AFTER BREAKING COVID REGULATIONS, WHAT IS THE PROTOCOL FOR LEADERS WHO SHOULD KNOW BETTER? The art of apologising

SINCE the introduction of lockdown regulations in 2020 to curb the spread of Covid-19, we have witnessed a string of apologies from politicians and public figures who were caught breaching the rules. Their apologies were meant to avoid potential reputational damage. This could include the organisations they are affiliated to.

Public Leadership lecturer at the Harvard Kennedy School, Barbara Kellerman, in an article titled “When should a leader apologise and when not?” posits that “Leaders are responsible not only for their own behaviour, but also for that of their followers. Since leaders speak for, as well as to, their