Follow the Leader

What the business world can learn from how Queen Elizabeth managed—and served—others

Why is it so hard to retain talent?

This is the all-important question which haunts businesses. High worker turnover not only makes the grueling process of hiring labor more frequent, but it disrupts the workplace and the very rhythm of making money. The smallest mom-and-pop shop to the largest conglomerate has tried hard to retain staff. These efforts generally have not proven effective. Conventional wisdom and much-touted innovation never solve the riddle of rampant employee transience. However, there is a method which proves itself efficient, generation after generation. This approach is far from groundbreaking, yet it has received so little attention that it might as well be.

What is this managerial style?

It has no official name, but amounts to the methodology used by Queen Elizabeth II. Some of those who worked closest to her remained on staff for over 60 years. Otherwise, her household enjoyed a rate of labor retention which vastly exceeded the U.S. average. Elizabeth’s idiosyncratic leadership practices leave much for businesses to learn from. Her uniqueness is badly needed today. By applying Elizabeth’s managerial policies to their workforce, many enterprises may find that their fears of disruptive, time-consuming, and expensive employee turnover have become a thing of the past.