I never thrived in the classroom, but man do I love a good case study. Carefully observing others, critically studying how they navigate hard problems, and trying to immerse myself into his/her decision-making process is personally exciting. I very much enjoyed Chancellor Merkel’s recent comments to her nation and the world regarding the COVID-19 virus. I find her messaging very intentional and offer a few observations.

- She stands alone communicating her strength and responsibility.
- She does not address the clinical aspects which are clearly outside of her area of expertise.
- She draws upon her country’s history and makes it personal.She states that these messages will be communicated in multiple languages fostering inclusion.
- She appeals to all ages, once again fostering inclusion.
- She highlights the importance of information sharing in a Democratic environment therefore justifying imposed restrictions.
- Displaying empathy, she touches upon the age old tug and pull of the needs/wants of the individual vs the needs/wants of the community.