Leadership Communications in a Lock-down Crisis

What we can learn from Queen Elizabeth II, Boris Johnson, Emmanuel Macron & Donald Trump

When over half the world’s population is in lockdown and scared about the fall out of this unprecedented global crisis, communicating as leaders of nations is no easy challenge. The last 10 days have shown us that some leaders, in under five minutes, can find the right words, tone and authentic emotion to reassure, boost and engage their people. And others just can’t. From listening to Elizabeth II, Emmanuel Macron, Boris Johnson and Donald Trump, here are a few personal insights about nailing communications and making it compelling, relevant and impactful.

Over the past 10 days we have been treated to some very different addresses from global leaders about the Covid-19 crisis. Clearly it is a challenging time for leaders in lockdown to find the right words and the right tone to reassure, boost and engage their citizens so that they do not lose heart in what is not a sprint but more an unusually strenuous marathon.

Queen Elizabeth II did just that in under five minutes. As a European Brit living in France, my family and I could not resist watching our Queen address her people for only the 5th time in 68 years (excluding, of course, her annual Christmas address). While technically she may not be an exceptional speaker, she totally incarnates her role, conveying natural authority, sobriety and empathy. 100% authentic and with a few carefully chosen historical references, she reminds everyone of what she and the British people have endured together since WWII, and points out that the fight against coronavirus is also a global one. “The pride in who we are is not a part of our past. It defines our present and our future.” She is not there to lecture, to blame or to take credit. Very simply, she offers comfort to those suffering and grieving, gratitude to people on the front line and in particular the NHS, and recognition for the very real health, social and financial difficulties that her people are enduring. While she is speaking, there are carefully chosen video images behind her, connecting people to her story that is their story, and giving a modern edge to her speech. And she ends her message of hope by showing light at the end of tunnel, that there will be a return to better days. “We will succeed, and that success will belong to every one of us.”

While I might not be Boris Johnson’s biggest fan, his five-minute message on leaving the hospital after nearly dying really moved me because of its simplicity, honesty and emotion. What I thought worked really well is how he went from his own experience “I have today left the hospital after a week in which the NHS has saved my life, no question” - a short sentence that captures attention immediately and sends out the message that this is not like other speeches - to making it relevant and relatable for everyone “I want to thank everyone in the entire UK for the effort and the sacrifice you have made and are making.”

It is an inclusive speech – he makes it relevant for everyone “millions and millions of people” not only by thanking them, recognising their grief, their isolation, but also by making people feel that what they are doing is actually making a difference. His use of warrior metaphors adds to the gravitas “we are making progress in this national battle because the British public formed a human shield around this country’s greatest national asset, our National Health Service”. He associates everyone to the fight to alleviate pressure on the NHS and this allows him to end his speech credibly, when he urges people to stay home.

I thought that naming the people who cared for him personally and linking them to what is happening across the NHS was very powerful and effective story telling. It invites listeners to picture the staff and their incredible generosity and efficiency    and makes it all real for them. He uses “the repetition of three” to great effect, bringing a certain musicality to the speech, as before him Churchill, J.F Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Justin Trudeau and of course Barack Obama have done so well “they kept coming to work, kept putting themselves in harms way, kept risking this deadly virus”.

This contrasts sharply with Emmanuel Macron’s third Coronavirus speech on Easter Monday, the objectives of which were, of course, different.

Emmanuel Macron, on one hand, had to bring concrete answers to many questions people were anxious about – how long will the lock-down be prolonged, how will France emerge from it, when can people go back to work, when will schools re-open etc. And he did this well – in fact we were left with a sense that things are under control, that a huge amount is being done and that we will get through this. It was a great example of what it means to lead in times of uncertainty. Strangely, the fact that he did not get into specifics about how different businesses would open, when restaurants would, etc. did not really matter.

On the other hand, he needed to deflect past criticism that he didn’t listen to or understand the predicaments of the people. That was the starting point to his speech this time – like Queen Elisabeth and Boris Johnson, he spent time recognising the pain people were going through and thanking so many ranks for their efforts. But here, he fell into what I call the “list trap” – by wanting to be inclusive and name everyone, his speech became somewhat laborious from the start.

In spite of abandoning the Gaullian metaphors from previous speeches “nous sommes en guerre/we are at war” and being humbler in recognising that mistakes have been made and that not all the answers have been found yet, his speech was often too conceptual and formal, without any strong phrasing, and consequently it lacked emotion. While I am a great admirer of this president, what he is striving to do in France and his handling of this crisis, I feel that the tone of his communication is often off-mark.

First, his speeches are systematically too long and lose impact – his 25-minute speech – briefer than many of his earlier ones – could easily have been 15 minutes, thereby cutting out repetitions. Sadly even today, there is a certain underlying belief in France that good speeches can’t be short without omitting vital facts or arguments. And yet, a good speech or presentation necessarily involves sacrificing some interesting points to strengthen the overriding message. And by wanting to cover too many issues from lock-down to Europe, to helping other nations, to how we change the way we do things in the future, President Macron fails to stay sharp and focused.

Secondly, the tone is too theatrical and monotone. If you compare to the conversational tone of a Justin Trudeau or Barack Obama or even the Queen, you see that it creates an unnecessary distance – more simplicity is not antagonistic with a presidential tone and, on the contrary, leads to more connection with the audience.

Finally, the contrast between the young, smart, energetic French president and the classical format of the speeches does not work for me. From the moment the Marseillaise rings out to the formal language of the end of the speech, I am yearning for more modernity, more simplicity, more images.

When talking about political communications around Covid-19, it is difficult not to briefly mention Donald Trump’s communications, not for its strengths but because it is in a narcissistic league of its own. Much has been said on the subject. What strikes me is the total absence of concern for the people he is talking to in contrast to all the other leaders just mentioned. And this is the starting point of all effective communications: factoring in what people care about. He never recognises the pain that the American people are going through, never thanks the healthcare and other vital staff for what they are doing and shows no interest in building trust with his audience. His one driver is to justify his actions, deny his mistakes, take credit for what others have done and overall, to rewrite history.

So, four leaders, four styles, four energies. And three key success factors to stand out, convince and engage: stay authentic, stay sharp, stay relevant.

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Jane Goodman, Executive Coach & Consultant