Introduction
The coronavirus pandemic brought with it a large number of hardships that modern society had to face. It has affected all spheres of people’s lives, and without the help of practical, inspiring, and strong leaders, it would be impossible to achieve the results that people have now. Sheikh Hasina is a vivid example of a female leader who, through her actions, has shown the importance of applying such leadership qualities as creativity, active listening, and the ability to make decisions.
Brief Overview of Sheikh Hasina: A World Leader
First, it is necessary to understand what a leader is and who was chosen for analysis within the framework of this work. Sheikh Hasina is “the prime minister of Bangladesh, who had the foresight to protect her country’s 161 million people by harnessing technology” (Beilock, 2020, p. 1). She is the longest-reigning prime minister in the country and undoubtedly left the most significant contribution to the state’s history.
Since taking office, Sheikh Hasina has made a valuable contribution to the country by taking action to promote its economic, political, and social fields. However, recent events related to the coronavirus pandemic have become one of the main hallmark activities of the Prime Minister of Bangladesh. Hence, research stated it “launched a nationwide vaccination program in February 2021, very early compared to many countries, by procuring the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine” (Chowdhury, 2022, p. 227). This is one of the examples of effective decisions made by the discussed leader.
Why Leadership Matters: A Case Study of Sheikh Hasina
Considering Sheikh Hasina and her contribution to the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, it is possible to highlight why leadership matters for society. First, leaders support people in complex and confusing times. During the spread of COVID-19, many individuals faced fear and anxiety about their future and the future of the country. Sheikh Hasina has become a pillar and a source of confidence for many, and the country can provide people with the necessary help and support.
Moreover, leadership is essential for decision-making, contributing to more effective limitations of emerging problems. Thus, the decisions contributed to Bangladesh’s taking place in the 20 most prosperous countries that most productively and successfully dealt with the global pandemic. This happened “through implementing a series of policy actions, special directives, social safety net, and vaccine diplomats” (Chowdhury, 2022, p. 227). Based on this information, it can be concluded that leadership is critically valuable when faced with difficult situations and finding ways to resolve them.
Key Traits and Behaviors of Sheikh Hasina
To understand why Sheikh Hasina’s leadership activity is such a success, it is necessary to understand this world leader’s traits and behaviors. Creativity is one of the most valuable qualities that require attention, and it provides an opportunity to find solutions to emerging problems as quickly as possible. This trait helped the Prime Minister of Bangladesh to take measures that reduced the spread of COVID-19 in the country.
Hence, “she began evacuating Bangladeshi citizens from China and closed educational institutions and nudged all non-essential businesses to go online” and “announced a $590 million bailout for garment workers who lost their jobs” (Beilock, 2020, p. 1). Another valuable quality of Sheikh Hasina was active listening, which greatly affected her decisions (Brownlee, 2020). This trait manifested itself in listening to people’s opinions and difficulties during the coronavirus. Its application allowed us to form the most effective solutions for the problem.
The last but no less important feature of Sheikh Hasina’s behavior is practical decision-making skills. From the beginning of her activity, she improved the country’s development process by making severe and bold decisions. The same thing happened when finding ways to mitigate and limit the causes and consequences of the pandemic. Leaders should be able to make decisions that will contribute to improving the situation of people in the country and, at the same time, contribute to the overall more significant cause.
Sheikh Hasina’s Leadership Approach: An Analysis Based on Leadership Theories
Based on the studied sources mentioned in this research paper, it can be said that Sheikh Hasina uses a transformational leadership approach. Such leaders “can ethically model the way, inspire a shared vision, challenge the process, enable others to act, and encourage the heart in a way that exceeds transactional, transformational, and charismatic leaders” (Weiss, 2015, p. 41). These characteristics are visible in the activities of the Prime Minister of Bangladesh and in the decisions taken to combat COVID-19.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Sheikh Hasina is an effective leader based on the conducted research. This statement can be supported by the fact that this leader has qualities like creativity, the ability to make productive decisions, and active listening. These characteristics contributed to the fact that the Prime Minister of Bangladesh was able to most successfully mitigate the problems associated with the COVID-19 pandemic in the country and contribute to the fight against the disease in other countries. Her transformational leadership approach has contributed to achieving the country’s most productive and beneficial outcomes.
References
Beilock, S. (2020). Coronavirus: A case study in women’s effective leadership. Forbes. Web.
Brownlee, D. (2020). 7 leadership traits for the post COVID-19 workplace. Forbes. Web.
Chowdhury, M. S. (2022). The rise of a new royal Bengal tiger under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina: Diplomacy perspective (2010-2021). Journal of South Asian Studies, 10(2), 215-233. Web.
Weiss, J. W. (2015). An introduction to leadership (2nd ed.). Zovio Inc.