Grace, Gravitas and Plain Old Common Sense

Over recent days, I’ve spent some time studying the life of Queen Elizabeth II (1926–2022). Did you know that Queen Elizabeth was the longest-reigning monarch in British history, serving for seventy years from 1952 until her death in 2022? In death, Queen Elizabeth remains a historical figure in the Commonwealth and globally.

As we touched on earlier here, Queen Elizabeth II was widely associated with the qualities of grace, confidence, and plain common sense, which were seen as central to her character and her 70-year reign. In fact, those qualities triggered these thoughts and serve as daily inspiration to me as a fellow leader.

First off, let’s define the qualities of Grace, Gravitas and Plain Old Common Sense

According to Linked In, “qualities” encompass traits, values and virtues. To elaborate further, qualities are distinguishing attributes possessed by an individual. They characteristics may be innate or simply acquired over time. Grace, gravitas and plain old common sense are qualities that by the grace of God, I embrace. I like to think that I am a person that tries to model behavior that I both a.) admire, b.) and find noble. Leadership, resilience, determination, and honesty particularly resonate with me.

Traits

Traits are distinctive characteristics or attributes of a person generally considered innate or naturally occurring. They are part of a person’s personality and significantly influence their behavior and reactions. Said slightly differently, traits define a person’s “nature.” For example, I’m an introverted leader. It is my nature. Laughingly, “I think to talk.”

Values

Values are deeply held beliefs that act as guiding principles in an individual’s life. For example, in my life integrity, responsibility and accountability are core values.

Virtues

Virtues are moral qualities or standards considered praiseworthy or admirable by a society or individual. Courage and humility come to mind of virtues that I find noble. Queen Elizabeth II embodied and “lived” those virtues.

QEII and Grace

Queen Elizabeth was often described as the personification of grace, consistently demonstrating dignity and decorum, even in the face of intense public scrutiny and turbulent times. She remained stoic and unflappable during crisis. As such, she was a steadying presence on the nation. Her humility was demonstrated by engaging with others by showing both respect and concern for their needs. Following Princess Diana’s death, her public bow to the funeral cortege was viewed as a powerful act of empathy, an acknowledgement of the nation’s pain that broke the fever of public anger.

Gravitas and QEII

Queen Elizabeth II exuded an inner confidence derived from her unwavering commitment to a life of service and her faith, rather than relying solely on the power of her position. She demonstrated moral courage by leading through example, even when it wasn’t always the most popular thing to do. She stayed resilient in spite of numerous challenges through keeping a positive mental attitude. In spite of getting knocked down and staying down, QEII would get back “off the mat”, dust herself off and face adversity.

Plain Common Sense

QE II’s “plain common sense” was evident in her practical approach to duty, her ability to adapt to a changing world, and her desire to get to the root of all things. She never stopped learning, even in her advancing age famously remarking “Change has become a constant”. In her interactions, she sought to boil things down to their essence often mistaken by some as bluntness. She was grounded in her daily routines.

Despite her age, she never stopped learning and adapting, famously remarking that “Change has become a constant”.

In closing, some practical wisdom

“To be inspirational you don’t have to save lives or win medals,” but can draw strength from “unsung heroes” in everyday life. I like to think that I aspire to be one of those unsung heroes.