BE BOLD. BE COMPASSIONATE. BE AUTHENTIC

Leadership Lesson from the New Zealand Prime Minister’s handling of the Christchurch terrorist attack.

What happened in New Zealand on the 15th of March was unprecedented, at least for New Zealand. The world has seen a lot of terrorist acts in the last 20 years, however, New Zealand, unlike many parts of the world, has seen few.

When Jacinda Adern became Prime Minister in October 2017, she would have least expected that she would have to deal with a crisis of the magnitude presented to her in the form of the Christchurch attack.

At 38, Jacinda Adern has shown the world what bold, compassionate and authentic leadership means. Every move of hers has been strategic, and yet extremely impactful in the Now. It is no wonder then that the world is going crazy about her, and the Jacindamania continues to grow.

Here are 9 leadership lessons you can learn from this masterclass of a lady:

1. Leaders make powerful declarations.
Let’s face it. She has authority. And she used this authority well to “declare” the Christchurch attack as an act of terrorism. As simple as this sounds – in a country that has seen quite a few racist attacks, to declare an attack on the Muslim community as a terrorist act is not as straightforward. When a shooter gunned down Jews at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburg, US President Donald Trump declared it a “wicked act of mass murder”. Yes, he “declared” it as a mass murder. He created the act as a “wicked act”, while Arden created the act as a “terrorist attack”. That’s the difference. A big difference.

2. Leaders care. They are one with their community.
To be connected to the community, to show that we care – to not just say in words, but more importantly show in action – that we are all one.
Jacinda Adern wore a black headscarf and a black suit when meeting members of the Muslim community. This simple, yet impactful act of hers made the community feel cared for; made them feel one with the Prime Minister. Dalia Mohamed, who was mourning a relative who died in the terrorist attack stated, “The prime minister, when she came wearing her scarf, that was big for us.”

What a wave this has created. Thousands of New Zealand women have worn heads scarfs to show solidarity with Muslims. A shift is taking place in New Zealand because the Prime Minister is showing a new way to care.

3. Leaders declare standards.
She is setting clear standards for who they are as a country, categorically stating “this is not who we are”

Arden stated: “Many of those directly affected by this shooting may be migrants to New Zealand, they may even be refugees here. They have chosen to make New Zealand their home. It is their home. They are us. The person who has perpetrated this violence against us is not. They have no place in New Zealand. There is no place in New Zealand for such extreme and unprecedented acts of violence.”

Ardern’s repeated “this is not us” is a phrase that has caught on. Many new Zealanders are using this phrase to describe who they are not, by using it on cards with floral tributes, around the mosques, along a wall outside the hospital, amongst other such places.

Leaders are clear what standards are acceptable and unacceptable. They clearly declare these standards; and when they declare these standards, they do it in a manner that others willingly adopt these standards.

4. Leaders choose where they want to draw people’s attention.
Arden ensured the attention was on the victims, not on the gunman. She pledged to never speak the alleged gunman’s name. Leaders instinctively know that energy follows attention, and where ever they put attention, they are sending energy there.
In her speech, Ardern condemned the shooter, stating: “You will never hear me mention his name. He is a terrorist. He is a criminal. He is an extremist. But he will, when I speak, be nameless.”

5. Leaders are compassionate, and yet firm
Arden, not only wore the black headscarf herself when she went visiting the families of the relatives who died in the attack, she invited President Donald Trump to offer sympathy and love for all the Muslim communities world over. In the way she has approached this, it does not matter who you are, in her world view, not only did this dastardly act needed to be condemed in the strongest possible words, also, the community impacted, and in this case, the Muslim community, needed to know we were all one. She was ready to take on President Donald Trump too.
She confirmed US President Donald Trump had called to offer condolences, and asked her what support could the United States provide. In her pointed response, she stated: “sympathy and love for all Muslim communities.”

6. Leaders demand accountability from stakeholders. Their posture in not that of a bystander or that of a victim.
Arden has been clear that she will demand accountability from stakeholders. The gunman used Facebook to livestream his shooting, which was then shared via Google-owned YouTube, and other social media platforms.

In her speech in the parliament, she has shown that she is ready to stand up to these media giants, stating,

“We cannot simply sit back and accept that these platforms just exist and that what is said on them is not the responsibility of the place where they are published.” She added. “They are the publisher. Not just the postman.”

Because Ardern does not already have the answers does not mean, she will play victim till she finds the answers. She further clarified, “There cannot be a case of all profit, no responsibility… I don’t have all of the answers now, but we must collectively find them.”

7. Leaders take a stand
Within 6 days of the attack, Ardern announced a ban on all military styled semi automatic and assault rifles in New Zealand. A new legislation is expected to be in place by 11th April. Adern stated, “Our history has changed forever. Now, our laws will too.” An amnesty has been imposed so the owners of affected weapons can hand them in, and a buy-back scheme will follow.

Ardern said the buy-back could cost up to NZ$200mn , but “that is the price that we must pay to ensure the safety of our communities”.

She has taken a stand. A bold stand.

8. Leaders take decisive actions with a strategic perspective
She made an extremely powerful move, one that has great optics too. When the Parliament met for the first time after the shooting, leading imam Nizam Ul Haq Thanvi was invited to open proceedings with a prayer. Not only did this display her honest compassion, it also showed that she is designing her actions keeping the long-term strategic interests of her nation. She recognizes that this terrorist attack can potentially create a culture war in New Zealand and she wants to do all that she can to avoid one, by demonstrating unity within the community.

9. Leaders acknowledge good work. Give credit where it is due.
Lastly, and most definitely not the least one, leaders, in the face of crisis, give credit where it is due. They recognize that emotions impact how people perceive events, and also how they respond to such events. To take care of these emotions, great leaders often offer appreciation. Adern made sure, in a meeting with St John staff who had been the first on the scene, to compliment their “utter professionalism, care and compassion” and acknowledged them for having saved lives.

Jacindamania is growing, and rightly so. This world needs more authentic leaders like her, particularly given the times that we live in.

Sameer Dua, Founder of the Institute for Generative Leadership, India, is amongst the top 30 emerging global thinkers, bestselling author, and the world’s leading authority on Declaring Breakdowns, a powerful leadership move.