You Don’t Need Eyes To See – You Need Vision

You Don’t Need Eyes to See – You Need Vision

Ep 58

Introduction

This week’s podcast looks at those institutions and businesses who live in the here and now, and pay no heed to what the future may bring. Thankfully most organisations do not operate that way, and most of those are still going strong, and those who are not, are out of the market by choice. Eg family businesses. There are, however, a number of organisations who have been used to always being present in the society that they operate in, and see no reason why this would change. History tells us that this philosophy and framework to operate in is full of flaws, and many of those household names that we have all known since our childhoods, no longer exist on the business or institutional landscapes. Why?

Why have these supposed entities ceased to exist in the modern society? How they fallen out of favour? Is there a common set of denominators, which could explain away, why well known organisations who felt confident that they had nothing to worry about, as their ‘customer’ base was loyal, and that would never change. What did change then in those who disappeared, and what could change for those who seem likely to fall into the same category, and why those same organisations, appear to be the only ones who have not recognised that fact, or that the people around them, advising them of strategic and workforce plans (or at the very least thoughts on those areas of business) know some elements of what is happening in the real world, but it would cost them their employment to tell their bosses those things. So, we find organisations around the globe, famous around the globe, on the start of a very slipper slope, and one which they do not recognise or worry about. Some of them, are about to discover that they bubble that they operate in, is about to burst as it slides down that slippery slope, and if it does not burst on the way down, it will surely do so at the bottom of the slope. There is no way back up a slippery slope with the same personnel, and belief system in place, even if they wore ski boots with the deepest of spikes. The reality is, the quick change of footwear, to the ski boots analogy, has already failed, because nothing else was changed. Ie the company management team, came dressed in expensive skiwear, so that they at least looked the part, but were under the impression that no ski slope would every defeat them. The belief was that this was a slope that they had traversed many times over the years, and they have always survived, caught the next ski lift back up to the top, and travelled down the ski slope with glee and waved and smiled to people along the way, happy in the knowledge that the people were still interested enough to watch they in their annual pastime. Their mistake was to believe that all those watching them were watching for them to succeed, and that they would always be there on that ski slope to wave them on etc. Mistakes on both counts.

This podcast will explore the importance of strategic thinking and business plans based on that strategic approach, not a repeat of the same old same old, with different dates, and a few extra zeros place here and there, and call it progress and successful. Strategic thinking means looking beyond the day to day. It means not to be drawn in to what the image looks like when you look out from your business to the environment around you. Strategy is based on what you cannot immediately see, though the signs are always there. Strategy looks at trends and patterns in all of the Key Performance Indicators that a business uses to conclude the health of the business now, and its likely health in the future, if they continue with the same things.

In other words, we will look at how and why, it is important to avoid focussing on what you immediately see each day, or each cycle that you look up from your desk and wonder what the future holds. Having decided that you think you know what the future holds, ask yourself, how did you decide what to look at and why, and how did that or does that feed into your future assumption on the state of your business in 5 years to come, or even further ahead. Realistically, a business cannot accurately predict the state of play decades ahead, without placing and examining milestones such as annual and 3 or 5 year plans on a regular basis, and amending the approaches accordingly.

So, if we take an organisation or entity such as the British Royal Family, and its 1000+ history, you can see why many Royalists and commentators and media people constantly say that is fine. Look how long it has survived already, and its future therefore is guaranteed. As someone who has worked in this field for many decades, one learns new things all the time, and has to be flexible enough to recognise when the wind changes direction, and whether or not it is a temporary change, or there a growing environmental reason behind it that suggests this could become the norm – to used but one analogy.

