1. Fear
1.1. The uncertainty of the vaccines has triggered deep-rooted fear in humans
1.1.1. "Uncertainty fuels anxiety, causing the human mind to conjure up scary scenarios. The pandemic can magnify the angst" (Aschwanden, 2020).
1.2. "As Covid-19 unfolded fear unfolded that began overriding rationality and prompted unconstructive behavioral change worldwide" (Harrison, 2021).
1.2.1. In the Netherlands, violent protests resulted in 240 arrests after the government introduced an overnight curfew.
1.2.2. In Tripoli, Lebanon’s second-largest city, hundreds of furious protesters took to the streets to denounce the absence of any economic relief despite strict stay-at-home orders. Police were forced to fire live rounds as protestors stormed the city’s government building (Haddad, 2021).
1.2.2.1. "As a deep craving for ‘normalcy’ takes over nations, this cognitive dissonance undermines the reality of Covid-19’s deadly risk" (Hemmer, 2020)
1.2.2.1.1. Much of the need for normalcy stems from something that the world as a whole has not faced in generations: ongoing, life-threatening uncertainty (Hemmer, 2020)
1.2.3. In Bogota, Columbia, 19 people were left dead as the nation revolted against stringent pandemic lockdowns that have been blamed for causing mass unemployment and throwing some four million people into poverty (Forero & Vyas, 2021).
1.3. The urgent need for a sense of conviction forced migration towards groups whose belief systems appeal to those seeking answers (Kruglanski & Orehek, 2011).
1.3.1. The opposition between pro and anti-vaccination views that are confusing those who are vaccine hesitant emphasizes how the human response to fear, stress, and uncertainty will inevitably lead us to conform to those groups that can offer a sense of certainty.
1.3.1.1. We want to know that we are safe!
1.4. Leadership Takeaway
1.4.1. Empower humans to feel confident in their decisions by removing barriers in the mind
1.4.2. We should never underestimate the power of the mind to disempower, especially amongst a sea of mis and disinformation that makes credible sources seem suspect
1.4.3. In highly successful change efforts, people begin to understand and act on a change vision because leaders remove barriers in their paths.
1.4.4. "You take away the tattered sails and give them better ones. You take a wind in their faces and create wind at their backs. You take away a pessimistic attitude and provide the world with optimism." (Kotter & Cohen, 2012).
2. Misinformation
2.1. In February, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned of twin dangers- a global pandemic and a crisis in accurate public health information.
2.1.1. "Posts on social media platforms have triggered an indistinguishable mix of unverified information, helpful information, misinformation and intentionally manipulated disinformation" (Larson, 2020).
2.2. The majority of the public questioning, hesitant, and anxious have genuine concerns and are open to vaccination but are not getting straight answers (Economist, 2021).
2.2.1. The proportion of the population opposed to vaccines is well under 10 percent, but this is an extremely vocal minority (Jarry, 2020).
2.2.1.1. Example: An analysis of mapped vaccination conversations from approximately 100 million Facebook users worldwide showed that anti-vaccination groups manage to become highly entangled with undecided groups (Johnson, 2020).
2.2.2. This leads them to migrate to the anti-end of vaccination views because anti-vaxxers appear to acknowledge and endorse their concerns (Economist, 2021).
2.3. There is someone on the internet that will speak to your beliefs.
2.3.1. Social media platforms have increased their efforts to stop the spread of untruths about vaccines and Covid-19.
2.3.1.1. Facebook's algorithm undermines efforts to stem the tide of this infodemic (Zuidijik, 2021).
2.3.1.1.1. "It cares about keeping individuals engaged, interested, and online with sensationalist and outrageous content, so where there is more engagement, the algorithm pushes this to the top of the news feed" (Zuidijik, 2021).
2.4. Now, consider someone who is apprehensive, fearful, and anxious about their decision to become vaccinated.
2.5. Leadership Takeaways
2.5.1. Provide evidence-based information
2.5.2. Provide information before the mis and dis information can
2.5.3. show emotionally honest and open behavior
2.5.4. “You are essentially inoculating them against the false information before it can take root in them” (Economist, 2021).
3. LeadershipTakeaways
3.1. show emotionally honest and open behavior
3.2. speak the unspeakable
3.3. connect to the feelings of those with concerns
3.4. ask powerful and inspiring questions
3.5. convey that they do not have the answers
3.6. solicit other trustworthy sources to help in finding them
3.7. "For a change effort to succeed, the vision and strategies are not contained in a room with the guiding leaders. The direction of change is widely communicated and communicated for both understanding and buy-in" (Kotter & Cohen, 2012).
