How New Zealand's Jacinda Ardern broke the political mold

Summary

Summary of NPR's "Consider This" Episode: "How New Zealand's Jacinda Ardern Broke the Political Mold"

Release Date: June 4, 2025

In this insightful episode of NPR's "Consider This," host Mary Louise Kelly delves deep into the transformative leadership of Jacinda Ardern, the former Prime Minister of New Zealand. Drawing from Ardern's new memoir, A Different Kind of Power, the discussion highlights her unique approach to politics, her empathetic leadership style, and the pivotal moments that defined her tenure.

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Breaking the Political Mold

Jacinda Ardern's ascent to New Zealand's prime ministership in 2017 marked a significant departure from traditional political norms. As Mary Louise Kelly notes, Ardern was "the youngest woman ever elected to lead a country," a testament to her groundbreaking role in global politics.

Key Quote:

“Maybe you've all had a calming effect. She's just finally going to sleep. All right, well, welcome everyone. Thanks for coming and joining us today. It's a real pleasure to introduce our little one to you all and to.”
— Jacinda Ardern, [00:28]

Ardern's leadership was characterized by her commitment to values often associated with childhood education—kindness, generosity, curiosity, and bravery. She challenged the conventional perception that political leaders must eschew such traits in favor of traditional notions of strength and resilience.

Key Quote:

“I don't think we should differentiate from the values that we think are important enough to teach our kids. And, and most of us teach our kids kindness. We teach them generosity, curiosity, bravery. And then we have this bizarre distinction where we then don't expect it in our leaders, let alone our political leaders.”
— Jacinda Ardern, [01:23]

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Decision to Step Down

In a heartfelt announcement, Ardern revealed her decision not to seek re-election, citing personal reasons and the immense pressures of leadership.

Key Quote:

“I'm announcing that I will not be seeking re-election and that my term as prime Minister will conclude no later than the 7th of February.”
— Jacinda Ardern, [00:47]

Ardern was candid about her reasons, mentioning the toll that continuous crisis management had taken on her. She acknowledged that she "no longer has enough in the tank to do it justice," emphasizing the importance of recognizing one's limits.

Key Quote:

“After leading New Zealand through crisis after crisis, I know what this job takes and I know that I no longer have enough in the tank to do it justice. It's that simple.”
— Jacinda Ardern, [01:01]

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Balancing Leadership and Parenthood

Ardern openly discussed the challenges of balancing her demanding role with motherhood. In her memoir, she recounts a pivotal moment during the 2017 election campaign when she awaited the results of both the election and a pregnancy test.

Key Quote:

“I was waiting to find out whether or not I was going to become the Prime Minister of New Zealand. And in that moment, I was also waiting to find out if I was pregnant.”
— Jacinda Ardern, [04:43]

This moment underscored the constant juggle between personal aspirations and professional responsibilities. Ardern reflected on the enduring "mother guilt" that accompanies parenting, regardless of career choices.

Key Quote:

“The mother guilt that I have now that I'm around more is just the same as what I had then. It doesn't go away. It's the price you pay of being a parent.”
— Jacinda Ardern, [06:26]

When questioned about explaining her resignation to her young daughter, Ardern shared a poignant conversation that highlighted her commitment to resilience and perseverance.

Key Quote:

“I gave her a version of what I'd kind of said at the time because it was my honest view... She just said to me, but mummy, we never give up.”
— Jacinda Ardern, [10:30]

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Leadership Through Crisis: The Christchurch Shootings

One of the most defining moments of Ardern's leadership was her response to the tragic mosque shootings in Christchurch. The swift and compassionate manner in which she addressed the nation solidified her reputation as a empathetic and effective leader.

Key Quote:

“It was... being in the role because that battle that I always had between whether or not I felt like I was equipped with all of the skills needed to be a leader... it was only when I had a piece of information that allowed myself to get beyond my sense of responsibility that I started entertaining the idea of leaving.”
— Jacinda Ardern, [08:34]

In the aftermath of the shootings, Ardern took decisive action to reform New Zealand's gun laws, mirroring Australia's response to the Port Arthur Massacre. Her administration swiftly banned semi-automatic and military-style weapons within weeks of the tragedy.

