Learn to lead like New Zealand’s Jacinda Ardern

“I feel like I have to be the loudest voice in the room.”

That was from a young female member of the learning and development team I’ve been working with over the past year.

Without naming the organisation, I can share that they’re in the top 100 of America’s largest companies and it’s been an honour to work with them.

Anyway, we had wrapped up reviewing feedback surveys from my latest training session – please join me in celebrating that I received the highest praise of any of their trainers ever, yay – and now we were having an informal chat about how it feels to be a woman in today’s corporate world.

When Julie (not her real name), expressed her need to turn up the volume, at first, I expressed surprise. “You feel that way? Even now? Within your own organisation?”

She replied in the affirmative.

To her, despite the inclusive and engaging culture she and her teammates are actively trying to curate, there were still plenty of professional interactions (mostly with male colleagues she pointed out), during which this self-described introverted female said she felt over-run or ignored.

I realised, then, that I shouldn’t be surprised. Although I am convinced we are making progress on this professional front, there is still room for improvement.

It reminded me of a quote on that exact topic from Jacinda Ardern who recently quit as the prime minister of New Zealand.

I’ll share her quote with you at the end of this article. Stay with me.

Five years ago, when Ardern became the world’s youngest female head of government until she officially stepped down this past week, her leadership has been consistently under scrutiny.

More, I can safely attest, than that of the world’s youngest male government leader whom I bet you cannot name: Ibrahim Traore of Burkina Faso.

But then again, since he wrested control of his African nation during a military coup last year, let’s not cite him as an example of positive leadership.

Instead, I want to share some of Jacinda Ardern’s leadership attributes that I hope any of you – male or female – can adapt.

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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 leaders facilitate – or do they? 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?

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2 Use humour

If you are planning to offer a disruptive opinion or even a thoughtful suggestion into your 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.

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3 Be kind on purpose

In fact, her consistent human touch, became her superpower as a leader.

When she turned up to 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.

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4 Be a bridge

And now, for those of you who have kept reading to the end and who, like Julie, 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.”

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TIP OF THE COMMUNICATOR HAT

To Ciaran, the Lynk taxi driver who drove me to my training destination this past week after the Belfast-bound train broke down, forcing us to return to Dublin’s Connolly Station.

With his help, I was able to still lead the Invest Northern Ireland and DCU executive communications workshop on time. Thank you. ​

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Write to Gina in care of
SundayBusiness@independent.ie

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With corporate clients in five continents, Gina London is a premier communications strategy, structure and delivery expert. She is also a media analyst, author, speaker and former CNN anchor.
@TheGinaLondon