In February 2020, SmarterWisdom posted Inner Wisdom Personified: Jacinda Ardern, about New Zealand’s Prime Minister, who was elected in 2017. In January 2023, upon the news of Ardern’s decision not to seek reelection, I thought about the words she used in her resignation speech, that “[she] no longer had enough in the tank to do the job.” I wondered if Ardern’s brand of leadership required more in the tank than that of other leaders; I wondered if she felt she had any choice. In our 2/20 Words of Wisdom post, I argued that Ardern was a true servant leader, not someone seeking personal gain, rather someone leading selflessly in the interests of the country. Since we published that piece, which focused on the massacre in mosques in New Zealand in 2019, Ardern has dealt with the White Island volcanic eruption, and of course the Covid-19 pandemic. She has also experienced a myriad of personal threats, among them many that were seen as ageist and sexist. So while the message from our 2020 post stays the same, we are left with a lot to ponder in connection with Ardern’s decision and the loss to the world of this globally-minded leader.

[This revised post freely refers back to the original while, we hope, posing some topical questions about leadership and Ardern’s decision.]

Two months after Jacinda Ardern became the youngest-ever leader of New Zealand’s Labor Party, in 2017, she became the country’s youngest Prime Minister in 150 years, and its first female prime minister. Two-and-a-half years after assuming office, she was faced with a test that many seasoned leaders have not yet faced: the massacre of 50 people in two mosques by a white supremacist on March 15. Watching this young, impassioned leader on the television and media made me think: how do you prepare for leadership, especially the kind of leadership in crisis that is needed more and more all over the world as instances of violence and terrorism plague us?

Part of the test for leaders in any organization certainly relates to their ability to handle unexpected situations. And as our world becomes increasingly complex, institutions often call for more pastoral leadership that aims to bring people together after such crises; the community of an organization becomes so very important. Ardern describes her actions as intuitive, rather than deliberate. In an interview in The Guardian (April 6, 2019) with Toby Manhire, she describes her course of action after hearing of the attacks. She wrote brief notes on a piece of paper which indicated she was following her sound intuition. Since these horrific events, she has modeled inclusivity and solidarity in all of her actions, visiting mosques and Muslim communities, wearing a headscarf, touching and leaning into people, showing them her sympathy and efforts to understand what is not understandable.

Are we born with this kind of intuition, or do we develop it? Is this a form of inner wisdom that we develop and hone as we become more experienced, perhaps more willing to understand what working in a trusted team means? What exists in our world to tell us when our intuition is the “right” intuition? Ardern received praise for her swift and decisive action after the attacks. Her ability to follow through with her goal to ban military style semi-automatic weapons, for example, was equally lauded. Less than two months after the massacre, New Zealand’s parliament voted 119 to 1 to ban these weapons. Ardern provides us with a role model too rarely seen in major leadership positions, a female of a relatively young age—an exemplar for women, yes, and truly for us all. Her behavior and approach to the tragic massacre in her country shows all of us, of all genders, races and religions, the power of empathy and understanding. Jacinda Ardern has brought the concept of public service in leadership roles back to the world. A question then follows: is this style of leadership more exhausting, more likely to “drain the tank?”

In her January 2023 resignation speech Ardern went on to say: “I’m leaving, because with such a privileged role comes responsibility – the responsibility to know when you are the right person to lead and also when you are not. I know what this job takes. And I know that I no longer have enough in the tank to do it justice. It’s that simple,” she said. Asked how she would like New Zealanders to remember her leadership, Ardern said “as someone who always tried to be kind”. Former prime minister of New Zealand, Helen Clark, quoted in a recent NPR article, said: "The pressures on prime ministers are always great, but in this era of social media, clickbait, and 24/7 media cycles, Jacinda has faced a level of hatred and vitriol which in my experience is unprecedented in our country."

In her five-and-a-half years as prime minister, she has clearly made a difference and established herself as a global role model. I have no doubt she will continue to influence those around her and continue to influence women and girls around the world in particular. Wanting to be remembered as someone who tried to be kind is a strong and important statement. Kindness and empathy are so-called soft or power skills, skills vital to 21st Century leadership; international leaders do not always headline with these skills. She went on to say: “I hope I leave New Zealanders with a belief that you can be kind but strong, empathetic but decisive, optimistic but focused. And that you can be your own kind of leader – one who knows when it’s time to go.” Ardern’s tenure paints a compelling picture, one of deep inner wisdom balanced by sound intuition, hard work and, perhaps, good timing.

It remains to be seen what the long-term learning about Ardern’s tenure will be. What will the passage of time bring—how will we look back on her premiership? There is no doubt that Jacinda Ardern brought something to the world during a time of great crisis, a generous offering that came at the right moment, a renewed altruistic energy that perhaps sparked a possibility of change.

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