4. Social Identity
4.1. What I Do
4.2. How I React
4.3. How I See Myself
4.4. How Others See Me
4.4.1. My actions, what I do, who I am, how I see myself becomes bounded and limited by what others think or say.
4.4.2. Anti-vaxxer? Pro-vaxxer? Vaccine Hesitant?
4.4.2.1. Your mind quickly documents this and you begin identifying me as such
4.4.2.1.1. Am I a part of your reference group?
4.5. "Social death is greater than physical death as a source of fear"-Brooke Harrington
4.5.1. The social drive that motivates this sort of cognition and emotion and eventually behavior is one of our strongest drives.
4.5.1.1. Generates Shame
4.5.1.2. Embarassment
4.5.1.3. Causes Fear of Ostracism
4.5.2. Membership in a reference group is more important.
4.6. Kenneth Gergen
4.6.1. We must understand the consequences of these beliefs behind controversial topics such as vaccinations
4.7. controversial and delicate matter to discuss.
4.7.1. Everyone has a different perception of identity (Ersanlı, Kurtman & Şanlı, Esat. (2015))
4.7.2. the way that we identify ourselves is of great importance
4.8. Leadership Takeaway
4.8.1. Leadership efforts should not cause shame or threaten ostracism or make others feel as though you are a part of an opposing reference group, otherwise you will fail (McRaney, 2021)
4.8.2. Connect empathetically with others
4.8.3. Care about their well-being
4.8.4. Act with compassion
4.8.5. Feel with them
4.8.6. "Leaders must have the ability to step imaginatively into someone else's shoes and attempt to understand why they might feel a certain way, from a physical, psychological, social, or spiritual perspective, because this is so powerful" (Paul Ekman, 2021)
5. Trust
5.1. Who Do You Trust?
5.1.1. Health Experts?
5.1.1.1. Andrew Wakefield, in 1998, published research in a respected medical journal stating that there was a link between the measles vaccine and autism.
5.1.1.1.1. U.K. vaccination rates slumped below the level needed to keep measles at bay.
5.1.1.1.2. The analysis of the published research, by a British journalist, Brian Deer, "unearthed a scandal of astounding proportions" (Hristomanova Mitkovska, 2015).
5.1.2. Goverment?
5.1.2.1. Expert in global public health, Dr. Jonathan Kennedy, has investigated the link between trust in the government and vaccine hesitancy (Kennedy, 2021).
5.1.2.1.1. Doctor Kennedy analyzed voting data and public surveys across 14 countries and discovered a broad pattern (Kennedy, 2021)
5.1.2.2. Under Prime Minister Boris Johnston's leadership in Britain, public health guidance has changed constantly and confusingly.
5.1.2.2.1. creating a sense that the government is failing and incompetent (Economist, 2021).
5.1.2.3. Political figures have failed to follow their own health guidelines (Deliso, 2020)
5.1.2.3.1. Mayor of Austin, Texas, Steve Adler warned residents to "stay home" while vacationing in Cabo.
5.1.2.4. Cornell University analyzed 38 million English-language articles about the pandemic and found that President Trump was the single most significant driver of coronavirus misinformation (Stolberg & Weiland, 2021).
5.1.2.4.1. Sarah Evanega, the director of the Cornell Alliance for Science and the study's lead author stated “The biggest surprise was that the President of the United States was the single largest driver of misinformation around Covid, and that's concerning in that there are real-world dire health implications" (Stolberg & Weiland, 2021)
5.1.2.4.2. In October 2020, President Trump stated that the virus "is disappearing," and his words might have been much more believable had he not been repeating the same thing for eight months (The Washington Post).
5.2. Leadership Takeaways
5.2.1. One of the historical problems of vaccine hesitancy has been the failure of leaders to listen to the concerns of their respective communities who have doubts about inoculation (Larson, Arrieta, Gakidou, Mullany, Troeger, & April, 2021).
5.2.2. Demonstrate openness
5.2.3. Demonstrate respect for others
5.2.3.1. This offers humans a sense of connection to the issue
5.2.3.1.1. Solves unmanageable problems
5.2.3.1.2. Eases the mind of others
5.2.4. Continuously ask questions
5.2.5. Jacinda Arden