Key Quote:

“We introduced law and took 10 days to debate it and pass it. In all, 27 days roughly after the attack, we had moved to ban semi-automatic and military style weapons in New Zealand.”
— Jacinda Ardern, [14:42]

Her approach emphasized empathy without compromising on necessary action, balancing compassion with firmness in policy-making.

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The Power of Kindness in Leadership

Ardern consistently championed kindness as a core component of effective leadership. She argued against the stereotype that empathy is a weakness, positing instead that it is a formidable strength capable of fostering societal cohesion.

Key Quote:

“Kindness has a power and strength that almost nothing else on this planet has.”
— Jacinda Ardern, [17:42]

She contended that leadership rooted in kindness and empathy can combat dehumanization, aggression, and violence, fostering a more inclusive and compassionate society.

Key Quote:

“In these times where there's so much dehumanisation, and dehumanisation leads to aggression, to violence, and ultimately does nothing to solve the problems that so many of our communities are facing.”
— Jacinda Ardern, [18:23]

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Reflections and Global Implications

In her conversation with Mary Louise Kelly, Ardern reflected on the broader implications of her leadership style beyond New Zealand. She cautioned against directly applying her strategies to vastly different political landscapes, such as the United States, due to cultural and constitutional differences.

Key Quote:

“Empathetic leadership is not just about being there in the moment and experiencing and understanding as much as anyone is able. When you're not directly a victim yourself what is happening for people, it's also about action.”
— Jacinda Ardern, [15:15]

However, she emphasized the universal applicability of kindness and empathy in governance, suggesting that these values could bridge divides and address complex societal issues globally.

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Conclusion

Jacinda Ardern's tenure as Prime Minister of New Zealand serves as a compelling case study in transformative and empathetic leadership. Her ability to balance personal responsibilities with national crises, all while maintaining a foundation of kindness and compassion, offers valuable lessons for political leaders worldwide. In her memoir and reflections shared on NPR's "Consider This," Ardern underscores the importance of leading with heart, advocating for a political landscape where empathy and strength coexist harmoniously.

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This summary is based on the transcript of the NPR episode and incorporates direct quotes with appropriate timestamps to provide an accurate and comprehensive overview of the discussion.

Transcript

[Jacinda Ardern]

I feel extraordinarily honoured and privileged to be in the position to form a government with labor at the leave.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

Whether it was her history making win.

[Jacinda Ardern]

In 2017, we campaigned hard on issues that we believed strongly on and now we take very seriously the responsibility that we have to deliver on them or.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

The history she made as only the second woman elected to lead a country to give birth while in office.

[Jacinda Ardern]

Maybe you've all had a calming effect. She's just finally going to sleep. All right, well, welcome everyone. Thanks for coming and joining us today. It's a real pleasure to introduce our little one to you all and to.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

New Zealand or her decision to step away from power.

[Jacinda Ardern]

And so today I'm announcing that I will not be seeking re election and that my term as prime Minister will conclude no later than the 7th of February.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

After leading new Zealand through crisis after.

[Jacinda Ardern]

Crisis, I know what this job takes and I know that I no longer have enough in the tank to do it justice. It's that simple.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

Jacinda Ardern could never be described as a typical politician, but perhaps the most norm busting feature of her time as prime minister was her rejection of the old ways of leadership.

[Jacinda Ardern]

I don't think we should differentiate from the values that we think are important enough to teach our kids. And, and most of us teach our kids kindness. We teach them generosity, curiosity, bravery. And then we have this bizarre distinction where we then don't expect it in our leaders, let alone our political leaders. And I think we should consider this.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

As Jacinda Ardern reflects on her time as prime minister of New Zealand, she's emphasizing the need to lead with kindness and empathy. From npr. Mary I'm Mary Louise Kelley.

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[Mary Louise Kelly]

It'S consider this from NPR. Jacinda Ardern tells a story about being locked in a political campaign. Seven weeks to go before elections and she's about to do a TV news interview. Ardern had just taken over as leader of the Labour Party in New Zealand. If they won, she would become Prime Minister. And as she waited for her live hit, she listened as the male sports anchor opined that she and all women seeking new jobs should be open about their reproductive plans.

[Jacinda Ardern]

That was the bit that got me. And I think that was because I'd talked openly about wanting a family. But to assert that any woman should be asked that, I really rebelled against that. That upset me.