It is important to note that Royalists, and commentators and media people in general, who earn a living from talking about or following the Royals, are unlikely to say that things need to change. Whether or not the Monarchy ceases to exist, or operates as a much smaller entity, one thing is for certain, the number of people who earn a living off the back of the Monarchy system, will be reduce year on year from hereonin, and ultimately, we will see media personnel covering multi areas, and not left to focus on just one area. They will all need to be multi dimensional, and move away from the cosy world that they currently operate in. Most business have a limited number of specialists, and a wider range of multi skilled personnel, who can work in most areas of the company, and are often rotated on a regular basis, to avoid over familiarity with the small number of people they are used to working with or for, and also as a precaution, that they can never be accused of being involved in any wrong doing. In too many corporations, like The Firm, many of the staff are in compromising positions, and in some cases, know too much, and as such, can be implicated in things that they would prefer not to be, and if there is to be a sacrificial lamb, it usually comes from that group of staff. In the case of the Royals, where there are people who have been compromised (willingly or otherwise), dependant upon who or what they know about, they may never be let go, just simply moved away from public view. The reason, they know too much; they know where the skeletons are hidden, and it pays all concerned to remain ‘pals’ and to smile and wave together. Any other publicly funded institution would be under closer scrutiny, but for a variety of reasons, the UK treats the Royal family like it is their own family, and they do not want to upset Granny, and whilst they know that there are likely things going on which are not good, they prefer not to think about it, and convince themselves that these people are in that role because they are annointed by God to be there, so who are we mere mortals in a position to question anything of what they may be doing behind the scenes. Instead, the delusion carries as far as believing that the Royal family is an asset, and it brings huge sums of money into the country (they have no evidence of that, but it is something that is printed in lots of places in UK media so it must be true, and if it isn’t, so what?), they are a nice family with a lady who has been at the helm for 70 years. None of them can tell you what has that lady done in the 70 years, but she is stuck to her duty, and stayed in the post, and she is to be commended for that. Slaves stayed in their role too, for decades, but I fail to see how one is revered but the other group is looked down upon, when in reality, the slaves contributed far more to the global economy than any Royal anywhere in any country, yet the views on reparation at best express regret and sorry. I digress, but trust me, reparations will be paid by the world and not just countries where slaves were forced to toil and die for others to take all the wealth generated, and set up structures of wealth. The BRF now seems increasingly as if in effect they have started a new brand of reality tv. Like all these things, even reality tv shows have a shelf life, and the producers of such projects, understand the benefit of strategy and therefore vision as to the changing requirements of the viewers. So, hence the title of this podcast, which points out that “you don’t just need eyes to see, you need vision”. The need to look beyond the here and now, and explore and evaluate the landscape, and make plans for your business accordingly. Do not be swept up with the views in front of you. Look for the wood and not just the trees you can immediately see.

All organisations and entities, are moulded by the management teams they have in place, and the skills and personalities of those people. The Royal family is no different, and this podcast, and the accompanying article, will give some examples of the skills and personalities of the change makers in our society, and examples of those who refuse to look beyond the trees, and in the case of the Royal family, they sit comfortably on their 1000+ history, and feel that there is no problem, and the UK public have never had a say on whether or not they want a Monarchy. An hereditary Monarchy is an added problem, because in the game of musical chairs as to who can sit where etc, the Monarch and the future Monarch have a chair clearly marked out for them, and no one else is allowed to sit on it. So when the music stops every so often, the Monarch or the heir, can amble along to their chair at their leisure, because no one can sit there but them. In terms of the game, those entitled individuals, do not even try to contribute to the game, as they see no reason to exert themselves. They have no need to prance around a set of chairs, and then make a dash for a seat. They have the knowledge that the seat will always be there, and no one is allowed to even walk slowly past it. From an entertainment perspective, what is the point of them taking part in the game, as they are not learning from it, because they choose not to learn from it, because their chair will always be there. No one in that room can decide to play another game, and no one in that room, can remove their designated chair.

Imagine then, the damaged souls that grow into adults, with this mindset, and the harm it does, when they feel threated in any way. Not physically threated, but their role of being the best and knowing everything that there is to know, and to decide who does what when in the family, they suddenly become like a loose cannon. Just imagine if someone came along and was not fussed about sitting on the golden chair, and also saw no point in playing this game that only benefited one person, and not a wider more deserving group, who may not even be in the room where the game is played every day. All of a sudden, the dynamics change, and the one who always gets the chair, starts to feel resentful about the newcomer, who is not impressed by the golden chair, but is more concerned about the actual benefit and point of this game. Traditionalists start to voice their frustration as to why anyone is questioning the game, and anyway, females don’t have a voice and they should not be encouraged to use it, and no one should listen to them when they do speak.

Lets explore the personality traits of people in the business world, who fear change, or worse, believe that change does not apply to their business, and the impact that such a belief system in a family business can have on the staff and ultimately on the profit margin of that business. Add to that mix, a UK Royal family where the heirs to the throne have been treated like they are fragile glass, and as a result have developed into adults with fragile egos, and indulged all their lives, in terms of the tales of how competent they are etc., when in fact, when Monarchs have been competent, it has been luck rather than design, and where there is evidence of competency, it usually been those members of the family who speak out about injustices in the world, and express a wish to want to actually do something, not just allow words to come out of their mouths, which zero intention of doing anything about it.

