ReThinking: Jacinda Ardern on leading with empathy and overcoming self-doubt

Worklife with Molly Graham

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)


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Preorder A Different Kind of Power by Jacinda Ardern


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For the full text transcript, visit https://www.ted.com/podcasts/worklife-transcripts

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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.


Follow

Host: Adam Grant (Instagram: @adamgrant | LinkedIn: @adammgrant | Website: adamgrant.net/)

Guest: Jacinda Ardern (Instagram: @jacindaardern)


Links

Preorder A Different Kind of Power by Jacinda Ardern


Subscribe to TED 

Instagram: @ted

YouTube: @TED

TikTok: @tedtoks

LinkedIn: @ted-conferences

Website: ted.com

Podcasts: ted.com/podcasts

For the full text transcript, visit https://www.ted.com/podcasts/worklife-transcripts

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2025-07-01 38 min
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