Leadership is one of the most important aspects in the modern world. It is set to progress human civilization and it is hard to imagine any industry or area without an effective leader. At the present time, the topic of leadership is even more popular since in grave times people need someone who would bring prosperity to their country or business. This essay would review the most effective leader in the government sector, the 40th prime minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern, who proved her effectiveness during the worldwide pandemic.
Description of the Leader
Jacinda Kate Laurell Ardern was elected to be a Prime Minister of the New Zealand in 2017, a progressive young democrat who swore to make the life of her people better. The primary aim of the new Prime Minister was in halving the child poverty levels and increasing the quality of life of women (Rashbrooke, 2019). Therefore, she increased the amount of payment due to parental leave in low and middle-income families. Moreover, she provided more welfare benefits, free doctor’s visits and feminine products to people who struggle to afford it (Rashbrooke, 2019). Due to the actions she committed, the minimum wage has increased, and the poverty levels in the country had been decreased.
Furthermore, after the unfortunate terrorist act in Christchurch mosque, Ardern had implemented several laws of stronger firearm regulations, which reduced the number of allowed weaponry (Rashbrooke, 2019). During the COVID-19 pandemic, Jacinda Ardern had implemented the toughest restrictions, and due to her response to the virus, the country remained with the least impact on the economy (Wilson, 2020).
The Traits of the Leader
The exceptional trait in the government sector that Jacinda Ardern possesses is kindness, forgotten by some politicians. She cares about her people and wants the country to become prosperous. Moreover, she is strong; although it is not a rarity among the politicians, Ardern possesses a different kind of strength, which is a female strength. It comes not from the power she holds, and not from the cruelty. Her fortitude is in compassion, kindness, love for all human beings, her passion for environmental change, her urge for improving female rights in the country, her progressiveness, and assertiveness (Ngozi & Gillard, 2021).
As for me, I hope I possess at least a fraction of her character, because I would like to be as bold, brave, and kind as her. Although I do believe that I hold some of her tenacity and courage, it is still a long way for me to go to become somewhat like her.
The Leadership Principles
As for the specific leadership principles, Jacinda Ardern responds quickly to difficult situations, which makes her more effective as a minister. For example, she had a prompt response to shootings, volcano eruptions, and the pandemic, which is why these events did not become as horrid as they could have been. Moreover, she listens to people and tries to learn from children. She never stops learning and truly hears the voices of her people, which is a specific principle that can be used to run an effective organization.
The Path-Goal Theory
Although Jacinda Ardern does not apply the Path-Goal Theory into her work deliberately, she still follows it. She uses Supportive leadership, where all the people are content with her actions because she rewards them and listens to their thoughts. Therefore, she uses Participative leadership as well, which includes hearing employee’s thoughts before making a final decision, which she does effectively. She meets all the conditions for path clearing, path clarification, and the rewards to increase her people’s motivation. Jacinda Ardern is indeed a modern feminist role model, which inspires me to become as compassionate as her.
To conclude, Jacinda Ardern is the most effective modern leader who responded promptly to all threats her country faced. She is a progressive and supportive leader, which is how all leaders should be in modern society. Her work proved to be effective in the context of the country, and people are content with her position. I would like to possess at least some of her qualities to become a great leader in the future.
References
Rashbrooke, M. (2019). How Jacinda Ardern is transforming New Zealand. Prospect Magazine. Web.
Wilson, S. (2020). Pandemic leadership: Lessons from New Zealand’s approach to COVID-19. Leadership, 16(3), 279–293. Web.
Ngozi, O. & Gillard, J. (2021). Women and leadership: Real lives, real lessons. CORGI.