Do bullies win?
A Different Kind of Power
Inspiration from Jacinda Ardern
In a world where bullies rule, and polarisation and wars are rife, are there lessons we can learn from leaders adopting the values of humility, kindness, doubt and moral responsibility?
Former Prime Minister of New Zealand, Rt. Hon. Dame Jacinda Ardern definitely thinks so. Indeed, she exemplified such values during her time in public office facing the crises of the pandemic and a terrorist attack on a mosque in Christchurch.
She argues that violence is never OK. We need to rehumanise politics and not dismiss or victimise others who are different from us. The right response is to address fear not to weaponise it!
And for those who dismiss kindness and empathy as fluffy or incapable of handling the challenges we face, she points out that ‘empathy is nothing without action’.
Drawing on the words of Ernest Shackleton: ‘Optimism is moral true courage’, she encourages us not to lose hope, to acknowledge that in difficult times it is not naïve to be optimistic it is a courageous act.
When she unexpectedly resigned from office, many thought that as a woman and mother she wasn’t capable of navigating the brutal world of politics. However, she explained that she thought hard about the decision and purposely didn’t resort to the common excuse that she was leaving to spend more time with her family.
She was loathe to leave a message that you can’t be a leader and a mother. It was her deep sense of responsibility and recognition that feeling depleted, she wouldn’t be able to give her best especially if there was another crisis. This is a far cry from the leaders who hang on due to their ego and fear of appearing weak.
Like many people she experienced imposter syndrome. However, her deep sense of responsibility and public service was even stronger than her feelings of not being ready or capable.
Her parting advice, was that the next time we are asked to do something we don’t believe ourselves capable of, think of her for a minute and take on the role.
What do you think?
Is there a place for kindness and humility as a leader?
If you want to stay true to your values, lead with empathy and connection, but you find that you are not being heard or that your leadership style is considered ‘too soft’ let’s set up a call to explore the choices, decisions, beliefs and structures you create that impede your progress. We will also discover what you can do to be a more effective leader.
Send a note to sylvana@sylvanacaloni.com or call me on +44 (0) 7952 068133 and we can arrange a time to have an initial conversation.