That 1000+ history is littered with people who stood out and spoke up about the vulnerable groups in society, and all of them sought to widen their knowledge on subjects, in order to be able to speak about things in an informed way. All of them were treated differently because of their convictions and belief system. The first Duke of Sussex and the current Duke of Sussex are very similar and in my mind, The Sussexes are forging a path for future “Spares” to blossom outside of the confines of fragile egos and the constraints of metaphorical chains, and to grow and develop and form partnerships with like minded people. The Title was given to Harry and Meghan I am sure, with negative intent behind it, because of so many similarities between both Dukes of Sussex, and their treatment within the family, but Harry and Meghan have vision, and they plan accordingly, and a blueprint is being compiled for those brave enough in the future to venture out in the real world. The Royals think that they are anointed, but they are not, they are protected from removal by existing constructs. Princess Diana started to lay the ground for the route that Harry and Meghan are now following.

The Origin of the Podcast Title

The Title of this podcast is taken from a track on an album I purchased in the mid 90s. In fact it is the title track. The line has always stood out for me, like most of the lyrics from the group called Faithless. In the article I show all the lyrics, and I also have put the YouTube link to the video itself. For those of you who were around buying music in those times, you will know that Faithless were very socially conscious and their music and lyrics reflect this. I have albums and cassettes of this UK trio, now a duo. Even if you do not know of them, you will recognise much of their music, without realising the people behind it all.

I have highlighted a few lines from the song, the lyrics of which are quite lengthy, ( all of which is shown in the article) but they seem appropriate and it give context to the Title of this podcast, and those in the UK Royal Family chasing after the wrong things in the belief that they are important, but ignoring the blaringly obvious relating to the future of the Monarchy, if they continue on their present path.

Lyrics are from a Song by the Group Faithless, from the Album and Title track : Reverence

Watch me ride…
Take the words and the bass,
Taste, and then swallow me,
You’re chasing the devil
Cos you’re level if you follow me
For quality, and I make no apology
For linking my thinking with computer technology.
Cos this is like a modern day hymn
For the new church,
I search for the truth,
I’ve got a hole in my tooth,
I’m uncouth, yes sir,
I’m from the street university
Where we learn to earn even in times of adversity.
And I will find it a easy when you’re out a hard time,
Petite crime sometimes,
But now I’m inclined to find
A fresh direction, kiss me neck,
Check out the funky section.
Cos this is the part where I start to rip up words,
A comfort coming straight from my heart,
I’m not a mystic,
My views are realistic, simplistic,
One special brew I get pissed quick,
And get sick so I don’t do it no more,
I won’t find peace of mind
Rolling around on the floor.
The point I want to make,
The mistake is to take without giving,
From within,
You know how I’m living,
I’m cool, I’m looking after myself,
And I could never place wealth before my spirit,
I feel it’s unhealthy,
The devil creep around you so stealthy, stealthy
‘Till you get bold, rush the gold,
And before you’re much older,
You’re soul is sold, where’s it getting ya,
Competition starts swearing ya,
Gold-diggers setting you up,
Soon be forgetting your existence,
Do you need a for instance,
I have to admire your persistence
In sticking to a game plan,
That brings you pain man,
And at the end of the day nothing is gained,
So listen to the voice within,
I’ll see ya later,
Pay heed to the Grand Oral Disseminator.
Quite still you feel there’s nothing going on
until you realize the space behind your
eyes is filling up with something like peace
as your thoughts cease some pleasure grows in your soul.
I aint a Christian
Sometimes I feel like diss’in em
But listen I’m just trying to tell you what I know
if you would once relax, chill to the max
these words on wax will cause sweet bells to ring in your soul.
If I say God is alive I know you’ll want to know why babies die, food don’t grow. Why?
Trains smash, plans crash,
situation mash and slam bam
your fellow man – money’s in fashion
it aint rational, because dammit, he didn’t just give us the planet
and its wealth, inside your soul he left a piece of himself, his voice is small
I keep lying and trying,
Denying the call from inside
You can’t hide responsibility
So decide from today just who it’s going to be,
Thou shalt have no other God but me,
So set you free see,
But you’ll have to listen,
And who’s that false idol
I see you kissing?
Money, success and untold wealth, good health
And all you have to do is love yourself.

