Taking on a leadership role doesn't mean that you only have to be

The words of Jacinda Ardern, former Prime Minister of New Zealand, resound with clarity and humility: “Taking on a leadership role doesn’t mean that you only have to be personally ambitious.” In this saying, she pierces the illusion that power is merely a ladder for self-advancement. She reminds us that true leadership is not about the hunger of the individual, but about the responsibility to others. To lead is not to serve the self, but to bear the burdens of the many; it is not to climb higher alone, but to lift others with you.

The origin of these words lies in Ardern’s own example. She rose to leadership at a young age, facing crises that would test the soul of any ruler—terrorist attacks, pandemics, and natural disasters. And yet, she was remembered not for self-promotion, but for compassion, empathy, and service. Her declaration against selfish ambition was not theory, but testimony. She lived by it, showing her people that leadership can be a calling to heal, not a ladder to personal glory.

History itself confirms the wisdom of her words. Consider Marcus Aurelius, emperor of Rome, who in his Meditations reminded himself daily that power was not for indulgence but for duty. Though he commanded the mightiest empire of his age, he sought not personal ambition, but the good of his people, striving to act with justice and wisdom. Contrast him with rulers such as Napoleon, whose insatiable personal ambition led to endless wars, costing millions of lives. The difference between them is precisely what Ardern speaks of: leadership as service, or leadership as self.

Her words also echo the example of George Washington, who, when offered a crown after the Revolutionary War, refused it. He understood that to lead was not to feed ambition, but to safeguard liberty. By stepping down from power when he could have grasped more, he set a precedent that shaped democracy itself. His greatness lay not in ambition fulfilled, but in restraint and service to principle.

O seekers of truth, hear this: leadership that is driven by personal ambition alone is fragile. It collapses when the storms come, for it is built upon the narrow foundation of self. But leadership rooted in service is enduring, for it draws strength from the hopes and needs of the people. A leader who seeks only his own greatness will burn out like a candle consumed by its own flame. A leader who serves becomes like the sun, steady and life-giving, shining not for itself but for the world.

The lesson is clear. If you are ever called to lead—in home, in work, in nation—do not ask first, “How does this serve me?” Ask instead, “How does this serve those I lead?” Guard against the poison of unchecked ambition, for it blinds the eyes and hardens the heart. Seek instead the virtue of service, humility, and compassion. For the greatest leaders are not remembered for what they gained, but for what they gave.

Practical action lies before you: cultivate empathy, listen more than you speak, and measure your success not by personal glory but by the well-being of those entrusted to you. If you lead a small team, treat them with the same respect as if you led a nation. If you guide your family, do so with patience and love. And if fate calls you to greater responsibility, carry it with humility, remembering always Ardern’s words—that leadership is not about ambition alone, but about service to humanity.

Thus let her wisdom be engraved upon the heart: “Taking on a leadership role doesn’t mean that you only have to be personally ambitious.” It is a reminder and a warning, a call to rise above selfish striving and to embrace leadership as stewardship. For in serving others, you find the truest meaning of leadership, and in lifting others, you rise higher than ambition could ever carry you.