The power of compassion

A memorable volume that places Ardern in her own local and national context for international readers

“Women don’t need to pretend they are men to occupy high office,” write Supriya Vani and Carl A Harte in their meticulously researched book Jacinda Ardern: Leading with Empathy. This biography of New Zealand’s 40th Prime Minister focuses on how a you­ng socialist, once considered too nice to be in politics, has rewritten the rules.
 
Ardern has earned a place of respect across the globe with her empathetic leadership. Her finest moment, undoubtedly, was the decisive stand she took against terrorism and Islamophobia in 2019 after the Christchurch mass shootings that kill­ed Muslims attending Friday prayers. Her gesture of