It’s a fact you’ll attract all the things that you lack,
So just chill
And get off the race track
And take a pace back, face facts,
It’s your decision,
You don’t need eyes to see,
You need vision,
Continue to view the lord as being separated
And you’ll be living a lie that’s being perpetrated,
For many centuries, I’m on a mission I want to mention these facts,
These facts in my rap,
I don’t sing,
But I want to share the peace that they bring,
My name is G.O.D.
The Grand Oral Disseminator.

12 Traits that Bad Bosses Have in Common

Micromanagement may be good sometimes, but what if exists across all sections of the company? Hiring the right skilled staff who can make choices on delivery of the services etc., lead to a successful business rather than slow down its growth.
Bad bosses show no appetite to learn and instead offer a one size fits all approach. They are impatient when an employee does not ‘get it’ and they wont invest the time in learning the right way to manage each individual.
The worst leaders are those that think that they are too good to get their hands dirty and who do not understand any of the services offered by their company or use any of the products/services that they ‘sell’.
What inspires a team is working for a leader who understands them, listens to them and directs them accordingly. Having empathy shows that their employer cares and is invested in their future. Without it, it leads to high turnover and low productivity.
Everyone makes mistakes. Good leaders minimise the damage and look for solutions. Poor managers are focused on blame rather than support and solutions.
Poor leaders use their teams as pawns for their own success.
Poor leaders tend to be inconsistent with their goals and priorities. Lack focus.
Taking credit for someone else’s work is never good, worse when it is your manager. It leads to poor career progression in that organisation.
Lack of respect for employees.
A leader needs to do the work, listen to their employees, learn constantly and have respect for the employees they manage.
Leaders who lack self awareness are generally poor in their job. The effort to be self aware grows your business and helps you align with your workforce.
A sense of entitlement rather than a sense of duty as a manager.
Bad bosses tend to want mold employees into what they think they should be. Good bosses identify strengths and put their employees into roles which can utilise those strengths.

Signs of an Arrogant Person and How it Shows in the Workplace

This is just one example of a trait and how it shows itself in the workplace. There are several others in the Reference Sources below, one in particular, which you may find useful to bookmark and draw upon in the future if ever needed.

Their world only seems to rotate around themselves and only them. They have a sheltered world view that believes that no one could have any other views but that of this individual.
- One example of how this could look is:- tragedies and benefits are always about how they impact the arrogant person, now others.

10 Companies That Failed to Innovate and Resulting in Business Failure.

“It’s crazy to think that 88% of the Fortune 500 firms that existed in 1955 are gone. These companies have either gone bankrupt, merged, or still exist but have fallen from the top Fortune 500 companies. Most of the companies on the list in 1955 are unrecognizable, forgotten companies today. As the life expectancies of companies continue to shrink, organisations must be more vigilant than ever in remaining innovative and future-proofing their businesses.

Here are 10 famous companies that failed to innovate, resulting in business failure”

Blockbuster 1985 – 2010

Home movie and video game rental services giant, Blockbuster Video, was founded in 1985 and arguably one of the most iconic brands in the video rental space. At its peak in 2004, Blockbuster employed 84,300 people worldwide and had 9,094 stores. Unable to transition towards a digital model, Blockbuster filed for bankruptcy in 2010.

In 2000, Netflix approached Blockbuster with an offer to sell their company to Blockbuster for US$50 million. The Blockbuster CEO, was not interested in the offer because he thought it was a “very small niche business” and it was losing money at the time. As of July 2017, Netflix had 103.95 million subscribers worldwide and a revenue of US$8.8bn.

Polaroid 1937- 2001

Founded in 1937, Polaroid is best known for its Polaroid instant film and cameras. Despite its early success in capturing a market that had few competitors, Polaroid was unable to anticipate the impact that digital cameras would have on its film business. Falling into the ‘success trap’ by exploiting only their (historically successful) business activities, Polaroid neglected the need to explore new territory and enhance their long-term viability.

The original Polaroid Corporation was declared bankrupt in 2001. the brand and intellectual property of the Polaroid corporation was acquired by the largest shareholder of the Impossible Project, which had originally started out in 2008 by producing new instant films for Polaroid cameras Impossible Project was renamed Polaroid Originals in September 2017.

