14th September, 2022
“London Bridge is down!.”
That was the secret phrase used by the Queen’s private secretary to notify insiders that the monarch—who served for 70 years—had died.
With the loss of this world leader, human beings across the planet are grieving—and celebrating a life honourably and gracefully lived.
There are many leadership lessons that immediately spring to mind that we can model from her:
In a speech made on her 21st birthday, the Queen (then Princess Elizabeth) pledged her commitment to duty in these memorable words: “I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service.”
Ponder that commitment. The Queen devoted her life to a single purpose. She identified that purpose as a young woman. She gave herself to it, stayed with it, and never deviated from it.
The Queen lived up to her promise. She was a relentlessly hard worker. Her whole life, which turned out to be very long, was devoted to serving. Just two days before her death, the Queen was on duty, receiving Britain’s new prime minister and inviting her to form a government. Always place Cause above ego. And serve those who follow you with a clean heart and a strong mind. Do not stray from this task. Stay true to the mission for a lifetime
Queen Elizabeth once remarked: “You have to be seen to be believed.” By the time she was near the end, she had attended 21,000 engagements and gone around the globe 42 times.
Always lead by being with the people you serve. Talk to your team. Mentor them daily. Take customers to lunch and actively listen to them (deeply). Go out and study what your industry peers are doing. Travel. Roam. Understand the world. Pay attention.
Aside from a mere handful of instances, the Queen was on point. She had her finger on the pulse of her people and developed the acuity to sense how they were feeling. This became one of her top leadership powers.
To materialize your leadership potential, develop even greater empathy. Regularly ask what it must be like to be in another’s shoes. Seek the meaning behind what your followers are saying. Be a benevolent leader. Care more than all would expect you to. Be a good human.
The Queen was steady. She dressed the same way, with those wonderful colourful hats and those well-cut coat dresses, ignoring the fashion of the many eras that she lived through. She loved her dogs and rode her horses. In a world where too many good souls change to join the crowd, she was true to herself.
Think for yourself, in an age where it’s too easy to become like those you follow. Know and then live your own values. Achieve the dreams that are honest to you. Handcraft a life that suits who you are. Don’t be a sheep.
On the passing of Princess Diana from a tragic car crash in a Paris tunnel in 1997 (her words were “My God, what’s happened?”), Queen Elizabeth gave an address to her subjects “as your queen and as a grandmother.”
She moved millions—and celebrated a glorious life.
Always Keep it real. Stay human. Be vulnerable, when it’s appropriate to do so. When we take down our social masks and reveal our hopes, longings, struggles and flaws, others fall in love with us.
In his tribute to the Queen, Keir Starmer, leader of Britain’s Labour party, said, “Above the clashes of politics, she stood not for what the nation fought over, but what it agreed upon.” Representing what unites people calls for restraint. The Queen has modelled this throughout her remarkable reign.
The Queen was the longest-serving monarch in British history, and the decades of her reign have been marked by relentless change. But the Queen’s continuing presence, and the unchanging values she represented, gave her people a sense of stability in an increasingly uncertain world.
The Queen won a special place in the hearts of the people she served because they saw her restraint, hard work, and loving care. Those of us to whom God has granted positions of leadership would do well to follow her example.
Rest In Peace Queen Elizabeth. The world is better because you were here.
Stay Blessed Forever.