Leader-Follower Relations in Academia in the Era of COVID-19

My first week of my internship went better than I expected.  I was expecting the relationship of my supervisor and I to be a bit strained as communication through Zoom was our only option.  Additionally, our six hour time difference made meeting more difficult.  However, I was still able to examine the leader-follower relations in the Department of Public Health at the University of Copenhagen during COVID-19.  My supervisor and I met on Monday, and then again on Friday with additional colleagues also researching breast cancer epidemiology.  They all reminisced about how, before COVID-19, they could easily walk across the hallway to ask a question.  Now they rely on their weekly Zoom calls.  They seemed to miss each other greatly.  They all discussed how they are working with students over the summer on their research and how the students seem to be very eager to conduct public health research right now.  On the Zoom call that I participated in, I was able to see how the leaders and followers collaborated.  It seemed as if the followers were more likely to ask questions, but their opinions on important matters were still highly regarded by the leaders.  Followers seem to regard the leaders with respect and admiration.  It seems as if trust is very high, as every position in this organization is difficult to get.  Thus, everyone has excellent credentials and thus does not need to spend a lot of energy garnering trust.  The department is also quite small, so everyone knows one another very well.  Everyone seems to work autonomously and they create their own goals for the week.  I have noticed from my work thus far and from my time spent studying abroad in Denmark that Danish people tend to prioritize a healthy work-life balance.  Thus, if one worker doe not accomplish much during one week, they are never scolded or looked down upon.  Decisions tend to be made in a decentralized manner, as witnessed by my ability to help make decisions even though I was simply an intern.  Thus far in my internship, I have appreciated the guidance from my supervisor and other colleagues at the organization.  Questions from followers seem to be appreciate and encouraged, and they are always answered with as much detail as possible to provide clarity.  My supervisor is very well-known in the field of breast cancer epidemiology, but she does not act as if I am only there to further her research.  She has told me numerous times now that this internship is for me, and that she hopes I am able to learn a lot through her guidance and support.  Everyone has been incredibly kind and grateful for my help thus far, and I am very excited to continue my work throughout the remainder of the summer!