Jacinda Ardern: A Model Servant Leader for These Times

COVID-19: Servant Leadership through Healing and Community Building

In the face of a global pandemic, Ardern’s leadership resulted in fewer than 2,500 Covid-19 fatalities as of 2023. She quickly implemented a strict lockdown of the nation’s borders and kept New Zealand largely Covid-free until the lockdown was eased. By that point, the majority of adults had been vaccinated. Ardern accomplished this feat through clear communication and by building trust between herself and her “team of five million,” a phrase she used to refer to the New Zealand public.

At the core of Ardern’s approach was compassion, which she used to motivate and reassure individuals to face their challenges as a team—not a divided nation.

From the beginning, Ardern called for trust in experts. Those appearing in daily media briefings were epidemiologists, mathematicians, anthropologists, business leaders, and politicians holding conferences collectively. She refused to tackle the problem alone, acknowledging that a collective effort would be necessary to address the pandemic.

As Prime Minister, Ardern created four alert levels in the early stages of the pandemic and clearly communicated what each level meant to her citizens. She continuously referred to them throughout her term, and when moving to a new level, she would explain her rationale and the implications for everyone. She understood that helping her constituents understand the situation would build their trust in her leadership. She refrained from imposing harsh punitive measures for those not following Covid-19 protocols, insisting that such actions would only erode trust between the public and the state.

Rather than relying on multiple bureaucratic layers between herself and scientists, Ardern would call her chief science advisor every day to walk her through the current status of the pandemic. She then communicated what she knew through daily press conferences, openly sharing facts and admitting when she did not have all the answers. She worked to reduce the hierarchy between herself and the public through frequent, late-night Facebook Live videos. Ardern used social media to work around her unpredictable schedule and present herself as an approachable leader—willing to listen and communicate on a more interpersonal level in a heavily digitized age.

Servant Leadership for a Hopeful Future

Her work to prevent division in New Zealand following both the Christchurch shootings and the Covid-19 pandemic mobilized the country, using compassion to tackle difficult problems as a collective. Ardern led the nation through some of the most chaotic years in recent history. Though she has had her share of critics following the economic fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic, her legacy remains: she was the world’s youngest female head of government at 37 and saved thousands of lives within her country. She has taught us that leading through compassion, understanding, and trust can bring a nation from grief to success.

Come visit the International Servant Leaders Museum to explore our newest addition—an exhibit honoring Jacinda Ardern. Discover how her compassionate leadership has inspired change around the world, and learn more about the power of servant leadership in action.