This week, as the nation approaches the end of a period of national mourning for Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, we wanted to extend our tribute to our dearly departed leader by considering the many ways in which she demonstrated steadfast leadership.
Hiring managers in accountancy can learn so much from her legacy, as can we all. The list of her leadership attributes is too many to mention, but we’ve listed what we think are the five most important.
1. Duty
On her 21st birthday, whilst touring South Africa with her parents, the then King and Queen, Elizabeth gave a radio address where she made a firm commitment to her duty.
‘I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong.’
She had no way of knowing just how meaningful these words turned out to be and her duty to her people as their leader was unwavering.
2. Vision
Queen Elizabeth II believed deeply that a monarchy that balanced some tradition alongside necessary modernisation, would be one that served its Realms and the Commonwealth. And in sharing her vision with global citizens she managed to bring together a world torn apart by the Second World War.
3. Diplomacy
70 years is an awfully long time to bite your tongue! And though leaders in accountancy should certainly not demonstrate impartiality in the way that Queen Elizabeth did, learning the subtle art of diplomacy and understanding the motivations and impacts of your decisions on those that you lead, is an important skill.
4. Work Ethic
Once again this is a leadership quality that Queen Elizabeth took to the extreme, but leaders in accountancy can learn much from her commitment to getting the job done, even in the hardest of times. A brilliant work ethic, coupled with a flexible and agile approach to leading a team, will offer an excellent example to the junior staff who work at your firm.
4. Respect
Once again this is an area in which the Queen excelled and ‘Respect and Be Respected’ was rumoured to be her motto.
It’s a busy job being a leader in accountancy and you won’t always have the time or resources to give to those that need it, but offering your team and clients a strong level of respect as fellow humans is a foundation upon which a great leader will be built.
5. An Appetite for Change
Not every day of the Queen’s 70 year reign will have been straight forward. And in a rapidly evolving era, she would have faced many difficult decisions and moments where the founding principles of the monarchy were in contrast with the needs and developments of the population.
Queen Elizabeth was able to take advice, change her mind when it was deemed necessary and to find the gentle path between adhering to an ancient and traditional institution and embracing the future and all the changes that it brings with it.
A true example of flexible and agile leadership.
On Monday the 19th September the team at Public Practice Recruitment Ltd will be pausing alongside the nation to reflect on the legacy of Queen Elizabeth II as a wonderful leader.
We can all learn so much from her.
May she rest in peace.
