“Kindness has a power and strength that almost nothing else on this planet has.”
~ Jacinda Ardern
On my short commute to work, I have taken to listening to audiobooks or podcasts, as I find this to be the only time in my day where I have a moment to sit and listen. Recently, I have been listening to Jacinda Ardern’s memoir, A Different Kind of Power. I have been enjoying this immensely to the point that the 12-minute drive goes by too quickly and I often sit for minutes listening in my driveway when I arrive home as I don’t want to cut my listening short, curious to hear the end of the story being shared. The audiobook on Spotify is narrated by Jacinda herself making it an even more powerful listen, as the raw emotion in her voice as she describes particular challenging and touching times really makes you stop and listen deeply.
Whilst I haven’t listened to this book with any particular political lens, and don’t have any commentary on her political viewpoints, it is her humanness that really stands out to me. I have reflected on all she has shared and considered the way she redefined leadership as not being about dominance or control, but about kindness, compassion and vulnerability. Throughout the book, Jacinda’s message is that empathy is not weakness, rather it a strength that is capable of uniting communities and sustaining trust, particularly in times of crisis.
The way Jacinda approached her leadership role resonates deeply with me personally and with my work as a school leader, and I can draw similarities with her desire to be helpful (often overly), being sensitive to what others think of her, and the intense focus on leading with heart, as well as breaking the mould on what a leader should be like. Whilst in our roles as school and system leaders we are not making important decisions that will affect an entire nation, we too are often asked to navigate moments of challenge and uncertainty, while holding space for the humanity of those we lead. Her narrative calls us to lead with vulnerability and empathy (something that Brené Brown has also shared much about) and encourages us to listen first, connect authentically, and ensure our decisions balance rigour with compassion, all while not being afraid to show our humanness.
Jacinda is also candid about the cost of leadership: the fatigue, the doubts, and the moments of ‘imposter syndrome’, something that I have been reflecting on in conversations with other leaders of late. As we work to ease the load and pave the way to a smoother path for our team, we can then end up carrying an extremely heavy load ourselves – something that takes a toll. Jacinda, however, isn’t discouraging as she shares these challenges, instead she focuses on how these vulnerabilities, when acknowledged, can be a source of strength, reminding us that “leadership is not about perfection, but about presence.” In our schools, this might mean acknowledging when we don’t have all the answers, inviting collaboration rather than stepping in to do everything for others, asking for help, or modelling to our teams that humility and courage can co-exist, and being willing to put down some of that load from time to time.
As educational leaders, we are in the privileged position of shaping cultures where kindness is not an ‘add on’, but central to what we do every day. Jacinda’s legacy challenges us to ask questions like: how do we bring compassion into our staffrooms, our classrooms, and our communities not just as a sentiment, but as strategy? In doing so, we model for the next generation a different kind of power: one that changes lives by leading with heart.
I invite you to reflect on kindness, compassion and empathy and think:
- How do I make compassion a visible and intentional part of my leadership?
- Where might vulnerability in my practice open the door to greater trust and collaboration?
- What would it look like if kindness was treated not as an add-on, but as a core leadership strategy in my school or system?
REGISTER NOW
Register for an evening of connection and conversation at our ACEL WA Leadership Hot Topic Conversation: Beyond the Hype - Real Conversations on AI in Schools
Join us for a panel discussion where a group of leaders and educators delve into the topic of AI in schools and share their thoughts on big questions like:
- Is AI in education the next interactive whiteboard — or something fundamentally different?
- How do we separate genuine innovation from marketing spin when evaluating AI tools for classrooms?
- Is AI more likely to enhance teacher practice — or deskill the profession?
- Could AI help personalise learning — or will it reinforce existing inequities in opportunity and access?
- If AI in schools was truly working in 10 years’ time, what would that look like — and what would be missing?
Speakers:
- Simon Fittock (Education Consultant; Curriculum, AISWA)
- Cleo Jenkins (Principal, Harrisdale Primary School)
- Petra Trinke (Strategic Programs & Community Impact Lead, Women In Technology WA)
- Paul Watson (Principal, Emmanuel Catholic College)
Host
- Dr Ray Boyd (Principal, Dayton Primary School)
Details:
📅 Wednesday 10th September
🕒 5:00pm to 7:00pm (+ networking)
📍 In-person: Department of Education: Leadership Institute, Building B, 164-194 Oxford Street, Leederville or Online via Teams
💸 Free for members, $10 for non-members (pizza and drinks included)
REGISTER NOW
October ACEL WA Book Club – Restoring Teaching by Adam Voigt
Restoring Teaching 2.0: How Working Restoratively Unleashes the Teacher Within by Adam Voigt
Are you ready to reimagine what it means to be an educator today?
Join us for our next Australian Council for Educational Leaders WA Branch Book Club, where we’ll dive into Restoring Teaching 2.0, a bold, refreshing call to restore the power, pride and purpose of our profession.
Written by former principal and education reformer Adam Voigt, this book is part manifesto and part practical guide for reclaiming teaching through restorative practices that are relational, real and deeply human.
Whether you're looking for fresh inspiration, practical strategies, or just a space to talk real talk about what it means to teach today, read this book (or part of it!) and join the ACEL WA team and other educators for an Educational Leadership Book Club discussion.
📅 Thursday 9th October 2025
🕒 10:00am to 12:00pm
📍In-person (Urbi, 13 Aberdeen St, Perth) or online via Teams
Steps:
1. Get your free e-book copy of ‘Restoring Teaching’ by Adam Voigt.
2. Read the book (or part of the book) before we meet.
3. Let us know you can join us via the ACEL WA website. REGISTER NOW
4. Join other educational leaders for collegial conversation and connection.
New ACEL WA Members
As has become our norm, we want to extend a very warm welcome to our new (or reinstated) ACEL members in WA who joined this past month - we look forward to connecting with you during the rest of the year and hope to see you at an event soon!
- Virginia Everall – Department of Education, WA
- Susan Carrick – Sacred Heart College
- Josh Valeri – BTS Spark
- Alex Smith – Our Lady of Mercy College
- Rachel Rodriguez - Alta-1 College
- Eloisa Goss – Narrogin Primary School
- Shelley Forbes – Alta-1 College
ACEL WA Executive Team Spotlight – Carol Daniels
This month our ACEL WA executive member spotlight shines on Carol Daniels, who is the Foundation Principal of Piara Waters Senior High School. WA Carol’s profile is below for you to learn a little bit about her varied teaching and leadership experience, along with her vision for the future of education, recommended reads,
We hope to see you at our Hot Topic AI Conversation event next week and invite you to bring along your colleagues for an evening of connection. Make sure you source yourself a copy of Restoring Teaching 2.0 and register for our Book Club on the next holiday break. Also, it is almost time to start counting down to our Nation Conference so don’t miss out on joining us in Sydney for this epic event. If you haven’t registered yet, go to the website to check out the incredible line up!
I am reachable by email if you have any questions, comments or just want to connect.
Rachael Lehr
ACEL WA Branch President