long live the king
may 2023
Do you love the Queen? That’s what some of my overseas friends used to ask me when they discovered I was British. It always made me chuckle.
You see, despite what people think, us Brits don’t usually spend much time thinking about the reigning monarch.
That is until our dear old Queen Liz left this world.
In September last year the Queen passed on and her son, Charles, took his place as King. And since then there’s been constant chatter about the coronation – and the extra bank holiday it gave us! Now, in our monarchy, the next in line takes their place as King or Queen as soon as the reigning monarch dies.
But then we also have a coronation. The coronation is a big ceremony and celebration to mark the reign of the new king or queen. Leaders and people of importance from all over the world travel to Westminster Abbey to witness the crowning of the new king and celebrate in his glory. The people celebrate too. Up and down the country there were street parties, tea parties and coronation events for the whole family. It’s a pretty big deal.
Now, our new King Charlie has been waiting for his turn on the throne for a very long time. Queen Liz was the longest-reigning monarch ever – making Charles 74 before he became King. That’s a fair old wait… And that’s quite a family business to be born into. Charles has spent his whole life preparing for his role as King. Ever since he could walk and talk people will have been grooming him, training him and moulding him into what they think is needed to be a good King. I don’t know if it’s a life I’d have wanted. What about you?
Now, at Millennium, we don’t liken ourselves to the monarchy. But we are a family business and I like to think that one day Connor will take his place as leader. Don’t panic! I’m not retiring anytime soon! You can’t get rid of me that easily! But with preparing for the future in mind, you might start to see a bit more of Connor as he joins me on my travels and attends the networks – preparing him to one day take over his role as leader. I don’t know how long he’ll have to wait, I don’t have any retirement plans just yet, but I doubt it’ll be 74 years like good ol’ King Charlie!
So how about you? Do you have a succession plan for your business? Do you have an exit plan? Someone lined up to take the helm when you step down as leader? I’d love to hear your plans…