Ardern has shown you can quit office with head high

Jacinda Ardern, prime minister of New Zealand, announced on Thursday that she would not be seeking re-election in this year’s election, citing that she no longer has ‘enough in the tank’ to do justice to the job.

Arden noted that her term will come to an end no later than February 7, bringing to an end an illustrious career as a prime minister, in which she led the country through some of its most difficult times.

“I am leaving, because with such a privileged role, comes responsibility. The responsibility to know when you are the right person to lead and also when you are not,” said Arden in an emotional, unexpected speech.

It has been a tough five-and-a-half years since Arden took over as Prime Minister of New Zealand in 2017, becoming the youngest female head of government at the time at the age of 37. Initially dismissed by critics as a distraction with nothing more to bring to the table besides ‘stardust’ (she is a former DJ), she surprised many by flooring her opponents and later emerging as one of the most admired world leaders particularly at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Covid-19 pandemic 

In 2019, she was lauded for her compassionate and empathetic leadership during the terrorist attack on two mosques in Christchurch where 51 Muslims were killed. During the Covid-19 pandemic, she was hailed as one of the leaders who acted swiftly and wisely to contain the pandemic through strict lockdown measures.

She was also one of the few women to have given birth while in office, making history when she brought her three-month-old daughter Neve to the United Nations General Assembly, an act that spotlighted the daily struggles of working mothers across the world. Towards the end of her term, Arden received an increasing number of threats of violence, especially from anti-vaccine crusaders who were not impressed by her tight lockdown measures and covid vaccine mandates.

Of all the leadership lessons we learn from Arden’s short but impactful career as prime minister, the most important thing, in my view is knowing when it is time to go. That Arden summoned the courage to leave the highest office in the land is probably the noblest thing she could ever do. To say ‘it’s time’ and walk away from power and all its trappings is not only unusual, but it is also commendable, admirable and highly recommended.

Arden demonstrates that there is life after a powerful career in government. That you do not have to dig in your heels (pun definitely intended) and hold on to power until you have to be forced out, kicking and screaming. This lesson is not only applicable to those in power, it is a valuable life lesson that conjures the lyrics of one the greatest country songs ever written- The ‘Gambler’ by Kenny Rogers:

Said, If you're gonna play the game, boy, You gotta learn to play it right. You got to know when to hold 'em, Know when to fold 'em, Know when to walk away...

Dr Chege is a media researcher.