A Different Kind of Power by Jacinda Ardern

What if we could redefine leadership? What if kindness came first?

From the former prime minister of New Zealand, then the world’s youngest female head of government and just the second to give birth in office, comes a deeply personal memoir chronicling her extraordinary rise and offering inspiration to a new generation of leaders.

"Inspiring . . . fascinating and engaging . . . makes us yearn for an era of courage and hope" - Nicola Sturgeon, The Observer



A Different Kind of Power by Jacinda Ardern

by Jacinda Ardern

This is not just a book for people who follow politics, but for anyone who has ever doubted themselves, or wanted to make a difference.

The deeply personal memoir from the former prime minister of New Zealand, then the world’s youngest female head of government and just the second to become a mother in office.

‘An essential, inspiring read’ – Natalie Portman
'Fascinating and engaging . . . makes us yearn for an era of courage and hope' - Nicola Sturgeon, The Observer


Jacinda Ardern grew up the daughter of a police officer in small-town New Zealand, but as the 40th Prime Minister of her country, she became a global icon for her empathetic leadership that put people first. She guided her country through unprecedented challenges, from the 2019 Christchurch mosque attacks to a global pandemic. She advanced visionary policies to address climate change and child poverty. And all while juggling first-time motherhood in the public eye.

This is the inspiring story of how a Mormon girl plagued by self-doubt changed our assumptions of what a leader can be. A Different Kind of Power is more than a political memoir. Powerfully evocative and refreshingly open, it is a profound insight into how it feels to lead, it asks: what if you, too, are capable of more than you ever imagined?

'Clear-eyed and luminous' – Bill Bailey
'Warm and funny . . . emotionally rich and candid' - The Guardian
'Wonderfully frank and open' - The Rest is Politics: Leading