I was very happy being education minister and deputy to John

Hear the words of Joan Kirner, a woman who bore the weight of public service with courage, who declared: “I was very happy being education minister and deputy to John Cain.” At first, these words may seem plain, a modest reflection on a time in government. Yet beneath them lies a teaching about service, loyalty, and the quiet fulfillment of duty. For Kirner reminds us that happiness is not always found in the highest office or the grandest title, but in the noble work of serving where one’s gifts bring life to others.

To be education minister is no small task, for it is the stewardship of the future itself. Schools are the forges of nations, where children are shaped into citizens, thinkers, and creators. In this role, Kirner found joy, for she labored not for her own glory but for the growth of countless young lives. Her contentment was not born from ambition, but from the knowledge that her work bore fruit in the classroom, in the teacher’s guidance, in the child’s discovery. True fulfillment, she suggests, is found where one’s purpose meets the world’s great need.

And yet she also speaks of being deputy to John Cain, premier of Victoria. There is humility here, for she was not yet the one who bore the crown of leadership. She stood beside another, supporting his vision, strengthening his hand. In the eyes of some, this may seem secondary, lesser. But Kirner’s words reveal otherwise: that there is honor in being deputy, that there is dignity in standing alongside a leader, lending strength to his cause. Greatness is not always in leading alone; often, it is in supporting faithfully.

History offers many examples of such truth. Consider Marcus Agrippa, the loyal friend and deputy of Augustus Caesar. Though Augustus became the first emperor of Rome, it was Agrippa who commanded armies, built aqueducts, raised monuments, and steadied the empire. He did not sit on the throne, yet his contributions were indispensable. Like Kirner, he might have said he was happy as deputy, for his role, though not supreme, was deeply significant. Loyalty and service magnify leadership as much as authority does.

The deeper meaning of Kirner’s words is this: ambition alone does not guarantee fulfillment. To chase titles without purpose is vanity. But to serve where one’s heart finds joy, whether in leading or in supporting, is to discover true happiness. Leadership is not always about being first; it is about serving faithfully, whether as the head or as the deputy, whether in the spotlight or in the quiet labor behind the scenes.

The lesson for us is clear: do not despise the place where you are called to serve. If it is a place of growth, of meaning, of contribution, then embrace it with joy. Whether you are the one who commands or the one who supports, if your work uplifts others and brings life to your community, then you are fulfilling your purpose. Happiness, as Kirner shows us, is not found in titles, but in service done with love and integrity.

Practical action follows: seek not only the highest positions, but the roles where you can give your best. If you are asked to support another, do it with loyalty and strength. If you are given stewardship over education, over work, over family, treat it as the sacred duty it is. And remember that happiness in leadership does not come from power alone, but from service, humility, and the joy of contributing to something greater than yourself.

So remember Joan Kirner’s wisdom: to be happy in service is greater than to be restless in ambition. Whether leader or deputy, minister or supporter, what matters is that you serve with purpose, with loyalty, and with joy. For in the end, the truest leaders are those who find delight not only in power, but in the noble labor of lifting others.