Five years ago, when she became the world’s youngest female head of government, her leadership was consistently under scrutiny.  Let’s review a few of her attributes -including her thought on whether women need dial up our volume. 

1. Rock the boat 

One of the first remarkable things I remember about the New Zealand prime minister was back in 2018 when she provided the opportunity for another young woman to steal the show (and the hearts) at the United Nations General Assembly. I’m referring, of course, to the moment Jacinda Ardern became the first world leader to attend a session with their baby in tow.   

I know, I know, for the many of you who spent the last couple of years working from home with small children popping into virtual meetings on regularly occasion, this kind of disruption probably doesn’t seem like a big deal anymore.   

But zoom out beyond the Zoom room, and consider the status quo within your organisations.  How are meetings run? How do you as a leader actively facilitate – or do you? Have you quietly thought of ways that services or policies could be run differently? What are the ways you can shake things up – in a good way?  

1. Use humour 

If you are planning to offer a disruptive opinion or even a thoughtful suggestion into your next leadership meeting, consider wrapping it with humour.  It’s not about undermining your authority as a contributor, but it is about seeking ways to bring people along with you. Humour can act as a consensus conduit.  

Consider, for example, how Ardern was praised for her handling of the first wave of Covid restrictions.  When she rolled out the strict April 2020 lockdown announcements, she also made a point to confirm that both the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny were considered essential workers. It was this kind of deliberate softening of an otherwise tough message that kept people connected to her in a human and understanding way.  

1. Be kind – deliberately 

In fact, her consistent human touch, became her superpower as a leader.  When she turned up support survivors of the deadly Christchurch mosque mass shooting, the press and the public were divided on her choice to cover her hair in solidarity, but everyone praised her decision to hug both women and men equally.  Her choice to be kind did not indicate weakness, as she demonstrated by swiftly enacting gun control laws in only a matter of weeks after the attack.  

1. Be a bridge 

And now, for those of you who have kept reading to the end and who, like my executive coaching client, might feel pressure to be “the loudest voice in the room,” Jacinda Ardern also said this: “To me, leadership is not about necessarily being the loudest in the room, but instead being the bridge, or the thing missing in the discussion and trying to build a consensus from there.”  

• Gina