What does it take to achieve long-term support as a national leader? One thing the Sovereign has to face beyond any political leader is their lifelong appointment. Given the turmoil of parliament right now, my mind is drawn to the Queen’s initial response to Princess Diana’s death which proved so unpopular. On reflection, her subsequent shift in response renewed the country’s admiration of her and many current leaders could learn from that moment in time.
Watching Liz Truss resign and her prior struggle to hold onto the role of Prime Minister, it’s clear not everyone can do what the Queen did. The overriding difference in my opinion was the Queen’s previous excellent leadership before hitting a crisis, and the utter lack of leadership by our now exiting Prime Minister. Liz Truss was not able to step into her role, provide substance for her decisions, or create any sense of consistency. She may have had poor advice, but that’s the strength of a great leader, selecting whose advice to take and which to ignore. When it comes down to it, a lack of prioritisation or underlying justification behind her policies, finally forced her to admit she could not cope.
A true leader gains the support of her or his colleagues, and its notoriously difficult to become the leader of people previously your peers. Their attitude shifts towards you rapidly, the silence in the coffee area is tangible as you walk in. It takes an inner sense of belief, confidence in your opinions, and an in depth knowledge of the terrain. It takes consultation, learning your craft, and cultural intuition. The Queen had these qualities in spades, our recent Prime Minister not so much…
As Boris Johnson has already put himself forward for re-election, who knows how our government will look next week. Rishi Sunak would have a high chance given all his predictions regarding the economy have come true – Trussonomic disaster 😅. I look forward to seeing which hats are thrown in, but ultimately a General Election is definitely overdue. Could we just nominate an interim Prime Minister to take us up to the election, or would it be better simply to nominate an election date? Clearly the Conservative Party is unlikely to win, seems like we need a change though!! I’ve started following the three main parties on LinkedIn to get a balanced view – following individual politicians feels a bit pointless at this stage 🤣.
Looking forward to ‘Have I Got News for You’ this Friday! The last episode of ‘Mock the Week’ will have alot of material too 😂. Most recently Private Eye have had a field day as well. Fingers crossed the economy will bounce back quickly. Cost of Living Crisis plans so far, null points. Here’s hoping we’re more successful with hosting Eurovision…
I wonder what our new King is thinking? I would have live to hear King Charles and Liz’s last conversation 😉. Apparently the last Prime Minister to exit that quickly died. At least my next discussion in my local cafe should be interesting.
Love Ruth x
Well Thought Through 