Toys R Us 1948 – 2017

Toys “R” Us is a more recent story about the financial struggle one of the world’s largest toy store chains. With the benefit of hindsight, Toys “R” Us may have led to its own undoing when it signed a 10-year contract to be the exclusive vendor of toys on Amazon in 2000. Amazon began to allow other toy vendors to sell on its site in spite of the deal, and Toys “R” Us sued Amazon to end the agreement in 2004. As a result, Toys “R” Us missed the opportunity to develop its own e-commerce presence early on.

Pan Am 1927 – 1991

Pan American World Airways (aka Pan Am), founded in 1927, was the largest international air carrier in the United States. The company was known as an industry innovator and was the first airline to offer computerised reservation systems and jumbo jets. By over-investing in its existing business model and not investing in future, horizon 3, innovations, Pan Am filed for bankruptcy in 1991.

Borders 1971 – 2011

Borders was an international book and music retailer, founded by two entrepreneurial brothers while at university. With locations all around the world but mounting debt, Border was unable to transition to the new business environment of digital and online books. Its missteps included holding too much debt, opening too many stores as well as jumping into the e-reader business to late.

Pets(dot)com 1998 – 2000

Pets.com was an online business that sold pet accessories and supplies direct to consumers over the World Wide Web Pets.com is a memorable cautionary tale of a high-profile marketing campaign coupled with weak fundamentals (and poor timing).

Tower Records 1960 – 2004

A pioneer in its time, Tower Records was the first to create the concept of the retail music mega-store. Tower Records could not keep up with digital disruptions such as music piracy, iTunes and streaming businesses such as Spotify and Pandora.

Compaq 1982 – 2002

Compaq was one of the largest sellers of PCs in the entire world in the 1980s and 1990s. Compaq ultimately struggled to keep up in the price wars against Dell and was acquired for US$25 billion by HP in 2002. The Compaq brand remained in use by HP for lower-end systems until 2013 when it was discontinued.

General Motors – 1908 – 2009

After being one of the most important car manufacturers for more than 100 years, and one of the largest companies in the world, General Motors also resulted in one of history’s largest bankruptcies. Failure to innovate and blatantly ignoring competition were key to the company’s demise.

Kodak 1889-2012

At one time the world’s biggest film company, Kodak could not keep up with the digital revolution, for fear of cannibalizing its strongest product lines.

10 Countries That Abolished their Monarchies

King Louis XVI of France took the throne in 1774, but food shortages and economic troubles prompted mass rebellion in the form of the French Revolution in 1789. The monarchy was then formally abolished in 1792. King Louis and his wife, Marie Antoinette, were imprisoned and eventually executed by guillotine.

King Manuel II of Portugal with his mother, Queen Amelia, in 1908.

Manuel II was the last king of Portugal, ruling from 1908 until the country became a republic in 1910. He unexpectedly became king at age 18 after his father and older brother were assassinated in Lisbon. Manuel then fled to London in 1910 when the revolution broke out.

Some descendants of the Portuguese royal family remain, such as Dom Duarte, Duke of Braganza, but they are regarded by the government as representatives of the monarchy with no actual power.

Czar Nicholas II of Russia abdicated the throne in 1917, bringing an end to the Romanov dynasty.

Czar Nicholas II of Russia is shown in formal dress uniform in this undated photo circa 1914. AP

Czar Nicholas II, who had ruled Russia since 1894, was forced to abdicate in 1917 amid strikes and protests in Petrograd (now St. Petersburg). Known as the February Revolution, the movement brought an end to 300 years of the Romanov dynasty’s rule in Russia.

Nicholas, who was first cousins with Britain’s King George V, was held in captivity with his family until they were killed by Bolshevik forces in 1918.

Kaiser Wilhelm II, a grandson of Queen Victoria, was the last German emperor and king of Prussia.

Kaiser Wilhelm II. T.H. Voigt/ullstein bild via Getty Images

Wilhelm II became kaiser after the death of his father in 1888. A series of public blunders and misplaced spending during World War I led to his abdication in 1918, which was announced before he’d actually agreed to it. He lived out the rest of his life in exile in the Netherlands.

The Ottoman Empire ended in 1922, and Turkey became a republic a year later.

