Leading in Crisis: “Working the Solution Before Working the Problem”

Anne Fuchs (Class VII Fellow) is a public affairs professional and classically-trained opera singer. She runs a statewide civics education outreach program called “Appeals on Wheels” for the Indiana Court of Appeals and appears throughout the community in performances with the Indianapolis Opera.

Good morning, everyone! Please raise your hand if you would like to talk about COVID! 

What a way to start the day, right?

I’m not going to lie. When I looked at the MDLF readings for our March 21, 2025 class day and saw “Case Study: COVID Response at Purdue” at the top of the list, I was less than enthused. Great. More COVID talk. Hadn’t we all rehashed this enough? The pandemic was horrible, we suffered tremendously in myriad ways, and bad memories were had by all. Why beat a dead horse?

This is the admittedly unproductive mentality I had walking into Eli Lilly’s impressive campus on March 21st. There, seated squarely at the top of the agenda was a panel dedicated to dissecting Purdue’s COVID response. The pre-readings seemed to indicate that Purdue had “gotten it right,” citing its “right to choose” approach to in-person attendance, coupled with its innovative six-level “severity index” of cases and spirited “P-Ville” quarantine center. “Hindsight is 20/20,” I cynically thought to myself, considering the confluence of confusion, chaos, best intentions, value judgements, and pure chance that seemed to define 2020-2021.

MDLF Advisor Neil Pickett kicked off the day by moderating a panel featuring Eric Barker (Vice President for Health Affairs & Dean of Purdue College of Pharmacy) Ryan Gallagher (Associate Vice President for Facilities Operations & Environmental Health and Safety), and Class VII MDLF Fellow Katarina Nikolovski, who was a student at Purdue during the pandemic. In spite of my preconceived notions, I was immediately surprised by the scope of the conversation. In the words of MDLF Fellow Jason Ortiz, Mitch Daniels and his team immediately endeavored to “work the solution before working the problem.” But how?

“Step one is to ground yourself in your mission and values,” said Eric Barker, talking about the Purdue COVID response team’s approach to prioritizing student experience and learning at Purdue during the pandemic. “Communicate transparently, and be flexible, flexible, flexible,” he added. He and his colleague Ryan talked about data analytics, transparency dashboards, and ethical dilemmas. Clearly, Purdue took risks and made decisions that many disagreed with or challenged. But, what I realized was that this class day was not about whether or not Purdue had achieved the “perfect COVID response.” This class day was about leadership in times of crisis.

Leadership in times of crisis, I learned, is not about making perfect decisions. It is about integrity. It is about making the best, most decisive calls possible using the best data and the best human resources. It is about continuous change management, attachment to mission and values, and compassionate treatment of others. “People don’t like change,” said Neil Pickett. And yet, change is imminent.

Change is what happens when we innovate. Industry giants like Eli Lilly know this well, as do panelists 

Dan Hardesty (Director of Government Affairs - IN Rural Health Association) and Vincent Wong (CEO & President – BioCrossroads) who presented to us that afternoon about the steps they are taking to support Indiana’s role as a “life sciences powerhouse.” Rather than working the problem (Indiana’s staggeringly low health rates), they work the solution – a state leading in health outcomes, in rural and urban areas alike, with thriving life sciences and pharmaceutical industries that use “medicine for healing” and promote the lifestyles that help us thrive.

Working the solution – it turns out – is the way that changemakers can earn their stripes and gain respect as leaders. As Katarina Nikolovski shared in her candid comments about her Purdue COVID experience, “the way Mitch Daniels handled the pandemic at Purdue is why I came to admire him so much.” She appreciated the University’s transparent, decisive approach and prioritization of student choice and safety. “I know I had a different college experience than my colleagues,” she shared. “And it was because of Mitch Daniels and his team.”

As leaders, we may not always have the “perfect” response, especially in times of crisis. But with bold, thoughtful, decisive thinking and action, we have the power to manage change with stability, confidence, and hopefully, a dash of success. 

Class VII “State of Health” Case Study class at Eli Lilly & Company on March 21, 2025.