In this tumultuous time of conservative, oppressive international politics, Jacinda Ardern is suggesting a gentler alternative.
Ardern, the former prime minister of New Zealand, has been a celebrated progressive leader during her time in office on issues such as gun reform and climate change, and was an exemplary shepherd for New Zealanders through the era of Covid lockdowns. She stepped down from the role two years ago – but as it turns out, she’s not done leading yet.
She’s the subject of a new documentary, “Prime Minister,” which chronicles both the private and public aspects of her tenure – examining the policy battles she waged and crises she helped her constituents navigate (including a volcanic eruption) while simultaneously trying to balance her maternal responsibilities and struggles with impostor syndrome.
“You can be anxious. Sensitive. Kind,” she says in the film’s trailer, which was re-released ahead of its mid-June release in the United States. “You can be all of these things, and you can lead – just like me.”
She’s also preaching this gospel through her new memoir, “A Different Kind of Power.” In the book, which debuts this month, Ardern takes readers on her life’s journey through a series of anecdotes, sharing her revelations about the importance of being thoughtful and open-hearted as a leader.
“Kindness has a power and strength that almost nothing else on this planet has,” Ardern wrote in her memoir. “I’d seen kindness do extraordinary things. I’d seen it give people hope. I’d seen it change minds and transform lives.”
Ardern spent over five years as prime minister, and was first elected in 2017 at age 37 — which made her the world’s youngest person to become head of government. Her level-headed but rapid responses to problems, combined with her empathetic leadership style – not to mention, her being one of just two women leaders to ever give birth while in office – made Ardern an internationally known and respected name. She was even declared one of the most powerful women in the world in 2021.
But in 2023, she hit a limit, departing from her role because she quite simply had “no more in the tank.” She added when announcing her resignation: “Politicians are human. We give all that we can, for as long as we can, and then it’s time. And for me, it’s time.”
Now, though, she’s stepping back toward public life through both a movie and a book that reveal yet more of herself. And the purpose is clear – she wants current and future leaders on all levels of life to understand, through her example, that “you could be sensitive and survive” whatever comes your way.
(Featured Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons)
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