An 18th-century painting shows the sultan of the Ottoman Empire, Selim III, receiving dignitaries at the Gate of Felicity in Istanbul. DeAgostini/Getty Images

When the Ottoman Turks were defeated in World War I, most of their territories were divided up between Britain, France, Greece, and Russia in the Treaty of Lausanne. The title of Ottoman Sultan ended in 1922, and the Grand National Assembly declared Turkey a republic in 1923.

The Greek monarchy existed from 1832 to 1924, and again from 1935 to 1974.

Members of the Greek royal family, including King Constantine I (second right). Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images

Greece was first declared a republic in 1924 by the Greek National Assembly. King George II went into exile until 1935, when the Populist party rose to power in the Assembly and reinstated the monarchy.

It was abolished for good under a military regime that declared a republic for a second time in 1973. A government election was held the following year. Constantine II was the last king of Greece, ruling from 1964 to 1974.

He was exiled and moved to London, but in 2013, it was reported that the king and his wife had returned to Athens because of soaring London property prices — and because he was homesick.

Italy became a republic in 1946, ending the rule of the royal family.

The royal family pictured in 1930. AP

The last king of Italy, Victor Emmanuel III, remains a controversial figure. During his reign, he enabled Benito Mussolini’s fascist regime and legalized the persecution of Jews. After Italy voted to become a republic in 1946, Victor Emmanuel left the country and lived in exile in Egypt until his death in 1947.

Romania’s monarchy ended in 1947, but members of the royal family remain prominent.

Michael I of Romania (center), his daughter Princess Margaret (left) and consort Prince Radu Duda (right) arrive at The National Opera in 2011. DANIEL MIHAILESCU/AFP via Getty Images

Romania became a constitutional monarchy in 1881, and the monarchy was dissolved altogether in 1947 when communists came to power. King Michael I, the last king of Romania and a distant cousin of Queen Elizabeth, lived out the rest of his life in Geneva. His grandchildren remain subjects of public interest.

Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha of Bulgaria is one of the only monarchs in the world to have also been elected head of a democratic government.

Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha at his 80th birthday celebration in 2017. Plamen

Trifonov/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha was the last king of Bulgaria. A communist coup in 1944 led to the abolishment of the monarchy in 1946. After living in exile in Madrid, he returned to Bulgaria in 2001, formed his own political party, and was elected prime minister. He celebrated his 80th birthday in 2017.

The name Saxe-Coburg-Gotha came into the British Royal Family in 1840 with the marriage of Queen Victoria to Prince Albert, son of Ernst, Duke of Saxe-Coburg & Gotha. Queen Victoria herself was the last monarch of the House of Hanover.

The House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha as a British dynasty was short-lived. It encompassed the reign of King Edward VII, who reigned for nine years at the beginning of the modern age in the early years of the twentieth century, and the first seven years of his son, King George V, who replaced the German-sounding title with that of Windsor in 1917during the First World War. The name Saxe-Coburg-Gotha survived in other European monarchies, including the current Belgian Royal Family and the former monarchies of Portugal and Bulgaria.

The last king of Nepal, King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev, reigned from 2001 to 2008.

Former King Gyanendra Shah during his his 71st birthday at his residence, Nirmal Niwas, Maharajgunj. Narayan Maharjan/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images

Gyanendra Shah took the throne in 2001 after Crown Prince Dipendra assassinated King Birendra and eight other members of the Nepalese royal family before fatally shooting himself.

The king dissolved parliament in 2002 during a turbulent time for the country, and he was forced to reinstate it in 2006 after weeks of protests. Two years later, the Nepalese Constituent Assembly declared the country a democratic republic and abolished the monarchy.

Shah has kept a low profile since stepping down, only occasionally making appearances, according to local media.

