As a young girl about 6 watching a royal wedding was the epitome of a cartoon fantasy coming to life. Princess Diana would forever hold my attention and render me awestruck. However it was not the royal wedding that kept me coming back for more, I fell in love with her compassion and leadership.
In reviewing the servant leader behaviors; conceptualizing, emotional healing, putting followers first, helping followers succeed, behaving ethically, and creating value for the community (PSU, L.11, 2017) I could not help but think of Princess Diana. Although many in her position would walk through and wave while showing support superficially, Diana went and sat with people in need, held their hands, prayed with them, hugged them, and truly showed compassion. Instead of stopping at showing empathy she went beyond and fought for them to be seen as people worthy of love and concern by all. Another way she showed her passion was in the support of the Ottawa Treaty, which was fighting the use of personnel land mines. (biography online)
Diana truly embodied servant leadership an did not shy away from the backlash she received from others but rather stuck to her personal moral and ethical values. Below are quotes from Princess Diana that truly personify who she was and what she stood for.
“Anywhere I see suffering, that is where I want to be, doing what I can.”
“Nothing brings me more happiness than trying to help the most vulnerable people in society. It is a goal and an essential part of my life – a kind of destiny. Whoever is in distress can call on me. I will come running wherever they are.”
“I think the biggest disease the world suffers from in this day and age is the disease of people feeling unloved. I know that I can give love for a minute, for half an hour, for a day, for a month, but I can give. I am very happy to do that, I want to do that.”
“I don’t go by the rule book… I lead from the heart, not the head.”
“I knew what my job was; it was to go out and meet the people and love them.”
“You can’t comfort the afflicted with afflicting the comfortable.”
“I’d like people to think of me as someone who cares about them.”
“Helping people in need is a good and essential part of my life, a kind of destiny.”
“HIV does not make people dangerous to know. You can shake their hands and give them hug heaven knows they need it”
“Two things stand like stone – Kindness in another’s trouble – courage in your own”
Works Cited:
(2017, May 24). Diana, Princess of Wales – Leadership Profile. Retrieved July 26, 2017, from http://www.leadershipgeeks.com/diana-princess-wales-leadership/
Northouse, P.G. (2016). Leadership: Theory and Practice (7th ed.). Los Angeles: SAGE Publications Ltd.
Pennsylvania State University World Campus (2017). PSYCH 485 Lesson 11: Servant Leadership. Retrieved from https://psu.instructure.com/courses/1848444/modules/items/22449234
Princess Diana Charity Work | . (n.d.). Retrieved July 27, 2017, from http://www.biographyonline.net/people/diana/charity_work.html
Webster, C. (2011, August 09). A Princess’s Legacy of Leadership: Diana And Kate. Retrieved July 25, 2017, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/work-in-progress/2011/04/28/a-princesss-legacy-of-leadership-diana-and-kate/#6a510c8166bb