[Interviewee]

What'd you do?

[Jacinda Ardern]

Well, I pulled out my index finger and I pointed at him quite a lot whilst really clearly asserting. You can ask me that, but it is totally inappropriate. And then it was 2017 to imply that any woman should have to answer that question with an employer.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

Jacinda Ardern's party won the election. She became Prime Minister. And she describes that 2017 TV exchange in her new memoir, A Different Kind Of Power. It's one of many moments that let you glimpse what it was like to be a young woman running a country. When I sat down with Ardern earlier this week, I also asked about a moment that took place a few weeks later in a bathroom.

[Interviewee]

You're sitting on the closed seat of the toilet. Yeah.

[Jacinda Ardern]

It's very glamorous.

[Interviewee]

And you're scared to death because you're waiting to learn two things.

[Jacinda Ardern]

Yeah.

[Interviewee]

What were they?

[Jacinda Ardern]

Ah. So this was right in the middle of coalition negotiations. Our systems are like the German one. You don't always know on election night if you've won or not. So I was waiting to find out whether or not I was going to become the Prime Minister of New Zealand. And in that moment, I was also waiting to find out if I was pregnant. Quite a time. Yeah. Yeah.

[Interviewee]

Many of us who have been pregnant have battled morning sickness.

[Jacinda Ardern]

Yes.

[Interviewee]

Few of us had to run a country while doing so. I loved your line about that. It was salt and vinegar potato chips that got you through. It was Cheetos for me. I can never eat them again. I don't know if you can still face salt and vinegar.

[Jacinda Ardern]

Chris.

[Interviewee]

I was also thinking. And you captured there were very few people you could ask. You were only the second person to give birth While holding elected office at the top of a government. Benazir Bhutto was the first.

[Jacinda Ardern]

Yes, that's right.

[Interviewee]

You asked Queen Elizabeth.

[Jacinda Ardern]

I did ask Queen Elizabeth and you know, really, she just completely straight faced, she just said, well, you just get on with it. And there was just something about that. I thought, well, it's true. Because actually when you break it down in any role, any parent who is working and raising children, it's a matter of logistics. Every day is one foot in front of the other. It's getting on with it. And that turned out to be true. There was no magic to it.

[Interviewee]

But you found, and I could so relate to this, that as your daughter grew, you found the juggle getting harder.

[Jacinda Ardern]

Yeah.

[Interviewee]

You were weighing what you were missing with her and it weighed more heavily as she got.

[Jacinda Ardern]

Yeah. And actually, I mean, I found that, you know, in a way as difficult as I found it, breastfeeding was an excuse to have her with me, you know, but actually, as she got older, it was less practical. But I was also at the same time really clear that when I left, that was not a decision that was about. It is too hard to be a mother and to do this role. There was no way that I was going to place the weight of that decision on her, nor was I going to send a message to any woman that you can't do both. You can, you can. Because actually the mother guilt that I have now that I'm around more is just the same as what I had then. It doesn't go away. It's the price you pay of being a parent. And probably having that perspective has been really helpful as well. Painful is the takeaway that we're going.

[Interviewee]

To feel guilty no matter what.

[Jacinda Ardern]

Absolutely correct.

[Interviewee]

So you might as well go do what you came to do.

[Jacinda Ardern]

We might as well flip it to think about what we want for our own children and we want for them to have fulfilling lives as if they choose parents and careers if they choose. Why don't we give ourselves that same grace.

[Interviewee]

Before people start writing and yelling at me, why are you asking her these questions? Would you ask the same thing of a 40 something male leader? Yes, I would. But I'm asking you specifically because you write so honestly in such a raw way about what that struggle that I think every working parent has dealt with to the point where you're getting a breast screening, they see something or feel something that raises questions, you might have cancer and describe what is going through your head.

[Jacinda Ardern]

Yeah. And I think someone asked me, why are you only talking about this at this point, given the proximity to when you left office. And it was because, actually, it wasn't a determinative factor for me, but it was the first moment that I started thinking, what would I do in those circumstances whilst being in this job? And it invited the question of, oh, you know, maybe I would have to leave. And there was something at that point that I felt. Felt, you know, even allowing myself to think about departure, I could feel that I was thinking about it in a way that I hadn't before.

