Five months into the coronavirus pandemic and things are beginning to become clearer: one, it’s worse than many of us thought; two, it’ll have a deleterious effect on our economies for months and perhaps years to come; and three, women leaders responded to the pandemic better than their male counterparts. Taiwan, Germany and New Zealand have all received accolades for the way that they handled the pandemic and all three are led by women. Pundits point out that these countries—all multi-party democracies with high levels of public trust in their governments—have contained the pandemic through early, scientific intervention. CNN notes that the success of these and other women-led governments in dealing with a global pandemic is all the more noteworthy, given that women make up less than 7% of world leaders.

A firm grasp of the science surely must be credited for the lion’s share of the response efforts in these countries, but empathy factors in here, too. Plainly speaking, when it comes to human interactions, too often, guys just don’t get it. There’s a reason why mothers tell their young children that if they get lost, they should bypass the policeman and seek out a mom—she’ll know what to do.

On a much, much smaller scale, earlier this year, I attended the Personalized Beauty Summit where one female executive noted that women go to salons for more than just a haircut—they have meaningful conversations that can ultimately translate into more sales.

To even my surprise, a male executive from a leading salon hair care brand suggested that stylists have no time for conversation, they must keep the line moving.

“He’s a guy; he doesn’t get it,” observed the woman next to me.

Nope, he doesn’t get it; and that’s a shame, because when we get back to business after coronavirus is vanquished, FMCG shoppers—and they’re primarily women—will remember what brands stood by them during the COVID-19 pandemic. They’ll buy brands that “get it.” Corporate boards would be wise to look beyond their old boys’ network when choosing the next generation of CEOs.

This month’s cover story looks at the wreckage caused by coronavirus on the professional salon business (p. 54). Also, this month, we report on global skin care trends (p. 64) and, beginning on p. 48, the wellness category—something we are all interested in right now.

Stay safe!

Tom Branna
Editorial Director
[email protected]