Exploring global women leaders’ speeches during Covid-19: A systems psychodynamic perspective

This article explores selected speeches of two global women leaders during the time of the Covid-19 pandemic from the systems psychodynamic perspective. It focuses on speeches to address and manage the pandemic of global women leaders, Angela Merkel (Germany) and Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma (South Africa). Using a systems psychodynamic perspective, this study explores the question of how global women leaders addressed their nations during the Covid-19 pandemic. The study uses a post-modernist qualitative exploratory research design. It is anchored in the hermeneutical research paradigm, using leadership theories and systems psychodynamics as a lens to explore and understand their strengths with regard to the Covid-19 pandemic. The authors use content analysis to explore the selected speeches conducted by the two women leaders at the onset (2020) pertaining to the pandemic in Germany and South Africa. The study contributes to improve the understanding of global women leaders’ actions and responses through their speeches, from the systems psychodynamics, in two political contexts, namely Germany and South Africa. Findings show that both women leaders use war-related metaphors to mobilise their citizens against Covid-19. Further, Dlamini-Zuma’s speech more strongly evokes the dynamics of basic assumption fight, whereas Merkel highlights basic assumption oneness. Both leaders mention themes, such as dependence, shared responsibility, unity to inspire collective resilience, and creativity within the uncertain times of Covid-19. They both aim at balancing struggle and solidarity to build trust in their citizen.