OPINION: "The Most Effective Leader on the Planet. Saint Jacinda, a leader for our troubled times. One of...the standout leaders of this crisis."

The global praise for Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's leadership during the coronavirus pandemic reads like the extravagant quotes transcribed on movie posters.

Most New Zealanders don't need the over-effusive praise of foreign think-piece writers to be guided to the obvious conclusion: Ardern has displayed flawless leadership during the Covid-19 catastrophe.

The Government's insistence on extensive restrictions and isolation policies have all but halted the spread of the virus.

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Now, more than ever, Ardern is riding a wave of popular support.

In a time where we vacuously glorify wealth and celebrity for fame's sake, it is welcome to have a role model who is a woman of substance.

And her compassionate and inclusive leadership is one of the main reasons Kiwis were prepared to buckle down and comply with strict public health rules.

But as the country moves into recovery, it's time to tune out the global hype and tone down the hero-worship.

ROSS GIBLIN/STUFF Politicians are civil servants, beholden and accountable to us.

Politicians should not have fans. By placing our leaders on a pedestal, it creates an unhealthy and polarising dynamic.

There is evidence of it already in our online political discourse. Any criticism of the Government's policies and measures is met with a wave of venom.

Even gentle questioning - by opponents, interest groups or the media - is seen as a personal attack on Ardern.

That's because when people blindly align themselves to one party and their leader, they tend to overlook the negative effects of their decisions.

Those who seek to hold Ardern to account over flu vaccines, personal protective equipment in the health system, or confusion about restrictions, are villainised or strafed with 'whataboutism.'

Social media enhances this by creating an echo chamber of us vs them.

There is no greater example of the dangers of this than the cult of personality that surrounds US President Donald Trump.

He is the embodiment of a culture that has elevated appearance and branding over accomplishment, policy and vision.

Kiwis have previously not been immune to this. Voters - and the media - were spellbound by John Key, even when there was much to question.

Key's most powerful attributes were charm and easy communication style - both qualities he shares with Ardern. (More sober individuals like Helen Clark and Bill English did not engender such idolising.)

Candidates will always be judged on their likeability. But infusing politics with an over-the-top "stan culture" turns elections to a sports game, where we are invested in only who wins, not policy or ideology.

And it upends what the political system should be. Prime Ministers are our civil servants, beholden and accountable to us. It should not be a one-sided relationship.

Hero worship eventually reduces our complex, and occasionally flawed, political figures to one-dimensional icons.

Just because Ardern is remarkable, does not mean she is always right.