Rafiq Jan
Jacinda Arden, the popularly elected Prime Minister of New Zealand has become larger than life character not just in her own country but globally just at age 40.
Her first term in the office might not have been too impressive for economic gains but on the leadership front, she won recognition for being an empathetic leader.
What makes her stand out?
“When you change the way you see things, the things you see change” …..Wayne Dyer
Maintaining complete composure and grace under pressure, determination and sound moral conviction are some of the personality traits that make her one of the most charismatic leaders of this decade.
Jacinda Arden is in competition with many strong men ruling powerful countries like America, Britain, France, and India and has time and again proven herself as an Iron lady who has won the hearts of billions across the globe.
With a gentle smile on her face, Jacinda has proven her leadership abilities even in the worst situations she has faced during her first term as prime Minister including the terrorist attacks on a Mosque in Christchurch in 2018 and then dealing with Covid-19 in 2020.
What can leaders learn from her?
People come first:
Politics is a game of power and those playing it brazenly confess that it brings an un-fathoming amount of fame, wealth, and authority that ordinary people cannot even dream of. But Jacinda Arden knew she had to shoulder the enormous responsibilities of a nation who voted for her to lead them. She proudly walked the talk by leading her country from the front. She did that as a nursing mother carrying her newborn in her lap to the parliament as the PM.
She won the trust of her people when she aptly handled the Christchurch attack on a mosque. She shared the grief of her nation by showing up everywhere she thought she should. She wiped the tears of grieving families while having tears of pain in her own eyes.
Her most significant test of leadership came during the unprecedented outbreak of pandemic covid-19. She used her charismatic power of leadership to muster support to institutions from all over the country and came up with the best plan to keep the coronavirus afflictions at bay.
Legacy is perched in your honesty:
Under her strong leadership, New Zealand became the new leader of the free world in many ways that other big democracies failed to maintain.
Her strength was evident in every element of her outlook.
Under her agile leadership, New Zealand had only 21 deaths in coronavirus. That proves they did not flatten the curve; they crunched it.
Lessons for Pakistan
Pakistan is passing through a critical phase currently. The forces of the status quo are in action for grabbing power and in the process are exploiting the sentiments of the illiterate, misguided, and oppressed people of Pakistan. While three-fourth of the population has already plunged into inequality, poverty, despair, and distrust, these forces of the status quo are further adding to their frustrations and are pushing them towards despair and despondency.
Learning from Jasinda Arden, it has important that our leaders cooperate with each other at this critical time that Pakistan faces vis a vis Covid 19 and an unstable economy instead of exploiting each other. The utmost need of the hour is for the political leaders, the religious scholars, and the prominent academics of our society to brainstorm and find an amicable solution to the challenges faced by us.
The author Rafiq Jan is an experienced Aviation analyst, current affairs blogger and a freelance writer.
