Preparing emergency managers to lead collaboratively in a post-COVID-19 context marked by increased compound disasters

This study identifies the leadership competencies required for collaborative emergency management, particularly in the context of increasingly frequent compound disasters. The research focuses on how emergency management professionals led collaborations during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, a period marked by overlapping hazards. Based on interviews with 18 state-level emergency management leaders in the South-Atlantic region of the United States, the study identifies six key leadership competencies: flexibility and adaptability; developing, managing, and maintaining relationships; building trust and cohesion through a shared vision and mission; communication and information sharing with stakeholders; coordination with partners; and managing conflict and navigating differences. The paper concludes by emphasizing the need for training and education to incorporate these collaborative leadership competencies to prepare emergency management leaders for the challenges of a post-COVID-19 world.