Leadership of Queen Elizabeth I

Elizabeth I, (1533-1603), queen of England and Ireland from 1558-1603, daughter of the English King Henry VIII and his second wife, Anne Boleyn and the last of the Tudor rulers of England was a great leader because she possessed a number of the key qualities that distinguish some individuals as those able to lead other people. She was courageous, decisive, competitive, self-confident, responsible, tenacious and disciplined with a finely honed sense of accountability and integrity and both physical and emotional stamina.

Born in London on September 7, 1533, Elizabeth spent her childhood away from the court and received an excellent classical education under such scholars as Roger Ascham, who influenced her greatly. Henry's sixth wife, Catherine Parr, later became fond of the young Elizabeth and brought her back to court. She remained in Catherine's charge after Henry's death and took no part in the political intrigues following the coronation of her brother as King Edward VI. When Edward died, Elizabeth became a partisan of her sister Mary, refusing to support the revolt against Mary led by the English soldier and conspirator Sir Thomas Wyatts. Despite Elizabeth's evident loyalty, Mary, a devout Roman Catholic, was made uneasy by the Protestantism of the princess and her potential menace as an heir to the throne and, in 1554, Mary had Elizabeth imprisoned on the false charge of having been implicated in Wyatt's rebellion. She was later released, having outwardly prof

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ant opposition. It took both great self-confidence and great tenacity to envision and successfully execute her concepts of statecraft when so few people believed that any woman could be successful as the leader of an expanding empire. Elizabeth's success as a leader was due in some large measure to her choice of able and wise advisers, most notably Sir Francis Walsingham and William Cecil. Choosing capable and able lieutenants is one of the often overlooked qualities of leadership, but it is an essential and vital skill. No one person contains all the skills, knowledge, or personal qualities required to lead a complex enterprise. The insecure leader tries to do everything herself or himself, but the great leader understands the importance of counsel. Religion was Elizabeth's initial and possibly her most intractable problem as queen. She reverted to Protestantism immediately after Mary's death, and her first Parliament (1559) had a Protestant majority. In the Elizabethan Compromise (1559), the Church of England became the established church, and throughout Elizabeth's reign Roman Catholics and Puritans were persecuted. This was perhaps Elizabeth's greatest failure as a leader. Although her actions are understandable give

Category: Foreign - L