21 life lessons learned from the Queen that will earn you respect and friends
Queen Elizabeth II was laid to rest at Westminster Abbey in a televised event that was viewed by billions of people worldwide. It’s remarkable to think that a line to pay respect to her majesty and view her coffin at Westminster Abbey reached five miles long with an estimated wait time of 30 hours.
Think about that for a second. It’s remarkable!!
Nine out of 10 people in the world have only known one queen in their lifetime, and, as one viral tweet noted, she reigned for 30% of U.S. history. She earned respect and friends by walking the talk.
I admired Queen Elizabeth for her determination, steadfast grace and the ability to unite and empower people all over the world. What about you?
It’s a good time to adjust our crowns and, be the best we can be by practicing the 21 lessons learned from the Queen. Keep calm and carry on Gal Pals!
Regardless of of what you think of the royals, there is no doubt that Queen Elizabeth II has earned the respect and love from billions of people.
Why Was The Queen So Respected?
With that said, you have to stop and ask why the Queen was always held in a respectful fascination by all. She was a popular benevolent ruler, from the very beginning of her reign. It’s incredible to see how much the British people adored and appreciated her as an exceptional leader. Her character design is something we can all aspire to. Her leadership style is something all leaders would benefit from.
Americans today crave to have our own leaders act and lead in the same fashion Queen Elizabeth once did. Not only do we wish our leadership was more refined, we can all do what we can to set a good example and be a queen bee ourselves.
So what were her personality traits that made her such a noble stateswoman? I think we can all learn something from the Queen and learn to be more like her.
Grab your crown, put it on and start practicing these personality traits. If we all did this, the world would be a better place.
21 Life Lessons Learned From The Queen
1. Keep Calm & Carry On
There is nobody who embodied this phrase more so than The Queen. Always calm, never flustered, even in the face of danger. Her composure is so admirable. If we can learn to not react so quickly.
What if we could be more composed in every situation? That’s a personality trait that makes others feel comfortable and calm. It’s worth practicing, right?
Even during the toughest times, Queen Elizabeth II, kept cool and calm. During a speech given in November to mark the 40th year of her accession, the Queen says: “1992 is not a year on which I shall look back with undiluted pleasure. In the words of one of my more sympathetic correspondents, it has turned out to be an ‘Annus Horribilis’”.
Lesson learned… Cultivate poise despite chaos.
2. Have Humor and Laugh Often
While posing for a photo with world leaders last year at the G7 summit, Her Majesty evoked boisterous laughter when she joked: “Are you supposed to be looking as if you’re enjoying yourself?”
Having a sense of humor is one of the best things you can do for your health. You can almost think of a sense of humor as your mind’s immune system.
Did you know that humor is a key concept to overall success in the organization and a crucial quality for leaders to possess? Reason being, having a sense of humor is the ideal way to make those around you feel at ease. When people are more relaxed, they think clearer, are more creative and the ability to be more creative improves.
The Queen repeatedly used humor to sustain professional relationships and bond with others. Researchers from Finland and the United Kingdom found that social laughter triggers the release of endorphins – often referred to as “feel good hormones” – in brain regions responsible for emotion.
3. Live By Christ’s Teachings
The head of the Church of England, which has Christ at its center, but for her, his teachings had more relevance than simply being both heads of state and church.
“To many of us, our beliefs are of fundamental importance. For me, the disciplines of Christ and my personal accountability before God provide a groundwork in which I try to lead my life.
– Queen Elizabeth
4. Be Consistent and Steadfast
There’s an important lesson every leader can learn from the example Queen Elizabeth set. Consistency is key and one of the main reasons people loved the Queen so much. Every time the Queen spoke publicly, what you saw was what you expected. She never wavered.
The Queen always remained steady even when the entire world was in complete covid chaos. Do you recall how calm the Queen was throughout the marriage drama of Prince Charles and Princess Diana? Even through Diana’s horrid car accident in Paris. Her sense of duty was always at the tip of her nose.
People respected the fact that the Queen had a reliable and reassuring presence in both good and bad times.
5. Be Compassionate
“It has been women who have breathed gentleness and care into the hard progress of mankind.”
The Queen’s compassionate voice could be heard when she spoke publicly. She was thoughtful and supporting manner, encouraging them, complimenting them and inspiring them in the midst of the dreadful pandemic we are all dealing with.
We all appreciate leaders who speak directly to their people with empathy and compassion. This is not something that Americans are used to anymore. We don’t trust our leaders in this manner. We often hear the angry, frustrated, narcissistic words from our leaders.
For this reason, we all adored the Queen. Even if she wasn’t our Queen, we admired and respected the way she could offer support and love to her people.
6. Strong Work Ethic
Be proactive stand up for what you believe in and “get it done!”.
“Work is the rent you pay for the room you occupy on earth.” said Queen Elizabeth.
During the war, she trained as a mechanic and it is said she knows her way under the hood of a Land Rover Defender. On the importance of training,
she once said: “It’s all to do with the training: you can do a lot if you’re properly trained.”
