A Different Kind of Power -Book Review
- Najah Al-Atassi
- Jul 18
- 3 min read
I was always obsessed with reading autobiographies and memoirs of leaders. For a long time, I believed that being a leader meant focusing solely on strategy, profit, and growth, and operating mostly from masculine energy. Kindness or asking others for a second opinion seemed like signs of weakness. During the first 10 years of my career, I negotiated and led with a "winner-takes-all" mindset. I believed that to be taken seriously, I had to suppress the more human, empathetic parts of myself.
It was not until later that I realized that there is a better way to lead. By showing people that I cared about them and doing the right things, I became a better colleague and a far more effective leader.
So, you can imagine how thrilled I was to read the memoir of Jacinda Ardern — an exceptional leader, partner, mother, daughter, and the 40th prime minister of New Zealand. Her values of kindness and bridge-building were her compass. These values were what led her into politics in the first place, as she put it,” Where else can you bring so much impact to a very large set of people?”
She negotiated free trade agreements, sponsored policies to end poverty for children, trusted science to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, and understood the urgency of Climate change. Her commitment to environmental stewardship was deeply shaped by Indigenous teachings in Aotearoa (New Zealand).
She didn’t shy away from criticism, particularly the notion that empathy is a liability in leadership. She said, “One of the criticisms I’ve faced over the years is that I am not aggressive enough or assertive enough, or maybe somehow, because I am empathetic, it means I am weak. I totally rebel against that. I refuse to believe that you cannot be both compassionate and strong.”
She was a liberal among a conservative community (even her grandmother did not vote for her), yet that did not make her respect people with different views any less. She spoke candidly about her impostor syndrome and her “thin skin.” But she concluded that thinking of the worst scenario and being empathetic were part of what made her a powerful leader. “It takes courage and strength to be empathetic, and I am very proudly an empathetic and compassionate leader.”
In the Middle East, South America, Africa — and sadly, now in the United States — we continue to see leaders who cling to power, convinced that their countries cannot function without them. They surround themselves with people who “agree” with them on everything, silencing anyone who might have a different opinion and dragging an entire nation backward in the process.
We see a similar pattern in organizations: leaders who believe they have all the answers, who dismiss differing opinions, or fail to genuinely listen to their teams. What a missed opportunity for innovation and progress.
And then came Jacinda’s boldest move: she chose to step down — on her own terms. She put her country and her party first, saying: “I know what this job takes, and I know that I no longer have enough in the tank to do it justice.” She did not walk away from her values or goals; rather, she chose a different path to honor them. One that allowed her to continue advancing the causes she cares about through collaboration with global partners and organizations. It was a path where she no longer felt the need to prove herself to the doubters, because she had already proven herself to herself through five years of extraordinary leadership.
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