Up close and personal with Jodi McKay

A personality that inspires you?

Right now, Jacinda Ardern. She’s compassionate and she governs with heart.

What would you tell your 18-year-old self? It’s okay growing up in the country and in rural and regional NSW – it does not limit you.

Two strengths which women leaders have over men leaders? Ability to take people with them.

I look at my own leadership - I want people to be there around me and not feel threatened by people in my sphere. Taking people with you during that journey is really important.

Another thing is - I’ll say this, and a part of me doesn’t want to say this - I think that we do have a lot of compassion that we put in to our leadership. There’s a lot of understanding of empathy, which I think sometimes is missing from male leadership. But let me say, that does not mean that we are not strong and forthright and capable and also hold our own in Parliament, because we do. I can debate any man in that Parliament and hold my own and those blokes in that Parliament know it.

A good day for you is…?

One where I am out and about and not sitting in my office. Sometimes we’ve had leaders in the past who have spent the whole time sitting in Macquarie Street. For me, it’s out talking to people.

What keeps you awake at night? Worrying about my media advisor calling me at 5:30 am and wondering if I should, at 2 am, be actually checking what the news story is of the day so that I know when they call what I have to say. Your head doesn’t stop in this job, right? You’re always thinking, you’re always trying to pre-empt what may be there and what role you may have in that as leader.

That one moment when you knew you wanted to serve the community? In this role? It was a discussion I had with my husband late one night. We’d been working through all the possible issues that could come up and he said to me, ‘Do you want to do this?’ and I said yes.

So when it came down to it, it was whether I wanted it or not, and I want this.

Your message for the Indian Australian community? I value you, I love being in your community, I love you being a part of this great multicultural state, and I will always be there to support you.