We Remember How She Made Us Feel

In This Issue:

1. I Shall Always Remember What I Was Doing When I Heard The News 
2. Lead from The Heart
3. How She Made Us Feel

I Shall Always Remember What I Was Doing When I Heard The News 

I remember, as a child, my Grandmother telling me that she was hanging up clean net curtains when the announcement of the outbreak of WWII came over the radio. She fell off the chair that she was standing on and passed out on the floor.

We often remember what we were doing when we hear bad news.

I was busy finalising this edition of the newsletter on Thursday last week when, at around 12:30pm, news alerts appeared on my phone saying that Buckingham Palace had announced that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II had been placed “under medical supervision” at Balmoral and “doctors were concerned”.

I checked news coverage, only to discover that the major channels had cancelled all planned programming and replaced it with continuous live coverage and commentary. 

This type of official announcement and extended news coverage about Her Majesty’s health had not happened before. 

It soon became very clear that this was a very different type of reporting. The wheels of a preordained plan had been set in motion.

This was serious!

Her 70-year reign meant that she was the only British monarch and Head of State that most of us had ever known.

I guess like many people watching the news coverage, I was unable to focus on anything else. As the afternoon rolled on, it became very clear what the outcome would be.  

At around 18:30 the nation’s worst fears were confirmed with the announcement of the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

Although common sense dictated that, due to her great age of 96 years, this was to be expected, it was easier to assume that it wouldn’t happen now. Not yet, maybe later but not now.

After all, her husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, was in is 100th year (99 years) when he died last year and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother lived to 101. 

With the best medics in the world at her side, it was preferable to expect that Her Majesty might have another 5 years or so left.

I have heard many Britons say that Her Majesty was the one constant in their lives.

Her 70-year reign meant that she was the only British monarch and Head of State that most of us had ever known.

I shall always remember where I was and what I was doing when I heard that very sad news.

To this end, this edition of my Delivery With Agility newsletter, replaces last week’s planned edition about Transformational Leadership vs. Transactional Leadership, which will be published shortly.

Lead from The Heart

As a matter of coincidence, last week I finished reading an enlightening book, “Lead From The Heart”, by Mark C. Crowley.  

The subtitle of the book, “Transformational Leadership For The 21st Century”, gives a clue to its purpose. Specifically, the book explores: “How to most successfully and sustainably inspire and manage other human beings in the post-pandemic era”.

A measure of a good book is the outcomes or actions it triggers in the reader. This book didn't disappoint.

I hope to provide a full book review at a later date, but for now, here are just 3 things that truly resonated with me:

1. I was moved to tears in the opening chapter. Quite frankly, I certainly wasn’t expecting this but it provoked feelings of empathy and a sense of connection with the author for the rest of the book. 
2. Early into the book I was inspired to embark on scientific research into Neurocardiology, the concept of a functioning “heart brain” and especially the work of Professor Paul Pearsall, author of, “The Heart's Code: Tapping the Wisdom and Power of Our Heart Energy”, which Mark C. Crowley often refers to. Another unexpected outcome from this book - I shall share my findings on this deeply fascinating subject in an upcoming article.
3. I was struck by the following quote from “Lead From The Heart”, which is often attributed to Carl W Buehner:

I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.

When I thought about various leaders who had made an impression on me, I realised that this is so very true.

For every leader that I thought of, I wasn’t immediately thinking about what they had said or done, instead I found myself remembering how they made me feel.

Such an incredible observation about human behaviour but so easily overlooked.

I was so inspired by how true this is that I published this LinkedIn post about it.

Ironically, just a few days later, the breaking news headlines of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II made me reflect upon it again.

My thoughts were not who she was, what she said, what she represented or what she did for our country. 

I could only think of how Her Majesty made me feel.

How She Made Us Feel

One of the lasting memories of a great leader is not what they said or even what they did.

As humans, our natural instinct is to remember how they made us feel.

Regardless of whether you are a monarchist or not, the world has lost a great leader with the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

Her loss has left a huge vacuum in the hearts of so many people, most of whom had never met her or even seen her from a distance. 

For this reason, the sense of loss is perhaps inexplicable, some may say illogical, but nevertheless it is very, very real.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II - Photo Courtesy of WikiImages - Pixabay

The matriarch of the British nation and The Commonwealth, transcending politics and 15 UK prime ministers, she had the profound ability to win the hearts of ordinary people as well as world leaders, with wisdom and grace. 

Through good times and bad, Her Majesty stirred the emotions of her people, both monarchists and republicans alike. She listened and responded accordingly, seeking to demonstrate relevance to the pledge she had made to dedicate her life to serving her people.

There are many analogies that will be drawn and lessons learned about Her Majesty’s leadership, through a relentless commitment to serve her people, in obedience to a lifelong pledge that she made on her 21st Birthday in 1947.

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. 

A commitment of servant leadership, in the unrelenting delivery of a personal service, beyond the call of duty, to her people and the world, that she continued to deliver until her last breath.

But for me, and countless others, we shall remember Her Majesty most for how she made us feel.

To emotionally feel such a sense of loss suggests a feeling of love in some way. Even from those whom might otherwise deny it. 

The outpouring of emotion by millions of people across the world, over the past few days, is testament to the hearts she touched and the affection that she nurtured.

Indeed, many have said that they were taken by surprise with the sense of grief and sadness they felt.

Her Majesty is quoted as saying:

Grief is the price we pay for love

Has there ever been a world leader who was so loved?

I’ve heard it said that you don’t need to be a monarchist or a republican to be an Elizabethan.

By analysing her leadership abilities, sense of duty, commitment to delivering what she had pledged, a woman leading very much in a man's world steeped in centuries of tradition and etiquette at the highest level, it is unquestionable that Her Majesty has left an indelible mark in the world's history books.

Her Majesty was an exceptional leader who led from the heart.  

Thank you for leading from the heart and winning ours as you did so, Your Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. RIP