The Difference Between Trump and Ardern

The difference between being a leader and simply being in a position of power.

I try to ignore trolls, why? Because they stand for everything that is wrong with this social media world of ours, a new world that could have, that should have become a platform for inclusion, creativity, connectivity and incredible ideas. Instead their negative rhetoric spills over to feed the worst fears and that side of human nature previously hidden and voiceless in the underworld of society. They bait for the sake of it, they comment without thought or compassion with no consideration for the big picture, they disregard the fact that they are talking to a human being and they shout their negativity without having read the article fully or being informed on a subject. They are there to cause anguish, anger and disruption for no other reason than because they can. 

As I pondered the ugliness that this social media scourge have created, one name came to mind, Trump. A divisive figure whose undisciplined tweets and speeches serve to invigorate the ill informed and empower the base fears of a nation. This is not leadership, this is a self serving mindset struggling to hold on to power and using fear as its weapon. Trump is Troll.

Real leadership shines a very different light.

The Troll weapon has been unleashed on many a good person, those who stand for all that is best with humanity, none more so than a current leading light in leadership, the New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. As most of us have, I have been following with sadness the aftermath of the massacre in Christchurch of 50 incident human beings. The New Zealand Prime Minister has been showered with praise and her image; head covered in hijab is everywhere we look. Still, she is subject to innuendo and condemnation from those who prefer to or chose to believe her motivations are suspect. Does she hit back, I don’t know… maybe on twitter? No, because she is steadfast in her objectives, not deigning to be dragged down into the mire by smaller minds. 

She has instead shown cultural sensitivity and empathy. She has instead used her platform to bring people together no matter their differences. She has instead reached out to the school children, the families, the religious communities, the hero’s and the victims with one considered message, ‘the are us, we are them”. 

Rather than playing into the hands of fear, or using this abominable situation as a strategic power play, she has illustrated to us all that no matter what we are faced with we have a choice, to rise above it and use it for good, to create the world we all want or to give in to our darkest fears like the Trolls.

I much prefer the Ardern worldview.

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