50%. This is the share of the vote won by Jacinda Ardern and the New Zealand Labour Party, their best result since 1946. An inspiring political leader, humanist, openly displaying her feminist and inclusive values and her concern for social justice with a calming style, Jacinda Ardern triumphed with an impressive score and rising voter turnout. Widely supported by the people, praised as much for her humanity as for her composure and decisiveness—particularly during the Christchurch terrorist attack and the Covid-19 crisis—she became the “most popular New Zealand Prime Minister in a century.” How did Jacinda Ardern, a political figure with an atypical profile and from the people, manage to establish herself in New Zealand? What can we learn from her leadership?

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The Golden Circle theory, or how everything begins with Why

Simon Sinek, through the Golden Circle theory explained in his TED Talk (the 3rd most viewed TED with 52M views) and his book “Start with Why,” offers a relevant interpretation of how charismatic leaders manage to inspire and win broad public support.

Sinek models the “natural ability” of leaders and organizations to inspire others and lead them to act in their direction, like Martin Luther King or Apple. He thus ranks 3 fundamental points to establish, in order, before delivering a message to an audience: WHY, HOW, WHAT.

The case of Jacinda Ardern

Her Why: A nation for everyone

Jacinda Ardern’s purpose is to build a fair society for all people in New Zealand. So that everyone can pursue their ambitions, their dreams, and fulfill themselves freely as individuals.

Her How: Key values

Listening, respect, debate, optimism, social justice, and inclusion would be the pillars Jacinda Ardern would rely on to carry out her mission—the common denominators of all the actions she would undertake, concretely, during her term and her life.

Her What: Tangible achievements

During her term, Jacinda led many achievements. First, during a terrorist attack in Christchurch on March 15, 2019, she embraced her people’s grief with calm and discernment, then acted. On March 21, she announced restrictions on gun sales, which came into effect on April 11, only three weeks after the attack. Then, during her term as Prime Minister, she gave birth to her first child. She therefore took maternity leave and later came to work with her child. The message was clear, embraced, and aligned with the vision of a society for everyone. In 2020, there was a sharp increase in the minimum wage to NZD 18.9 in 2020 versus NDZ 15.5 in 2018, and the hiring of 2,000 additional doctors and nurses in the country: two pieces of good news for the nation.

At all times, those who have known how to mobilize crowds have had this talent for speaking to the hearts of women and men, to encourage them to act alongside them.

“It is those who start with Why who are able to inspire those around them or to find those who inspire them.”

Jacinda Ardern is an example of consistency in this regard. Extremely solid in her Why, forged since childhood, she relies on it to serve her conviction and her project for New Zealand. All the actions (What) carried out during her first term since 2017 allowed her to demonstrate to the public that she does not only carry an inspiring message (Why), but also concrete achievements. That is precisely what enabled her to be re-elected in the first round with rare popular support.

Our actions and achievements, the What, are there to support the Why. It is not enough to think and inspire; we must do it. So that beyond a dream or a vision we project, there is a reality to live.

If you too would like to find your Why, we recommend our training Be Inspired and Inspiring, where we apply Simon Sinek’s Golden Circle method concretely.