Let kindness in
In September 2018, Jacinda Ardern, the young and dynamic Prime Minister of New Zealand, stood before an almostempty United Nations General Assembly hall and called for a new kind of leadership. Specifically, one centred on kindness.
Months later, in the wake of the tragic Christchurch mosque shootings, Ardern made headlines around the world for personifying the kind and empathetic leadership she had publicly touted. A few weeks later, a viral social media post highlighted the depths to which this compassionate leader embraced her ethos — revealing that she had quietly paid for the groceries of a beleaguered mother who, on a trip to the supermarket with two screaming toddlers, had forgotten to bring her wallet.
In a modern world that applauds aggressiveness and enables ruthlessness, it has become common to regard kindness as unnecessary, inhibiting or — worse still — a debilitating weakness. However, as humankind progresses deeper into the 21st century and seeks solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges, perhaps one of the most important things you can do is acknowledge that kindness is a powerful and desirable trait in yourself, in leaders and in society.
Just about every human on the planet has benefited from
