Breaking the mold: Ardern’s entire career became a counter-example to many stereotypes we have about politicians:

• "I asked students to close their eyes and imagine a politician and then tell me what they saw. The answers were always the same: male, old, gray. Then I would turn to what they heard and tone of voice - the words would come quickly: “confident! Angry, aggressive.” I would repeat this exercise in multiple classrooms up and down the country - the answers were always the same."

Advice from Queen Elizabeth: when Ardern asked her for advice on raising children while leading a country:

• “You just get on with it”

Shout out to trout fishing:

• “In the end, I think 3 things helped mom keep going: her faith, her community, and trout fishing”

Guiding advice from her dad, a police officer, after a situation when she thought he would have used force but he de-escalated peacefully:

• “My words will always be the greatest tool I have”

The core passage of the book: the traits we often label as flaws can be our greatest strengths:

• "Here is what I would say to everyone who is not sure they fit: 'If you have imposter syndrome or question yourself, channel that - it will help you. You will read more, seek out advice, and humble yourself to situations that require humility to be conquered. If you over think everything, if you can imagine the worst case scenario, channel that too. It will mean you are ready when the most challenging days arrive. And if you are thin skinned and sensitive, that is not weakness. It’s empathy. In fact all the traits that you believe are your flaws will come to be your strengths. The things you thought will cripple you, will in fact make you stronger, make you better. They will give you a different kind of power, and make you a leader that this world might just need. That’s what I would tell them, and I suppose, in sharing my story, that’s what I’m telling you.'"