Leadership During Times of Crisis

In early 2020, as President of the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), AAD faced the emerging COVID-19 crisis days before the Annual Meeting in Denver. After listening to members' concerns, gathering critical data on health risks, finances, and insurance coverage, and consulting peers, we recommended canceling the meeting 2 weeks in advance. The AAD provided timely guidance on safe office practices, telemedicine, and government relief programs. The author credits servant-leadership principles, rooted in empathy, data-driven decisions, and focus on members, with successfully guiding dermatologists and patients through the pandemic. He later applied similar attributes to the Missouri State House.