7. Have Courage
“When life seems hard, the courageous do not lie down and accept defeat; instead, they are even more determined to struggle for a better future,” said Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II.
It takes courage to persevere, to endure hardships and prepare for a better tomorrow. The Queen was a woman of fortitude and resolve. Her official royal coat of arms bears an image of a lion symbolizing courage and strength.
8. Lead 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 . She took responsibility for improving the situation and succeeded in getting the UK out of trouble.
9. Respect Others & You Will Be Respected
Respect, another trait that made her stand out, is her ability to respect others. She always believes that dignity is earned. “Respect and be respected” has always been her motto. She didn’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 for every arena of her life.” People around her have never seen her misbehave with anyone, which is a testament to her personality and character.
10. Don’t Step on Toes
The Queen managed over 1,200 people and elected government ministers to do their jobs to the best of their abilities. We too, need to resist the temptation to step in where we are not needed.
Let’s face it, leaders learn respect from employees and staff. It doesn’t just happen. The Queen understood this. When you show mutual respect, improves any workplace and will increase staff motivation to be more productive.
The Queen was careful not to step on the toes of those she worked with. This is a sign of respect.
11. Live A Balanced Life
Take time to get exercise and eat well. Spend time with your family and set time aside to do what you enjoy. The Queen spent time with her beloved Welsh Corgis, family and long walks in her garden. Enjoy entertaining and throwing parties.
She also eat well and got plenty of exercise.
12. Have Integrity
When you have integrity – You are trustworthy – You do what you say you are going to do, honoring your commitments. You speak your truth with kindness, even if it feels uncomfortable. You’re clear on your values and what you will and won’t tolerate within your boundaries. You are authentic in everything you do.
Part of this integrity is your willingness to be vulnerable in order to connect with your people. While this may not come naturally, you keep developing the skills so that it becomes easier with time. You have high standards and know it’s better to under promise and over-deliver.
13. Be A Good Decision Maker
You aren’t afraid to stand up for what you believe in – You are true to yourself. You make a decision and stick to it, knowing when to change the plan if it’s not working.
You know you need to be decisive. Even if that decisiveness means going back to your best friend, mastermind group, etc. to help you make a quick decision. You know you need to behave in a way that shows you as a leader, not a follower. That confidence sets you apart.
14. Have Confidence
Learn to trust yourself and your decisions. You might lack confidence from time to time, yet you do the inner work to overcome any of those obstacles that might get in the way.
You learn how to build your confidence muscles. You don’t waiver when you speak, you are clear, succinct, decisive and authoritative.
15. Have Grace
The Queen the the ideal example of a graceful leader.
Grace is defined as “a way of moving that is smooth and attractive and that is not stiff or awkward.” Many people may describe grace as they would describe how a ballerina floats across the floor.
The Queen was the type of person who did everything with grace. She navigated situations of life with ease and flexibility. When you have grace, you are compassionate, mature, classy and have integrity.
Empower and unite others while you set a good example.
16. Have Grit
Queen Elizabeth worked over 40 hours a week every week without ever complaining. Hard work was part of her DNA.
17. Timeless Style
We all loved to see what the royals were wearing because the fashion style is always traditional and timeless. From her signature hats, brooches and love of wearing a dominant color, Queen Elizabeth always possessed a classic sense of style. You could always count on the Queen wearing a dress and matching hat.
From her time as a young princess throughout her 70-year reign as queen, which began in 1953, the Elizabeth always had a timeless sense of style — including a particular affinity for wearing bright colors. She was even known to have a famous motto: “You have to be seen to be believed.”
18. Lead By Example
Whether you are a parent or a ruler of a nation, leading by example is key.
For instance, instead of making orders from behind the desk, as most business leaders do, Queen Elizabeth believed in leading by example.
The Queen believed in servant leadership, so she considered her work as a service and treated 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 accepted the duty for improving the situation and succeeded in getting the UK out of trouble.
19. Embrace Change
Unlike classical leaders who resist change, Queen Elizabeth II embraced change and adapted to the change of times and there were many changes that happened under her rule.
When she ascended the throne in 1953, she changed the original decision of broadcasting the coronation ceremony on radio to television. Crazy, huh? She was known to always wanting to learn new technology.
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 modernize monarchy and connect with the people at a more personal level, and television was the best medium for her to connect.
That is not all. She is the first head of a state to email in 1976. Email was not as popular 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.
20. Be A Matriarch
As a leader of a family or someone who dominates a group or state, be a motherly figure. The royal family had an amazing role model in Queen Elizabeth. She was a good mother, grandmother and great grandmother. The late queen had that grandmother approach as a great leader.
in 2012, when Kate Winslet was awarded with a CBE, she told the Queen she “loves being a mum” even more than being an actress, to which the Queen reportedly replied: “Yes. That’s the only job which matters.”
21. Stay Above The Fray
The Queen’s duty was not to express her political opinions but rather to provide counsel and encourage advising without expressing an opinion. Wow, what if we all could sit back and listen more before we got in people’s faces about our opinions. The lesson is clear, sometimes it is best to keep our opinion to ourselves, despite what our egos say to ourselves.
