I keep talking about Dame Jacinda Ardern

OPINION: An op-ed on power in leadership, narrative from the podium of truth, and why kindness still wins; even as our political regime grows more defensive.

If you want to understand why I keep talking about Dame Jacinda Ardern on my X profile (@foundersam) and across other social media channels, don’t start with admiration. Start with why exposure to unsuspecting audiences is central to the truth. In politics, attention functions as a form of currency, and right now it is being badly mismanaged.

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I did not learn this from a textbook I actually learned it working in local government where sitting close enough to the source of truth allowed me to see how stories are shaped before they harden into headlines. People like you, reading this article, do not see what gets protected. You only get to see what gets published. Most of all you see how fear is so powerful that it changes behaviour.

It was always clear that under the Labour government their messaging was careful but they were not allergic to dissent, don’t get me wrong. Criticism existed in the open especially during the Covid-19 pandemic where people were talked to and not talked over. There was an understanding that legitimacy came from engagement and the source of truth and not control.

What we have now is different. The coalition government appears convinced it controls the narrative, treating dissent as a danger rather than a democratic signal.

Our own society has given way to management-culture within discourse, and the harder the narrative is squeezed, the more fragile it becomes.

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Image: Dame Jacinda Ardern signs copies of her memoir during a bookshop appearance, engaging directly with readers in a public setting that reflects her post-leadership presence and emphasis on connection. Screenshot from a social media post. (Supplied / Facebook / Jacinda Ardern)

But this is where Ardern keeps reappearing. As contrast. She represents a leadership style many New Zealanders remember viscerally, one embedded in the minds of neighbours, friends, whānau; almost anyone you might meet. When people see her at a bookshop signing copies, talking about motherhood or simply smiling at a community event, it does something quietly subversive reminding people that leadership once felt human and empathetic.

Media moves in patterns, and repetition without rage creates presence without moral panic. That cadence is visible in how Ardern continues to appear in public life. Ordinary moments; bookshops, media appearances. Each return reinforces the same values until they feel familiar again. This is how public memory is shaped, through moments associated with Ardern that feel steady, humane, and real, reinforcing kindness as a credible form of leadership.

Image: Dame Jacinda Ardern takes over the media sphere across multiple public moments in tweets reaching large audiences. Some posts consist of book promotion and documentary footage reflecting her leadership style of kindness and public engagement. Composite screenshot from posts published on X by Samuel Hudson (@foundersam). (Supplied / X / Courtesy of Quiet Pact Network)

So yes, I post often. I post when others shout, cutting through distorted narratives. I post when critics sneer because they know I am not afraid of their noise, nor inclined to bow to a defensive regime more focused on silencing dissent than delivering meaningful policy. And when the same small-minded group attempts to undermine Ardern’s record or dismiss empathy as weakness they unknowingly do half the work for me.

My sentiment toward the kindness era is about reminding those in the Beehive what they should already know that empathetic leadership outlasts leadership obsessed with controlling criticism. Trust is built when authority works quietly in service of the truth, while the podium speaks for itself.

If there is a method here, it is simple enough to be overlooked. Say the humane thing. Say it calmly. Say it again later. Let the message do the work and let it settle. Allow others to argue with the memory instead of you. Over time, perspective shifts quietly.

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I am not claiming credit for outcomes but I am confident in the tone that I set. I have seen narratives build and unravel, and I know how often those in motion fail to see what is shaping the field around them.

Kindness is not a distraction from the hard parts of politics and it leads to survival without losing the public’s support and therefore trust is rebuilt. Leadership endures after office ends. That is why I keep talking about Ardern. I talk about her because I’ve seen how power manages narratives and how fear reshapes behaviour.

The story behind the podium of truth is not finished. Because it still works.

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