
For many leaders, managing trust in their teams is a challenge because there are three different trust forces at play. These can be either supportive or oppositional.
The world mourns the passing of the beloved Queen Elizabeth. Not just because of her title, her wealth, or even her fame. We mourn because of the great loss we feel from a remarkable woman who lived in service and duty to her nation and the Commonwealth.
She reigned for an astonishing 70 years. Generations have known no other monarch. Her passing marks the end of an era and her stabilising and reassuring presence that presided over the Vietnam War, man walking on the moon, Chernobyl, the fall of the Berlin Wall, September 11 and the coronavirus pandemic.
Despite difficult world and local events, Queen Elizabeth masterfully managed to remain positive and hopeful, even during very public personal difficulties. Through both good and bad times, she showed consistent leadership day in and day out. She worked tirelessly every day of her reign always reading and signing the official papers in the big red box (except Christmas and Good Friday).
She leaves behind a leadership legacy that is simply awe-inspiring. She was the most travelled monarch in history, never complained, rarely had a sick day and always in service to her people. Even more remarkable, is that she literally shook the hands of millions of people, always showing curiosity and interest in each person she met.
As King Charles said in his tribute speech "(She) combined these qualities with warmth and humour and an unerring ability, always, to see the best in everybody."
So how did she manage to model such admirable leadership qualities? How did she become such a regal role model for trusted leadership?
Part of her success was that Queen Elizabeth skilfully managed to embrace two extremes at the same time.
At the start of her reign, she managed the tension between being a young female leader in a male-dominated world. She balanced being the head of a traditional monarchy with lots of rules and rituals, while still ushering in progress. Most difficult of all, she continually had to deal with always 'putting her job first' versus 'family harmony.'
She possessed a paradoxical mixture of oppositional qualities such as personal humility and professional will. Continuity and change. Energy and calm. Playfulness and being responsible.
In a polarised world, she unified everyone together. Republicans and royalists alike all revered Queen Elizabeth. Even dictators like Putin have written heartfelt messages since her passing.
Let's take a look at what she did to always be at her best and be the trusted leader we all admired.
As the head of the Church of England, the Queen had a strong Christian faith and firmly believed that her title was conferred upon her through God. On her first Christmas Address in 1952, the Queen requested prayer for her upcoming coronation.
“I want to ask you all, whatever your religion may be, to pray for me on that day,” she said, “to pray that God may give me wisdom and strength to carry out the solemn promises I shall be making, and that I may faithfully serve Him and you, all the days of my life.”
In future Christmas addresses, the Queen would acknowledge just how much relying on her own faith had helped her. In her 2002 address, she remarked “Each day is a new beginning. I know that the only way to live my life is to try to do what is right, to take the long view, to give of my best in all that the day brings, and to put my trust in God.”
Yet, she did not force her beliefs and religion upon others. Her Majesty’s Christmas and Commonwealth Day messages frequently discussed the importance of interfaith harmony and respectful tolerance. She welcomed leaders of various faiths and denominations to attend royal ceremonies.
As I discuss, in my book, Trusted to Thrive, trusted leaders believe in a higher power. Developing our inner ability to trust is crucial. At some level, it requires trusting that everything is going to work out, that we are being looked after by a benevolent force, even if we can’t imagine how that will possibly happen at that point in time. Trusting a higher power gives us the certainty to trust that all will be well and to trust ourselves.
Queen Elizabeth was a principled leader. At the tender age of 21, she pledged in a public radio broadcast, "to devote my life whether it be short or long to the service of my people."
As King Charles said in his tribute speech to the Queen, "That was more than a promise: it was a profound personal commitment which defined her whole life. She made sacrifices for duty. Her dedication and devotion as sovereign never wavered, through times of change and progress, through times of joy and celebration, and through times of sadness and loss."
Her strong belief in divine purpose to serve her people energised her daily and provided a consistent leadership style that helped millions.
Combined with her trust in a higher power and a deep belief in her purpose, the Queen trusted herself. She believed she was being guided to make the right decisions which she did so with fairness, love and understanding. It gave her the mental discipline to make the hard, unpopular choices because she was doing the right thing, even when it was difficult.
With her hectic and demanding lifestyle, the Queen took solace in nature to restore her. Numerous studies have discovered the positive benefits to our wellbeing by spending time outdoors.
She loved Balmoral, in the Scottish highlands, where she could enjoy her various country pursuits, walking the moors with her beloved dogs and horse-riding. Even at Buckingham Palace, she was known to walk her dogs every day. Particularly, when she had a difficult decision to make. The outdoors kept her grounded.
Her love of nature extended to the ambitious legacy project called the Queen's Commonwealth Canopy which aims to create a global network of protected forests in all 53 Commonwealth countries.
Unlike most working mothers or grandmothers, Queen Elizabeth had a huge support network behind her.
At Buckingham Palace, it is estimated that there are 1,000 staff alone. Her majesty never had to make herself a meal, make a bed or clean her house. She never had the day-to-day worries most mothers have of managing domestic duties with work duties. These amazing time-savers meant that she could spend her time truly serving her country.
She also had a close-knit group of people around her that understood her situation and gave her the support she needed. Prince Philip was her 'rock.' He served as her confidant and trusted adviser. In the past, she also relied on other close family members and trusted advisors employed by the Palace. The Queen was very diligent about who she let into her life, no doubt to protect her time and energy from people who would undermine her leadership.
The Queen's public face was one of duty and seriousness, imposed by her position and a generation that avoided showing emotion.
Privately, she was known for her dry wit and sense of fun. Queen Elizabeth was quite comfortable with being teased and teasing others. She managed the tension between the pompousness of her regal title with laughter. She found her true soul mate, in her late husband, Prince Philip who was famous for his sense of humour and making her giggle.
The Queen also used laughter to defuse uncomfortable situations and put people at ease, well aware of the impact her presence had on others.
During her reign, she had to deal with a lot of complex family and Commonwealth issues. Over time, she learnt it was best to act quickly.
In effect, Her Highness had to delicately balance supporting her children and grandchildren with doing the right thing by her country. Of course, her country always came first requiring her to mediate awkward issues within her family, in order to reduce public negativity.
Image Credit:CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=171914
For many leaders, managing trust in their teams is a challenge because there are three different trust forces at play. These can be either supportive or oppositional.
Around ten years ago, I used to belong to a CEO mastermind group that met regularly to discuss business issues.