Current Monarchies

Country	Type	Monarch
Andorra	Co-Prince	Prince Emmanuel Macron and Archbishop Joan Enric Vives Sicília
Antigua And Barbuda	King or Queen	Queen Elizabeth II
Australia	King or Queen	Queen Elizabeth II
Bahamas	King or Queen	Queen Elizabeth II
Bahrain	King or Queen	King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa
Belgium	King or Queen	King Philippe
Belize	King or Queen	Queen Elizabeth II
Bhutan	King or Queen	King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck
Cambodia	King or Queen	King Norodom Sihamoni
Canada	King or Queen	Queen Elizabeth II
Denmark	King or Queen	Queen Elizabeth II
Eswatini	King or Queen	King Mswati III
Grenada	King or Queen	Queen Elizabeth II
Jamaica	King or Queen	Queen Elizabeth II
Japan	Emperor	Emperor Naruhito
Jordan	King or Queen	King Abdullah II
Kuwait	Emir	Emir Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah
Lesotho	King or Queen	King Letsie III
Liechtenstein	Sovereign Prince	Sovereign Prince Hans-Adam II
Luxembourg	Grand Duke	Grand Duke Henri
Malaysia	Yang di-Pertuan Agong	Yang di-Pertuan Agong Abdullah
Monaco	Sovereign Prince	Sovereign Prince Albert II
Morocco	King or Queen	King Mohammed VI
Netherlands	King or Queen	King Willem-Alexander
New Zealand	King or Queen	Queen Elizabeth II
Norway	King or Queen	King Herald V
Oman	Sultan	Sultan Haitham bin Tarik
Papua New Guinea	King or Queen	Queen Elizabeth II
Qatar	Emir	Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani
Saint Kitts And Nevis	King or Queen	Queen Elizabeth II
Saint Lucia	King or Queen	Queen Elizabeth II
Saint Vincent And the Grenadines	King or Queen	Queen Elizabeth II
Saudi Arabia	King or Queen	King Salman
Solomon Islands	King or Queen	Queen Elizabeth II
Spain	King or Queen	King Felipe VI
Sweden	King or Queen	King Carl XVI Gustaf
Thailand	King or Queen	King Rama X
Tonga	King or Queen	King Tupou VI
Tuvalu	King or Queen	Queen Elizabeth II
United Arab Emirates	President	President Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan
United Kingdom	King or Queen	Queen Elizabeth II
Vatican City	Pope	Pope Francis

Monarchs, Consorts, and Heirs of the World, 2022

United Kingdom of Great
Britain & Northern Ireland

Antigua & Barbuda
Australia
Bahamas
Belize
Canada
Grenada
Jamaica
New Zealand
Papua New Guinea
St. Kitts & Nevis
St. Lucia
St. Vincent & the Grenadines
Solomon Islands
Tuvalu
Queen Elizabeth II21 Apr 19266 Feb 1952

Prince Charles,
Prince of Wales (1948)Nation of Brunei
Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah15 Jul 19464 Oct 1967
Queen Saleha (1946)
Crown Prince Al-Muhtadee
Billah (1974)Kingdom of Denmark
Queen Margrethe II16 Apr 194014 Jan 1972

Crown Prince Frederik (1968)Kingdom of Sweden
King Carl XVI Gustaf30 Apr 194615 Sep 1973
Queen Silvia (1943)
Crown Princess Victoria
(1977)Kingdom of Eswatini
King Mswati III19 Apr 196825 Apr 1986(15 wives)
Principality of Liechtenstein
Prince Hans Adam II14 Feb 194513 Nov 1989

Her. Prince Alois (1968)Kingdom of Norway
King Harald V21 Feb 193717 Jan 1991
Queen Sonja (1937)
Crown Prince Haakon (1973)Kingdom of Lesotho
King Letsie III17 Jul 19637 Feb 1996
Queen ‘Masenate Mohato
Seeiso (1976)
Prince Lerotholi Seeiso
(2007)Hashemite Kingdom of
Jordan
King Abdullah II30 Jan 19627 Feb 1999
Queen Rania (1970)
Crown Prince Hussein (1994)Kingdom of Bahrain
King Hamad bin Isa
Al Khalifa28 Jan 19506 Mar 1999
Princess Consort Sabika
(1948)
Crown Prince Salman (1969)Kingdom of Morocco
King Mohammed VI21 Aug 196323 Jul 1999

Crown Prince Moulay Hassan
(2003)Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
Grand Duke Henri16 Apr 19557 Oct 2000
Grand Duchess
Maria Teresa (1956)
Her. Grand Duke
Guillaume (1981)Kingdom of Cambodia
King Norodom Sihamoni14 May 195314 Oct 2004

