@DavidSecurity

On Sunday, April 5th Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II addressed the nation in a rare televised speech and called for unity amid the coronavirus pandemic.

What she said was EMPOWERING!

After reviewing her speech I was able to pull out 3 Lessons that we can all benefit from during these challenging times.

Lesson#1- Think BIG Picture!

“Together we are tackling this disease, and I want to reassure you that if we remain united and resolute, then we will overcome it,” the Queen said. “I hope in the years to come everyone will be able to take pride in how they responded to this challenge.”

Speaking in a pre-recorded video shot at Windsor Castle, the Queen took on a forward-thinking tone. As we deal with this unprecedented crisis many of us are looking for the “light at the end of the tunnel” and when the Queen stated “in the years to come everyone will be able to take pride…” she enabled her audience to look past the current situation and consider the BIG picture.

Big picture thinking enables people to let go of their current fears and consider that no matter how bad things are now this too…shall pass.

“If you think small, your world will be small. If you think big, your world will be big.” — Paulo Coelho

Lesson #2-TEAM Work makes things work!

“The moments when the United Kingdom has come together to applaud its care and essential workers will be remembered as an expression of our national spirit; and its symbol will be the rainbows drawn by children,” she said.”

Everyone agrees that teamwork is essential to success yet it is seldom practiced in corporation and governments. When the Queen highlighted the amazing work of her nation’s essential workers she motivated them and Maslow’s hierarchy shows us that recognition is the KEY to organizational success.

Lesson #3- Authenticity is EMPOWERING!

This “challenging” time…”It reminds me of the very first broadcast I made, in 1940, helped by my sister. We, as children, spoke from here at Windsor to children who had been evacuated from their homes and sent away for their own safety,” the Queen said, adding “today, once again, many will feel a painful sense of separation from their loved ones.”

By sharing a personal story about a challenging time in her life, the Queen was able to create an “authentic moment”. Authentic leaders share stories to connect with their audience.

In this case the Queen talked about a time of great uncertainty (WWII) and how she was able to positively contribute in her own small way. This story is very powerful on many levels. Most importantly it makes her appear “human”…a viewer could easily think “oh ….wow…the Queen was once a child and she went through World War II…” This realization leads to a connection that cultivates courage in the sense of “if she can do it so can I!”.

@DavidSecurity Take

Security professionals can take a lot from the Queen speech because we’re often in a position to advise, empower and lead others.

By thinking BIG we can liberate ourselves from the current “crisis” and think long term. Teamwork is something we can never have too much of because security is all about collaboration. Lastly, the only way that people and organizations will listen to us in challenging moments is if we’re authentic.

Let’s all learn to apply the Queen’s lessons and use her story as fuel to get past this challenging time.

Stay Safe…Live Healthy!