[Interviewee]

But I guess I'm curious what had changed in your thinking that your reaction to a possible diagnosis of cancer wasn't, oh, my God, I might have cancer, but was, oh, my God, I might get to leave, I might get to be done. Yeah, that's a really significant.

[Jacinda Ardern]

It is, it is. And I knew that that wasn't a great way to see that piece of information and that's what gave me pause to think about it. But, you know, as I was writing about it, I know exactly what was happening. I ended up in this role because that battle that I always had between whether or not I felt like I was equipped with all of the skills needed to be a leader, which I never believed myself to hold, and that sense of responsibility just happened to be, in my case, my sense of responsibility always won out. That was what brought me into the role. And it was only when I had a piece of information that allowed myself to get beyond my sense of responsibility that I started entertaining the idea of leaving. And it wasn't in that moment for a selfish reason, but rather potentially a medical one. So it just started a thought process that I hadn't allowed myself to have until then.

[Interviewee]

It opened the door to that possibility. So how do you know when it's time to go? When you're in a job you worked really hard to get and you love, you can tell you love it.

[Jacinda Ardern]

And I did love it, and there's so much about it that I miss, but I, at the same time, don't regret the decision. You've always gotta have a bit of extra, you know, in case there's crisis. And for us, we had a biosecurity incursion, a volcanic eruption, a horrific domestic terror attack, and then the pandemic. I knew I needed more in reserves than what I had.

[Interviewee]

You write about a question that your daughter, I think she was five by this point or around about, you two were walking home from daycare and she asked why you had stepped down as Prime Minister.

[Jacinda Ardern]

Yeah.

[Interviewee]

How did you explain it to her? To a Child.

[Jacinda Ardern]

Yeah, and it's a great question. I gave her a version of what I'd kind of said at the time because it was my honest view and it was, as I've already explained, I just did it in a more user friendly way. And then she just said to me, but mummy, we never give up. And suddenly I was mortified at the idea that that might have been what she thought. You know, for me, politics is an incredible place to be useful, to make change, to address injustice, but it's not the only place. And so for anyone who feels like politics is so representative about the direction of travel, for community, for society, it is not the only place. I spent 15 years in politics and the majority I opposition and every day I was motivated by what I saw amongst people in communities. That was in spite sometimes of what they might have seen at a leadership level. So I guess I'd say to say to anyone the same thing I said to her. I'm never giving up.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

Jacinda Ardern led New Zealand through crisis after crisis. In the five years she served as Prime Minister, there was pandemic, a volcanic eruption. But it was the mass shootings in Christchurch that cemented her global reputation as a capable and empathetic leader.

[Jacinda Ardern]

It was meant to be a, you know, relatively uneventful day. I was on my way to visit a new build of a school out in a rural part of New Zealand when my press secretary handed me the phone and said, there's been a shooting.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

Actually two shootings. A single gunman opened fire in two separate mosques during Friday prayers. The live streaming one of the shootings.

[Jacinda Ardern]

On Facebook, we know that the moment he arrived at the first mosque in order to undertake his attack, he was welcomed by a member of the community who opened the door and said, welcome, brother. And he was shot dead.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

It was the worst mass shooting in the country's history.

[Interviewee]

And when did it become clear, as awful as 1, 2, 3 deaths would have been, that this was gonna be something of a much bigger scale?

[Jacinda Ardern]

It unfolded over the course of the day. Very quickly we became aware of the scale and by the time I exited the police station and went to a hotel in order to give a briefing, that was the first moment I saw images and I could see the ambulances.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

Arriving, many ambulances, 51 people were killed. 51. And Jacinda Ardern, the youngest woman ever elected to lead a country, decided it was time to change New Zealand's gun laws. When I sat down with Arduran this week in our New York bureau, I asked how'd she do it?

