Kind AND strong leaders

When I opened LinkedIn this morning, this was one of the first messages from Jacinda Ardern that I saw:

“I hope to leave behind a belief that you can be kind but strong, empathetic but decisive, optimistic but focused. That you can be your own kind of leader. One that knows when it’s time to go.”

She is a great inspiration to many, even now, when announcing her resignation.

There are 3 thoughts that come up for me which I believe are important to reflect on in this context:

1️⃣ What kind of leader do I want to be? 
My definition of leadership by the way is not connected to a title. It’s my own way of being in the world.

2️⃣ Whichever quality I truly admire about her, how can I bring more of that into my own daily life? 
e.g. by asking myself in the evening “How was I true to myself today?” or “How was I kind today?”

3️⃣ If I can’t come up with anything my next question would be “What has been holding me back to show up as the leader I wish to be?”

🌿 These are just my 2 cents, but every time I see a great leader leaving the stage, I think about how to preserve some of that momentum...

My invitation to you: What comes up for you when reading this?

Warmly, Viviane