As a scholar in Gender and Leadership there indicators that mark a woman’s capability and Queen Elizabeth scored highly in all. These include:
- Her ability to articulate and rationalise both national and international matters of importance
- Her ability to perform and add value to existing systems and discourse
- Her ability to sustain the moral fabric of society and nurture it into an acceptable level to all stakeholders
- Balancing all aspects of life; family, work, relationships, transactions, culture, belief and advancement without bias
- Perseverance and an open mind with a will to learn, unlearn while at the same time adjusting and adapting
- Managing influence without being turned or assimilated
- Balancing emotion and rationally influx to make informed judgements
- Taking time to listen and being slow to respond
70 years of leadership and the image of Britain grew stronger, even after colonialism the Common wealth remained a symbol of unity corresponding to the leadership of her Majesty. She lived through 7 decades of leadership with constant socio-economic change but never wavered. She swam through the waters of leadership with male associates from different cultures and retain a strong presence even when she conceived and delivered 4 children.
There is alot for women in leadership to learn from a long walk of experience from a woman like themselves – even if she was the Queen. It must have warmed her heart to see Britain get its second female Prime Minister, after Margaret Thatcher. And she is lucky to have a role model to look up to hopefully.
Globally women continue to ascend the rank of leadership but with lack of formative capacity building and most times they are co-opted into the patriarchal regiments where they do not become the change millions of women need to reform the injustices wrecked on them or even men need to ensure gender stability.
