Leading with Purpose and Passion Through War in Ukraine

When Russia invaded Ukraine, on February 24, 2022, it disrupted the life of every person living in the country. In the hours following the initial attacks, Marianna Bilyk drew upon her purpose-driven leadership skills, medical training, and deeply felt passion for providing health care to her patients to help launch Volunteering and Help Center, where she was appointed head of the medical aid division to secure, organize, and distribute war-specific medical supplies to front-line military personnel, people in devastated communities, and displaced Ukrainians. Bilyk also continued fulfilling her responsibilities as head surgeon at her own dental clinic with 48 employees, as well as overseeing the construction of a second clinic. Additionally, in July 2023, Bilyk founded the non-governmental organization Dental Front to provide free dental care services to army veterans and people serving on the war’s front line. Managing all of these commitments within the extreme volatility and uncertainty of a war with no end in sight required an immense amount of energy, leaving her without time to spend with the family members she deeply cared about. As she sat for a few minutes alone to consider her options, Bilyk was wondering how to keep going and avoid burnout.

This case is intended for use in courses on organizational behaviour, leadership, and general management in MBA and undergraduate programs. The situation and events described in the case help students appreciate the complex leadership issues related to managing people, organizations, and oneself within a highly stressful and uncertain environment. This case provides an opportunity for students to critically analyze various leadership styles, including their applications and intersections, within a context of crisis. Students are also exposed to the complex and deeply held motivations of someone who is fighting to protect her country, people, and culture. Finally, this case encourages students to be thoughtful and critical of existing views of stress as a wholly negative concept. Rather, they are asked to consider the potential of stress to serve as a useful lever, which the protagonist in this case is using to achieve her goals that are driven by purpose and passion. After working through the case and assignment questions, students will be able to<ul><li> apply various leadership theories to understand their relevance to organizational missions and goals, with a specific focus on times of crisis and uncertainty;</li><li>design strategies for managing a leader’s own well-being, as well as their employees’ and volunteers’ well-being, within the context of war;</li><li>reconsider the relationship between stress and productivity in terms of achieving personal and organizational goals; and</li><li>explore how self-determination theory can help a leader cope with the complex demands of leading with purpose and passion.</li></ul>

• crisis, Ukraine, wellbeing, motivation