What Jacinda Ardern’s experience shows about women in leadership

New Zealand’s former prime minister served as an inspiration to the next generation of women leaders – even in the face of unprecedented hate
Her empathy, self-awareness and deft handling of crises showed the world that a strong, decisive leader can still be compassionate and kind

Francine Chen

Published: 8:00am, 27 Jan 2023

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For a politician who repeatedly said she had no ambitions for New Zealand’s top job, Jacinda Ardern left office this week having forged her own path as a woman leader at the highest level of power.

Throughout her almost six years as prime minister, Ardern demonstrated a fresh brand of leadership that prioritised being authentic, decisive and empathetic – qualities that were on full display as she dealt with a range of unprecedented crises, including a global pandemic, a volcanic eruption and a white supremacist terror attack that killed 51 Muslims.

Ardern’s decision to don a hijab in solidarity with the local Muslim community, and usher in a swift ban on semi-automatic weapons, were perceived as iconic moments of her tenure. She was also credited for her decisive Covid-19 elimination strategy early on in the pandemic. And as the first politician to bring her baby to the UN General Assembly in New York, she sent a powerful call to action for employers to support and empower women.

Jacinda Ardern with her daughter Neve and husband Clarke Gayford (left) at the 73rd UN General Assembly’s Nelson Mandela Peace Summit in 2018. Photo: AFP

But even as Ardern became one of New Zealand’s most popular – and powerful – leaders in recent history, she received a level of abuse no other prime minister in the country had faced.

Taking office in 2017 as the world’s youngest female leader at age 37 was part of Ardern’s star power and also a double-edged sword. Her age led to accusations she was too inexperienced to lead, even though she had already been in politics for two decades having joined the Labour Party at 17. Detractors derided her compassionate leadership as “weak”, infantilising her with the nickname “Cindy”, while her worst critics espoused violent rhetoric and sent death threats.

“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,” former New Zealand prime minister Helen Clark told reporters last week.

Ardern faced unprecedented hatred, ex-New Zealand leader says

While Ardern’s leadership style served as an antithesis to counterparts such as Donald Trump, Boris Johnson and Scott Morrison – whose administrations brought about deep societal divisions in the United States, Britain and Australia – she could not escape the impact of a similar deterioration in civic discourse in New Zealand over the past few years, fuelled by conspiracy theorists and anti-vaxxers.

An online hate tracker run by researchers at the University of Auckland found that some 93 per cent of more than 5,400 toxic messages targeting seven high-profile politicians from 2019 to 2022 were aimed at Ardern. She faced online vitriol at a rate “between 50 and 90 times higher” than any other high-profile figure in New Zealand, the study found.

It’s worth noting that while Ardern’s star shone on the international stage, her administration disappointed on several domestic fronts, including on steps to address inequality, child poverty, and the housing crisis. Labour’s ambitious plan to build 100,000 affordable homes in 10 years became an embarrassment with only about 1,300 houses constructed as of May 2022, while Ardern’s failure to get a much-anticipated capital gains tax across the line was a major letdown for her supporters.

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Jacinda Ardern says she will step down as New Zealand’s prime minister

She was also accused of having more style than substance, with the local press criticising a surge in spin doctors under her tenure that made it more challenging to hold to account what Ardern had promised would be the most “open and transparent” government New Zealand had ever seen.

Ardern alienated some Asian-New Zealanders with a lacklustre apology for Labour’s past claim that people with Chinese-sounding surnames were snapping up properties in Auckland, saying she did not think it was racist. On the diplomatic front, her preference for quiet diplomacy in comparison with neighbouring Australia’s more vocal criticism of China led some analysts to label New Zealand as being a weak link in the Five Eyes intelligence bloc.

Even Swedish environmentalist Greta Thunberg had a go at Ardern’s green policies, calling New Zealand’s bid to reduce 1 per cent of emissions by 2025 inadequate.

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Still, experts say Ardern has on the whole received more than her fair share of unfair treatment due to her gender. “Far too much of the criticism directed at her has been coloured by sexist and misogynistic attitudes,” observed leadership expert Suze Wilson from Massey University.

If Ardern has been affected by the virulent sexism that’s dogged her tenure, she’s rarely shown it. Until the end, she distanced herself from suggestions that it had been a factor behind her shock resignation. “I know what this job takes, and I know that I no longer have enough in the tank to do it justice. It is that simple,” she said.

Some observers have argued Ardern jumped before she was pushed as fast-sliding opinion polls – amid high inflation and cost-of-living woes – sink Labour’s chances in the next election.

Ardern can exit with confidence that she practised what she preached: ‘A belief that you can be kind, but strong. Empathetic, but decisive. Optimistic, but focused.’

But on the other hand, her manner of bowing out shows the simplest acts can perhaps be the most subversive. Knowing when to quit – and having courage enough to admit there are others more suited for the job – is a trait that should arguably be encouraged among more leaders. It requires a level of self-awareness that has been in short supply in both workplaces and politics, with leaders often choosing to overstay their welcome because of a delusion that they are irreplaceable. In Ardern, the world has an example of a leader who shows that ego can take a back seat.

“Ardern demonstrated what power is and could be, and what it hasn’t been,” said Ziena Jalil, an independent director and strategic adviser in New Zealand who has researched political leaders’ brands. “She showed a new generation of women that they too can aspire to the highest offices regardless of gender and age, and without needing to conform to traditional, often more masculine, traits of leadership.”

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Ardern smashed the glass ceiling in many ways, and she can exit with confidence that she practised what she preached: “A belief that you can be kind, but strong. Empathetic, but decisive. Optimistic, but focused.”

She leaves a legacy for young people navigating what it means to be a leader today as gender expectations continue to shift around the world. But Ardern’s experience also shows that for women, breaking barriers is just the first step on a long path towards the equal treatment of women in leadership and politics.

Francine Chen is a lead producer of the Post’s Lunar newsletter that highlights issues related to women and gender equality.