[Jacinda Ardern]

I, I remember the day after the attack, the police commissioner confirming for us that the weapons, as far as they could tell at that stage, had been legally acquired. And it felt like being punched in the stomach because there was, we let this happen. Yeah, there was an air of, you know, the moment your laws create a permission space, you feel complicit almost in a way you certainly, I mean I already felt a responsibility to respond, but in that moment there was, you know, it sat squarely with us. So I went to a press conference immediately after and said that our gun laws needed to change. And then it was a matter of working through how and what they would look like. And here I have to really credit John Howard, an Australian Prime Minister who predated me, a conservative Prime Minister who had his own experience in Australia's own experience with mass gun violence in what something was called the Port Arthur Massacre. And after that they changed their gun laws by removing access to military style and semi automatic weapons and they coupled it with a buyback. So we had a model.

[Interviewee]

You thought why reinvent the wheel?

[Jacinda Ardern]

Why reinvent the wheel? They did it, it worked. It enabled us to, to move quickly. And so we introduced law and took 10 days to debate it and pass it. In all, 27 days roughly after the attack, we had moved to ban semi automatic and military style weapons in New Zealand.

[Interviewee]

So you and I are sitting talking in the United States of America where there is a constitutional right to keep and bear arms. The second amendment. Does any piece of the New Zealand experience apply here.

[Jacinda Ardern]

To the extent that anyone else within the United States believes it does? My, you know, experience simply is that empathetic leadership is not just about being there in the moment and experiencing and understanding as much as anyone is able. When you're not directly a victim yourself what is happening for people, it's also about action. And I do think crisis calls for change and it keeps calling for it until it happens.

[Interviewee]

So understanding that you are reluctant to give advice to any other country on how they should do it, cuz it's a different situation and a different culture with different laws. However, I am going to ask, do you have any advice for your counterparts here for America's political leaders who are horrified when they see gun violence here and yet have sworn an oath to uphold our constitution?

[Jacinda Ardern]

Well, here I would say my observation and keeping in mind that, you know, wouldn't say I'd be alone in politics in this view because every member of parliament at the time in New Zealand, bar one, voted for this Law change. And I would say not to speak on their behalf, that within the thinking of most legislators at that time, it would have been, yes, New Zealand has a relatively high number of guns and gun ownership, because, of course, we have a real pragmatic issue. We're farmers, we're food producers, we have pests, we have goats, we have possums, we have deer. AR15s are designed to kill people, and they're designed to kill people at a rate that is just beyond comprehension. And so in our minds, there was a differentiation to be made between the idea of simply gun ownership and the type of gun. And so we made that differentiation.

[Interviewee]

Jacinda Ardern, you use the word kindness so many times, I lost track in this book. You make it the centerpiece of your book because it was the centerpiece. It was your guiding principle in leadership. You have a great line. Kindness has a power and strength that almost nothing else on this planet has. Why center that? Of all of the different values you could have been striding toward as Prime Minister, why that one?

[Jacinda Ardern]

I think it's been missing. And I think there's also an unfair assumption that doesn't really exist or belong in leadership, but particularly politics, because it's so often associated with the idea of weakness, that in order to be in politics you have to have a level of strength and resilience, and that in and of itself that is incompatible with kindness and empathy. And I disagree. I disagree. Particularly in these times where there's so much dehumanisation, and dehumanisation leads to aggression, to violence, and ultimately does nothing to solve the problems that so many of our communities are facing.

[Interviewee]

I mean, you're describing a leadership style that is centered on kindness and empathy and compassion.

[Jacinda Ardern]

Yes.

[Interviewee]

Apply that to America's political leaders today.

[Jacinda Ardern]

I don't know that for the listener, that I would need to. I mean, obviously for me, it's not just about any one country. There are two different styles of leadership that we're seeing globally. And I tend not to focus on individuals because I don't think they are a singular example. I think, actually this is a broader issue. We have the world over examples of those who utilise in politics the weapons of fear and blame. And it's a tool that's been used for a very long time. It's not new versus the more difficult task of what are really complex issues. And in this current time, I'd say which are deeply rooted in ideas of financial insecurity, rapid change and generally a sense that the world is changing around us. And we can't guarantee the the kind of life that our kids will inherit.

[Interviewee]

Jacinda ardern was the 40th Prime Minister of New Zealand. Thank you.

[Jacinda Ardern]

Thank you.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

Her new memoir is A Different Kind of Power. And you can watch our Full interview on YouTube.com NPR. This episode was produced by Erica Ryan and Mia Venkat. It was edited by Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sammy Yenigun. It's Consider this from npr. I'm Mary Louise Kelly.

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