Blog Post 4: June 10th, 2020

Jacinda Ardern is the third Prime Minister of New Zealand, and the youngest since the mid-1800s, elected at age 37. She was able to uniquely engage with many voters, and specifically, "her ability to communicate with people and talk in an open and honest way that [didn’t] sound like a traditional politician." Ardern started her political career in high school and quickly rose to power. She worked as a researcher for the PM Helen Clark, and in 2007, she became the second woman ever elected president of the International Union of Socialist Youth, the world's largest international political youth organization. She also has experience working in political Cabinets in Britain.

I think Ardern is a great example of a conscious leader. An article by The Atlantic said "Her leadership style is one of empathy in a crisis that tempts people to fend for themselves. Her messages are clear, consistent, and somehow simultaneously sobering and soothing. And her approach isn’t just resonating with her people on an emotional level." One quality a conscious leader has is high emotional intelligence. This is greatly demonstrated by Ardern with her empathetic style of leadership.

In the interview with BBC News, Ardern says "it takes courage and strength to be empathetic, and I’m proudly an empathetic, compassionate leader and politician.” She truly cares about the citizens in her country and their well-being. She is transparent about her work which is important because it allows people to make sense of what is happening and why. She is also very dedicated to her work and that is reflected in her leadership.

With the recent coronavirus pandemic outbreak worldwide, Ardern really took control and the government's response has led to essentially eradicating COVID-19 in New Zealand. She illustrated her systems intelligence here and prevented a big problem from arising in the first place. Citizens of New Zealand were sent into strict lockdown to prevent the virus from spreading rapidly, as seen in other countries like Italy. Her early response to the pandemic has saved many lives, like systems feelers 'can prevent many problems from occurring in the first place.'

Jacinda Ardern is an exemplary conscious leader. She displays many qualities ranging from emotional intelligence and servant leadership. She makes her citizens feel safe and heard and constantly and consistently checks in with them. Ardern wants to make a positive impact on the world and her exceptional leadership so far in just approximately three short years, has been inspiring to others, and hopefully setting an example that leaders around the world should follow.