Episode 13: Destiny and hubris are two sides of the same coin - Todd Muller

As a young boy, Todd Muller dreamed of one day becoming the President of the United States of America. He even wrote a story about it, which he still has, imagining that at the age of 19 he left New Zealand to travel to America, entered politics, and become Vice President by the age of 28. Sadly, but good news for VP Muller, something terrible happened to the Commander-in-Chief, and Todd became President himself, amazingly for 13 terms! This constitutionally impossible fantasy put Todd on a journey towards a political career here in New Zealand. In this Life’s Work podcast interview, Todd shares with us what his journey looked like, the highs and lows of his career, and so much more in between. 

Todd became involved in the National Party as a teenager and quickly gained the attention of some of the most influential people in the party, finding himself in a role in the executive office of the then Prime Minister, Jim Bolger. After a few years witnessing at close quarters what it was like to lead a country, Todd realised that he would better serve the constituents of the region he grew up in by having life experience before entering Parliament, and he left working in the political arena. However, he remained a busy volunteer for fifteen years, whilst having a successful career in the private sector, holding numerous senior leadership roles, including for two of New Zealand’s largest companies, Fonterra and Zespri. 

Taking the decision to formally return to politics, Todd was successful in his 2014 general election campaign, becoming the Member of Parliament for the Bay of Plenty region, which has been his role for the last nine years. However, Todd will stand down at the election later this year. 

In this open and candid interview, Todd discusses his reasons for stepping down, which include his deeper understanding of his own mental capacity for being in the role, after he had a very public breakdown in 2020, just 53 days after successfully challenging for the role of leader of the opposition within the National Party. 

Todd also divulges his thoughts on leadership as well as his concerns about where he feels politics is heading in New Zealand. This is a story of a leader. Someone who demonstrated leadership by standing up for his beliefs and his party when he felt there was a need, and also showing leadership by being prepared to step down when the personal toll became too much. In doing so, Todd is now one of several prominent New Zealanders who is willing to speak freely about his mental health and wellbeing journey in order to provide insight that might help others. 

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