7 Leadership Qualities of Queen Elizabeth II That Make Her Stand Out from The Crowd

In the spring of 1952, a young princess on an arduous world tour with her husband demanded a much-needed respite from the official matters.

The couple retreated to a serene game-viewing lodge, now-famous Treetops Hotel, a couple of hours drive away from Nairobi.

There the princess spent her days relaxing and capturing exotic animals through her hand-held cine. 

On the eve of 5th February, the couple retired to their rooms up in the treetops.

The sombre dawn of 6th February brought with it the shocking news of her father’s demise came. From then onwards, things were never the same for the 25-year-old princess.

According to the couple’s bodyguard, Jim Corbett, it was the first time a young girl had ascended to the treetops as a princess and climbed down the next day as a queen.

That young girl is Queen Elizabeth II.

She ascended the throne at a very young age but showed maturity, character, determination, and commitment of the highest order which has made her one of the longest-reigning monarchs in the world.

Her leadership qualities propelled her to this status and business leaders can also learn a thing or two about leadership from her Majesty.

In this article, you will learn about seven outstanding leadership qualities of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II that differentiate her from other leaders.

1.   Vision

“Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality”—Warren Bennis

Vision and a clear purpose are what makes a strong leader and Queen Elizabeth II is no different. On her 21st birthday, she addressed the nation through radio and shared her vision with the world when she said, “I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service and service of our great imperial family to which we all belong.” Not only did she shared her vision, but she also presented it in a way that even a common man can understand it, makes it even more powerful.

2.   Leading by Example

Instead of passing orders from behind the desk as most business leaders do, Queen Elizabeth believes in leading by example. She exemplifies servant-leadership, a concept most leaders don’t know about let alone following it.

Servant leadership means that she considers her work as a service and treats other’s work in the same way. When Queen Elizabeth II became the queen, the UK was still suffering from the effects of World War 2. She took responsibility for improving the situation and succeeded in getting the UK out of trouble.

3.   Hard Work

You might not believe it if I tell you that a lady whose age is more than 90 years puts in 40 hours a week just like most young people working in their 30s and 40s. Queen Elizabeth II does this day in and day out with no intentions for personal gains. Unlike others who retire at 65 years, Queen Elizabeth II continues to follow this routine every day. She is a source of motivation for those who find excuses to skip work.

4.   Commitment

In one of his novels called, George VI: The Dutiful King, Philip Ziegler describes Queen as having a “crippling sense of duty.” Devoting her entire life to this duty, she has earned a positive public image not only the UK but all around the world. Her commitment to the duty has forced her to keep a busy schedule to this day. She lends her patronage to more than 600 charities, public service organizations and military associations.

During World War 2, she joined Auxiliary Territorial Service to become an expert mechanic and driver. Despite being a queen, she trained alongside other British women, which is a testament of her commitment to serving the people.

5.   Curiosity

Queen Elizabeth II doesn’t shy away from asking questions and has a curious mind. This behaviour is evident from her interactions with world leaders and famous celebrities. What’s more inspiring is that she continues to ask questions even if she meets a member of the general public let it be doctors, engineers or even coal miners. She not only asks questions but also listens to answer carefully and shows keen interests in understanding the answer because she loves to learn despite being a Queen, a rare quality, especially among leaders.

6.   Respect Others

Another trait that made her stand out is her ability to respect others. She always believes that respect is earned. “Respect and be respected” has always been her motto. She doesn’t like to interfere and disrespect others and loves to maintain a low profile while letting others do their job.

Celia Walden wrote this about the Queen in the Daily Telegraph, “Discretion may be outmoded, but it is her majesty’s greatest commodity.” According to Celia, the Queen is “circumspect, muted, subtle and grateful in every arena of her life.” People around her have never seen her misbehave with anyone, which is a testament to her personality and character.

7.   Embrace Change

Unlike traditional leaders who resist change, Queen Elizabeth II loves to embrace change and adapt according to the changing times. When she ascended the throne in 1953, she changed the original decision of broadcasting the coronation ceremony on radio to television.

Winston Churchill even advised her against it and requested her to stick to the tradition, but she did not listen to him. She wanted to modernise monarchy and connect with the people at a more personal level and television was the most apt medium to fulfil that goal.

That is not all, she is the first head of a state to send an email in 1976. Email was not as popular at that time as it is today, but she was ready to embrace change and show others that change is here to stay and you will have to adapt to the change to succeed in the future.

by  Muneeb Siddiqui