CEO Mandate

CEO Search

Five tips for CEOs while they work to manage the business and create psychological and emotional safety for their employees during the COVID-19 crisis. Read more

CEO Community Call: Leadership through Crisis

CEO Community Call: Leadership through Crisis

CEO Search

On March 19, former BP CEO Bob Dudley and former Rolls Royce CEO Sir John Rose shared advice on steering a company through a… Read more

Liquidity, Communication, Flexibility: Global CFOs Respond

Liquidity, Communication, Flexibility: Global CFOs Respond

CFO & Audit Chair

On March 26, our Global CFO practice convened 35 Chief Financial Officers representing 4.9 million employees and $22.3 trillion in revenues to discuss priorities… Read more

Learning from Each Other During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Learning from Each Other During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Leadership Development Programs

Leaders from six major industrial and manufacturing companies and groups operating in India gathered on a video call on March 13 to share how… Read more

Data in Difficult Times

Data in Difficult Times

Technology & Communications

The role of Chief Data and Analytics Officers has expanded dramatically in recent months. Learn more about what they think has changed. Read more

Financials, Clinical Trials, Supply Chain: What Health Care CEOs are Focused on Now

Financials, Clinical Trials, Supply Chain: What Health Care CEOs are Focused on Now

Health

On March 28, our global health care practice convened a virtual meeting with 15 CEOs around the world to discuss how to ensure financial… Read more

Houston HR Leaders Share Tactics and Strategies During Covid-19 Crisis

Houston HR Leaders Share Tactics and Strategies During Covid-19 Crisis

Human Resources

On Tuesday March 24th, our Houston office hosted 20 senior HR leaders to discuss their insights on managing business continuity and leading their organizations… Read more

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