What Highly Sensitive Leaders Can Do

Source: Wikimedia Commons/Used with permission of the Labour Party

As a highly sensitive person (HSP), have you ever felt that you weren't tough enough to be a true leader? Can you still hear the taunts—"Why are you so sensitive?"—shaming you into submission as the least likely amongst us to succeed?

Well, think again. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has a message for you, and she shared it this Wednesday with the entire parliament in her final address as prime minister.

No matter how her politics are viewed in the future, Ardern is hopeful that her tenure will demonstrate something else altogether:

"That you can be anxious, sensitive, kind and wear your heart on your sleeve... You can be a nerd, a crier, a hugger. You can be all of these things and not only can you be here, you can lead, just like me."

Ardern may or may not meet the criteria for high sensitivity, and it's not known whether she identifies as an HSP. But her statement above and her behavior throughout her term suggest that, at the very least, she is aware of her sensitivity and takes pride in it. And others are aware of it too; indeed, she was dubbed a "precious petal" by a former New Zealand parliamentarian.

Whether or not Ardern identifies as an HSP, here are a few takeaways from her story so other HSPs can get out there and lead; we need them now more than ever.

1. Empathy is a verb.

HSPs are known for feeling intensely and generously. They notice and perceive the feelings and energy of those around them, and they are moved to do something about those feelings, especially if these emotions are negative.

Ardern stepped into action in two high-profile emotional crises: the terrorist attack on a mosque in Christchurch and the global pandemic of COVID-19. In the first instance, Ardern took seriously the heartbreak of those family members affected and lent her empathy as if the pain were her own. She mobilized to pass strict gun safety and control measures to prevent another senseless tragedy from happening again.

In the case of COVID-19, Ardern not only empathized with the potential suffering from the illness itself—by moving swiftly to close the country's borders and implement preventive measures—she also showed exquisite sensitivity to the emotional and financial repercussions of lockdown itself. Rewind to the height of the pandemic with Ardern Zooming to her citizens in sweats shortly after putting her child to sleep, reminding the country that they will persevere together. Recall Ardern famously putting her money where her mouth was when she took a 20 percent pay cut during the pandemic in solidarity with those affected by the financial costs of lockdown.

HSPs have the power to mobilize their finely tuned and receptive sensitivity in the service of real change, the kind that moves hearts and minds so effortlessly because of its bold subtlety.

2. Creativity is a relational art.

Because HSPs are so empathically tuned in, they are keenly aware of how to creatively problem-solve in and through relationships. Instead of becoming a drawback or deficit, this adds valuable buy-in and flexibility for instituting political and social change and often supersedes conventional solutions.

New Zealand is known for having one of the most effective COVID-19 responses in the world. Ardern didn't just think about a disease ravaging her country's economy; she also thought about framing the problem as a public health issue that we are all working on together. As she put it, we are a "team of 5 million."

Showcasing the range of sensitivity, Ardern not only thought about the adults worried about their own health and economic well-being, she even noted the children's most profound fears and needs. In what I consider a move of sheer brilliance, she declared the Tooth Fairy and Easter Bunny essential workers, thus helping children see that the world was still in good working order and that imagination and hope would be shielded from the potential traumas of too much reality.

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HSPs work flexibly to notice the shifting context of a relational situation and adjust their creative strategies. Because they can notice and sense so many different pieces of the puzzle, they are adept at reworking how they put it all together to create innovative solutions that most people never think would work.

3. Being yourself is best.

I argue that the greatest example Ardern shares for those who identify as HSPs is the power that Brene Brown has touted: not just being imperfect but allowing the atlas of your heart to inform your authentic voice.

Ardern has not been successful just because she is smart, articulate, and charismatic but also because she has been decidedly herself as a sensitive leader. She appears to use her capacity to feel—and even to worry—in the service of something bigger than herself, the capacity to dream while staying awake.

It is the curious and wonderful integration of the head and the heart that, I believe, a sensitive leader like Jacinda Ardern can use to such perfection. For that, not only a country but the whole world can be grateful.

Now, it's time for more HSPs to get out there and start leading.