GOD SAVE THE QUEEN
Leadership is not about titles, positions, or flowcharts. It is about one life influencing another
Deavita
In 2022, when we look around for heroes there is one constant in my life – Queen Elizabeth II, who this year celebrates her Platinum Jubilee marking 70 years of service as the Queen. She famously came to the throne, unexpectantly and suddenly on 6th February 1952, when just 25 years-old and today is the longest-lived and longest reigning British Monarch. She is also one of the world’s most revered and respected leaders.
During these past seven decades, the Queen has seen scores of world leaders including her first Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, come and go, and there have been visits to, or from, five Popes, and closer to home Elizabeth has witnessed the troubles in Northern Ireland and seen the United Kingdom join and subsequently withdraw from the European Economic Community.
To this day, the Queen of the United Kingdom and head of 14 other Commonwealth realms including Australia can rest assured that support for the Monarchy remains consistently high as does her personal popularity.
Her leadership has been described as ‘the beating heart of the Commonwealth’ and in a previous article in which Taurus talked about Trust & Integrity, it was pointed out that a true leader is someone you can trust to take you in the right direction. A recent survey of leaders at over 30 international organisations conducted by the Harvard Business School Review suggested that “high ethical and moral standards” was the number one trait they believe a leader should possess.
Integrity inspired trust and commitment from employees who know they’re in safe hands.
As Ernest Hemingway said, “As you get older, it is harder to have heroes, but it is sort of necessary.” The underlying idea behind this quote is the older you get the more cynical, more critical, and more disillusioned you become. On the other hand, a younger person needs to have a hero, perhaps also a mentor, because these are the people who show direction into the future.
As someone born in the United Kingdom and a very proud Aussie today, I believe men and women of all ages need a hero.
For longevity and an unfailing sense of duty, Queen Elizabeth II is my hero.
Article by Sharon Williams, CEO and Founder of Taurus Marketing.