Against the odds, the Queen excelled as an inclusive leader.

For many, monarchy symbolises the class, privilege, and social exclusion present in our society. How impressive, therefore, that Queen Elizabeth was one of the most inclusive leaders we have ever known.

Inclusive leadership in the institution of monarchy

Many view the monarchy as problematic. The institution can represent social exclusion, and a non merit-based class system. Historically, it’s built on colonial wealth and the accumulation of other people’s capital, often with a strong racial dynamic. In the present, it continues to face questions of tax avoidance, most recently revealed in the Panama papers .?And as Laura Clancy says, this monarchical power has been masked through individualised ideologies of gender, fairytale, and love.

However, history shows us that the counterfactual often leads to change. Only when Section 28 was introduced in the UK, institutionalising homophobia in the British education system, was Stonewall founded in 1989. Stonewall, in response to homophobia, became perhaps the most successful gay rights lobby group in the world. It is precisely because of the controversial nature of the monarchy that Queen Elizabeth went to great pains to do good. For example, a number of more inclusive LGBTQ+ laws were signed by the Queen during her reign.

?Even within the most historic and weighty of systems, there is opportunity for inclusive leadership and practices. The Queen understood history, and her place in it. She was curious about progress, different perspectives, and championed the underdog. We can analyse her behaviour according to three important tenets of inclusive leadership, that demonstrate her significant abilities.

1 - Appreciating differences

The Queen is well known for her skill and ability to display empathy and allyship towards other people’s backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. From comforting survivors of the Manchester Arena bombing in 2017, to actively seeking out diversity of thought amongst her entourage, she was open to constructive challenge from others.

Inclusive leadership is about adapting to others, rather than expecting them to adapt to you. Meeting a monarch might be about kneeling and adapting to them, but Queen Elizabeth had a remarkable skill to put people at ease , and adapt to others.

Cultural intelligence is an essential tenant of an inclusive mindset. This is the ability to adapt and operate effectively in a diverse range of national, ethnic, organisational, generational, and departmental cultural contexts. A global leader working across geopolitical contexts must be well versed in this skillset in order to be successful. Queen Elizabeth excelled at this.

Above all else, she was known for genuine kindness . During the pandemic, her empathy was palpable as she told the nation, “we will meet again”.

2 - Building Trust

In a world seemingly lacking in trust, Queen Elizabeth was able to rise above politics and business and connect with people. For an institution cloaked in myth and secrecy, she was remarkably transparent and objective in her decision making. She always said she would govern until the end, and she did. She always said it was her duty, and she delivered. She met every Prime Minister (15 of them) every week, for 70 years. Despite critiquing privately, she never once scolded publicly. How many corporate leaders can claim that?

By integrating trust and psychological safety into personal relationships, by displaying cultural and emotional intelligence, she built a cumulative reputation that was world beating. The fact that countries with different values to the UK have paid warm tributes to her, demonstrates her ability to bridge cultural divides. The Chinese President, for example, has extended his condolences . At a time of Brexit and rising populism and nationalism, she has been a constant in the fabric of the nation. Her presence and role have played a significant role in the way the UK is viewed and received the world over.

?Her sense of reliance, stability, and duty is perhaps best and most recently demonstrated by overseeing the peaceful transition of Prime Ministers, a mere two days before her death. A sense of humour also helps here, many will fondly remember the James Bond skit at the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. This was mentioned in the speech from the UK’s new Prime Minister, Liz Truss, who said of “[The Queen] was willing to have fun, whether on a mission with 007 or having tea with Paddington Bear.”

3 - Committing to change

Whilst the Queen symbolised stability in a world of change, she was not averse to adaptation herself. She was able to oversee the diversification of the Household’s staff, with diversity and inclusion embedded into Royal staff recruitment drives . While there is still a way to go, and representation sits below the set targets, progress has been made . She quietly championed broad organisational transformation through commitment, collaboration, and feedback.

Campaigners called male inheritance, “the last state-sponsored act of sex discrimination ”, and she oversaw the abolition of male primogeniture in 2011 , making first-born daughters eligible for the throne, equal to first-born sons.

Monarchy and inclusion

While monarchies may well be exclusive institutions by nature, republics and non-monarchical societies don’t automatically fare better when it comes to inclusion. France’s Grand Ecoles symbolise the ongoing stratification of French society, 233 years after the storming of the Bastille. The United States might be one of the diverse nations on earth, but it still has a long way to go on inclusion.

Whilst the Queen fulfilled an important role in society, she was also a human being. We all have a self, as well as a role, and the news of her passing is first and foremost a very human story of grief. Whatever your views on the monarchy, people have lost a mother, a grandmother, and millions have lost someone they could relate to and believe in.

The Royal family can be divisive when it comes to inclusion, and there are responses across social media citing this during this period. There are certainly conversations to be had about representation, colonial legacy, and progress. Many have a complicated relationship with Britain’s monarchy and empire. It remains important to respond to this sad news with the true sentiment of inclusion. Instead of polarisation, we can understand and connect with one another.

We can but hope that the next generation learn from history, and step up to the challenge, because the world needs more of the behavioural attributes displayed by Queen Elizabeth.

Rest in Peace, Ma’am.