When unimaginable crises, such as COVID-19, become a reality, leaders initially struggle to understand cause and consequence in an information-poor environment, which makes for a challenging decision-making domain. Crises require adept public leadership and communication to ensure that political consequences are acceptable. A well-managed crisis not only limits the impact of a crisis, it restores public trust in government. Several crisis scholars propose that crisis leaders in particular, must master six key capabilities to be effective.