COVID-19 RESPONSES: WHAT IMPLICATIONS FOR GLOBAL LEADERSHIP? When the pandemic hit, crisis management responses revealed quite plainly the differences in leadership and the competition between differing political systems. China, that first neglected the virus' existence and protracted informing the international community of the existing threat, currently flaunts its narrative of being a successful combatant against the virus while it supports other nations in their fight against COVID-19. The responses of other governments range from complete ignorance to downplaying risks and scape-gating others all the way to transparent, strategic and empathic approach to protect and unite society. Can we trace correlations between political ideology, political system and political culture and countries' responses to such global threats? Did female leaders- as often asserted- indeed respond better to the pandemic? Who gained the trust of their people and who lost it? And what conclusions