A Different Kind of Power: A Memoir

by Jacinda Ardern

I’d head to a school. I loved talking to young people about politics and decision making; I even loved the pointed questions they asked. Often on these visits, I’d talk to the students about leadership, and test what they believed leadership looked like. I’d ask students to close their eyes, imagine a politician, and then tell me what they saw. They’d raise their hands and describe the images that came to mind—“male,” “old,” “gray.” Then they would turn to what they heard, or the tone of voice from this imaginary person. The words would come quickly. “Confident.” “Angry.” “Aggressive.” I would repeat this exercise in multiple classrooms, up and down the country; the answers were always the same. And it was no wonder students thought that; it’s all they saw in the media. I would never be that kind of leader, and I didn’t want to try. If the only way to put runs on the board in opposition was attacking and tearing people down, then maybe I was mediocre. I didn’t want to choose between being a good politician and being what I considered a good person. So I settled into the criticism.