Jacinda Ardern on empathetic leadership | ReThinking with Adam Grant

When Jacinda Ardern was thrown into the race for New Zealand’s prime ministry just months before the general election in 2017, she had no intention of even running for the position—but she knew it was her responsibility to become the leader her country needed. In this episode, Adam and Jacinda reflect on strategies for closing confidence gaps, discuss the importance of compassion in leadership, and break down a phenomenon that New Zealanders call “tall poppy syndrome.” They also look back on Jacinda’s most pivotal decisions, from steering the country through the COVID pandemic to stepping down as Prime Minister.

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Host: Adam Grant (Instagram: @adamgrant | LinkedIn: @adammgrant | Website: adamgrant.net/)
Guest: Jacinda Ardern (Instagram: @jacindaardern)
A Different Kind of Power by Jacinda Ardern

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00:00 Intro
01:08 Criers, huggers and worriers
03:06 Impostor syndrome
04:19 Jacinda's path to leadership
09:26 The pitfalls of responsibility and empathy
13:21 Leading with kindness
17:29 Parenting and leadership
19:21 Leading through COVID
28:33 Tall poppy syndrome
29:48 Stepping down
32:33 Lightning round
34:40 Driving positive change through optimism