If you haven’t read my post on Wave Two, 2020 and 1918, you’ll find it here: https://historicalsolutions.com/1918-pandemic/wave-two-in-2020-a-thought-from-1918/?fbclid=IwAR0kTC3pG_X45WS-T9PS7sXpOZUBJpw0LRrOm7QsK_8mTkLLqk-f1tvJ9NA.

I’m emphasizing it because of a point I made near the end of the 4-minute essay. My statement was that Wave Two 2020 will appear in a variety of ways. It was true in 1918 and it’s true now.

Well, you can imagine my interest in looking at the front page of today’s Wall Street Journal. Side-by-side, we see two examples of different forms and expressions of the next wave. In the case of Spain (highlighted in yellow), Wave Two follows a classic Wave One/Interlude/Wave Two dynamic that I described. In the case of an August survey of 15 major US employers (circled in yellow), we see a collective judgment made by decision-makers in large workplaces. They are different in effect, the same in nature, and share the sense of a return and rise in coronavirus. Not to be overlooked, however, is the critical point that they represent unique settings, unique environments, unique foundations and backdrops.

This is why I pound so hard on the responsibilities of leaders–those of you with one or more followers–to take a step back and to take a breath back and think through the implications of what is around you.

Many things exist that can help you in that responsibility. Use them. But never forget that among the most under-appreciated and under-utilized resources for a leader is that pair of two mysterious forces–the past and history.

Thanks for reading. All the best, Dan