Member Article

Three Important Lessons Business Leaders Can Learn From The Royal Wedding

Prince Harry joining in matrimony with Meghan Markle was an event that grabbed the eyes of the media and the hearts of the public on both sides of the pond. We bought the merchandise. We celebrated with garden parties. We eagerly awaited the moment when they first locked lips as newlyweds on the steps of St George’s Chapel. Whether or not you’d consider yourself to be a royalist, it was hard to not be caught up amongst the happiness and excitement of the big day.

But it was so much more than an excuse for a right royal knees-up. There are some very important lessons that employers and business leaders can take away from the event. Let’s take a look at them…

**We’ve reached a new frontier for diversity and acceptance **

Meghan Markle is a biracial divorcee, and also happens to be an outspoken advocate for women’s rights. These facts, of course, did not go unmentioned in the media. But any negative sentiments about what this meant for the royal family, and for society in general, were in the minority. Many commented that this represented a move towards a thoroughly more modern face of the royals – something that has been celebrated and embraced by so many.

The same applies for the changing world of work. Business leaders have a pressing responsibility to ensure that they’re developing and growing more diverse teams.

Merely paying lip service to diversity and equality is no longer an option. Businesses that fail to recognise this will find themselves on very precarious ground.

**Teamwork makes the dream work **

Okay, so it’s a big cliché. But that doesn’t mean that it’s not true. Harry and Meghan may have been the stars of the show, but not even this power couple could have pulled off such an amazing event without some fairly extensive help in the background.

It’s overwhelming to think about the level of planning that must have gone into the big day. From Meghan’s carriage arriving at the bottom of the steps at almost exactly 12pm on the dot, to the security arrangements, to catering for such a high profile list of attendees, not a single detail could be left to chance.

Similarly, as a business leader, you cannot even attempt to do everything alone. You may be the public face of your organisation, but you simply can’t do your job effectively without a carefully assembled team of experts. It’s safe to assume that Harry and Meghan never once considered that they could oversee the wedding themselves. The same applies to you when it comes to achieving your business objectives.

**We all love a sprinkling of fun **

On the day of the wedding, the country went into celebration mode. Beer gardens were jam-packed, drinks were flowing, and in residences across the UK and USA, there was hardly a dry eye in the house. We may not really know the couple personally, but that didn’t stop us from enjoying the party.

If it’s all work and no play in your day-to-day business environment, then you need to think about redressing that balance. A culture that encourages staff to enjoy their work, to create healthy and fulfilling working relationships, and to embrace downtime in amongst the hard work, is one that will ultimately help you to keep on hitting your big goals time and time again.

Yes, work has to be done. But for it to be as effective as possible, you need to recognise the fact that your staff are only human. We work better when we’re encouraged to have a little fun. And of course, that includes you, as the boss… When’s the last time that you let your hair down?

The royal wedding was a brilliant celebration of love, but it quite clearly represents much more than just a young couple starting their new journey together. What were your biggest takeaways from Harry and Meghan’s big day?

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Oculus HR .