ABSTRACT
Time will tell whether we are perhaps half-way or less through the COVID-19 pandemic at the time of writing. To date (December 17, 2020), over 1.5 million people worldwide have died. COVID-19 outbreaks are difficult to contain in many nations because of poor counter-measures to address communication risks (dealing with an infodemic and false news) and inadequate competence in communicating risks (presenting persuasive scientific evidence information) (Pulido et al., 2020). Scientists also found it difficult to refrain from entering public debates in the nexus between epidemiology and public health interventions, resulting in confusion and alarm as some scientists contradicted and undermined official public health advice. Morale among our medical physics (MP) colleagues has been low because there is little they can do to address the extraneous factors affecting them, their family and friends, colleagues, and patients. Few leaders seem to possess the required empathetic 160skills to relate to and address the difficulties facing those they lead. We must recognize that some top-down leadership styles are counterproductive, and we must look to successful examples where effective leadership has worked.
