Possibilities of Functional Stupidity in Leading Schools during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case for Pandemic Leadership

Abstract

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic unexpectedly brought the world to its knees, creating health, economic, social and education crises. As a crisis, COVID-19 is characterised by uncertainties, anxieties, tensions and contradictions, requiring a strong leadership presence in its response. Consequently, people look up to leadership for answers, comfort, support and guidance in protecting people’s lives. However, drawing from critical leadership studies, this paper contends that the demand for leadership during crises risks encouraging leadership romanticism, thus sanctioning leadership power, which could cause more harm than good. Despite the justifiable need for leadership’s visibility and action during crises, there remains a risk of followers’ unquestioned reliance on the leader, thus slipping into functional stupidity with devastating consequences. The COVID-19 pandemic is causing a global education crisis, which is rendered more complex in education systems such as in South Africa which was already struggling with leadership legitimacy regarding its ability to provide equitable quality education and prepare learners for future work, prior to the pandemic. Thus, in this conceptual paper, pandemic leadership is proposed as a framework for responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and to future pandemics, while simultaneously mediating against repressive and silencing power and functional stupidity. Pandemic leadership offers significant leadership practices that centralise expert knowledge and related flexibilities; acknowledge the significance of the pandemic; deliberate on decisions while being considerate of contextual conditions; mobilise alternative voices and collaboration; demonstrate compassion and provide timely, valid, honest and transparent communication that builds trust. Functional Stupidity in Leading Schools 51