BY ANISHA SATYA, STAFF REPORTER
In 1994, a young girl from a small town began college. She got involved in clubs and school boards, entered speech competitions, and stood up for what was right.
In 2016, she became New Zealand’s Prime Minister.
Jacinda Ardern has taken on more than most in her role as PM. She’s been praised for her handling of the pandemic, and stands out as one of the world’s most capable leaders. Her success is commendable, and much deserved, as her position is the result of years of work and determination. She had the odds against her, as a young person from a small provincial town, but she defied those odds and now stands victorious.
Ardern didn’t land her role overnight. But she goes to show that anyone can become a leader. Here’s how she did it, and how you can use her story to find your own way to leadership.
One of the traits most shared by world leaders is their ability to impact others. Sometimes it’s in an adverse way (Think Donald Trump’s clever use of the media) and sometimes in a positive one. The skills and traits leaders wield to affect people include public speaking, compassion and charisma.
Ardern began her high school career at Morrinsville College in 1994. There she entered speech competitions, joined debate teams and participated in writing competitions. These helped her to become a strong speaker and showed her how to handle pressure in a public environment.
This leads us to our first tip: Join lots of clubs. Make it a goal to sign up to as many clubs as your schedule allows. Things like debating and speech competitions are great, but so is the student council, enviro clubs and (of course) any Model UN groups around. All these groups specialise in advocacy and creating change, to some degree.
Why join lots and not just one of two? (so long as you don’t burn yourself out – know you limits!) Simple. The more bases you cover, the more skills you’ll pick up and the more people you’ll meet, leading on to our next tip.
Looking back at Ardern’s life, she stood as class rep on the school board for two years. She also worked at a local fish ‘n’ chips shop (common around the country). Great leaders don’t stay within their safe space. Great leaders are willing to go out into the world and learn about it; in short, great leaders get involved outside.
Outside of your normal space of school and home. Try taking up a part-time job. These teach you several things, like communication, patience and teamwork, while exposing you to the world in a way your student-self hasn’t seen before. Yo could also try for roles on your school board, like Ardern, where you deal with trustees and charities, and make vital decisions for the good of the institution. There are higher risks in taking up community roles, but that is simply the cost of leadership power.
The last and (in my opinion) most advantageous tip is to build connections. This essentially means to make friends in business. By engaging in your school and outer community, you’re doing this already, but don’t stop there. Create a business profile on platforms like LinkedIn and contact people in the industry you wish to pursue (It sounds scary, but you’ll thank yourself later!)
I’ll share a story of my own. I attended a course online, where I met a group of amazing women like myself. I kept in contact with them through a group chat, and one day, somebody sent me an application link for a reporting job.
That’s how I got my role as a reporter for MUN Impact, and how I got to writing this article. Connections matter. Get them!
Ardern’s story serves as a great blueprint for others, like you and I, who want the power to make a change in the world. Leadership is a quality which one must develop; it is not innate and cannot be bought. Anyone can become a leader, but it takes some determination.
Are you up for the challenge?