Principality of Monaco
Prince Albert II14 Mar 19586 Apr 2005
Princess Charlene (1978)
Prince Jacques (2014)Kingdom of Bhutan
King Jigme Khesar
Namgyel Wangchuk21 Feb 19809 Dec 2006
Queen Jetsun Pema (1990)
Crown Prince Jigme
Namgyel Wangchuck (2016)Kingdom of Tonga
King Tupou VI12 Jul 195918 Mar 2012
Queen Nanasipau’u (1954)
Crown Prince Tupoutoʻa
ʻUlukalala (1985)Kingdom of the Netherlands
King Willem-Alexander27 Apr 196730 Apr 2013
Queen Maxima (1971)
Catherina Amalia,
Princess of Orange (2003)State of Qatar
Emir Tamim bin Hamad3 Jun 198025 Jun 2013(3 wives)
Deputy Emir Abdullah (1988)Kingdom of Belgium
King Philippe15 Apr 196021 Jul 2013
Queen Mathilde (1973)
Princess Elisabeth,
Duchess of Brabant (2001)Kingdom of Spain
King Felipe VI30 Jan 196819 Jun 2014
Queen Letizia (1972)
Leonor, Princess
of Asturias (2005)Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
King Salman31 Dec 193523 Jan 2015

Crown Prince Mohammad
(1985)Kingdom of Thailand
King Vajiralongkorn28 Jul 195213 Oct 2016
Queen Suthida (1978)
Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti
(2005)Federation of Malaysia
King Abdullah of Pahang30 Jul 195931 Jan 2019
Queen Tunku Azizah
Aminah Maimunah (1960)
State of Japan
Emperor Naruhito23 Feb 19601 May 2019
Empress Masako (1963)
Fumihito, Prince Akishino
(1965)Sultanate of Oman
Sultan Haitham bin Tariq13 Oct 195511 Jan 2020
Sayyida Ahad bint Abdullah
Crown Prince Theyazin (1990)State of Kuwait
Emir Nawaf Al-Ahmad
Al-Jaber Al-Sabah25 Jun 193730 Sep 2020Sharifa Sulaiman Al-Jasem
Crown Prince Meshaal (1940)United Arab Emirates
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan,
Emir of Abu Dhabi,
President of UAE11 Mar 196114 May 2022

Royalty of the World at Windsor Castle for Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee
May 18, 2012

Front row (L-R): HIM the Emperor of Japan, HM the Queen of the Netherlands, HM the Queen of Denmark, HM the King of the Hellenes, HM the King of Romania, HM the Queen of the United Kingdom, HM the King of Bulgarians, HM the Sultan of Brunei, HM the King of Sweden, HM the King of Swaziland, HSH the Prince of Liechtenstein.

Middle row (L-R): HSH the Prince of Monaco, HRH the Grand Duke of Luxembourg, HM the King of Lesotho, HM the King of the Belgians, HM the King of Norway, HH the Emir of Qatar, HM the King of Jordan, HM the King of Bahrain, HM the Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia.

Back row (L-R): HH Prince Nasser Mohamed of Kuwait, HH the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, HRH the Crown Prince of Yugoslavia, HM the King of Tonga, HRH the Crown Prince of Thailand, HRH Princess Lalla Meryem of Morocco, HRH Prince Mohammed bin Nayaf of Saudi Arabia.

Direct quote from the Harvard Business Review

FIVE REASONS WHY ONCE SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSES MAY FAIL

June 5, 2019

Harvard Business Review recently released the top 10 reasons why once successful businesses fail. Here are the top five. Success today does not guarantee future success. Keep innovating and taking risks!

1 – Lack of planning – Businesses fail because of the lack of short-term and long-term planning. Your plan should include where your business will be in the next few months to the next few years. Include measurable goals and results. The right plan will include specific to-do lists with dates and deadlines. Failure to plan will damage your business.

2 – No differentiation – It is not enough to have a great product. You also have to develop a unique value proposition, without you will get lost among the competition. What sets your business apart from the competition? What makes your business unique? It is important that you understand what your competitors do better than you. If fail to differentiate, you will fail to build a brand.

3 – Ignoring customer needs – Every business will tell you that the customer is #1, but only a small percentage acts that way. Businesses that fail lose touch with their customers. Keep an eye on the trending values of your customers. Find out if they still love your products. Do they want new features? What are they saying? Are you listening?

4 – Leadership failure – Businesses fail because of poor leadership. The leadership must be able to make the right decisions most of the time. From financial management to employee management, leadership failures will trickle down to every aspect of your business. The most successful entrepreneurs learn, study, and reach out to mentors to improve their leadership skills.

5 – Inability to learn from failure – We all know that failure is usually bad, yet it is rare that businesses learn from failure. Realistically, businesses that fail, fail for multiple reasons. Often entrepreneurs are oblivious about their mistakes. Learning from failures is difficult.

Reasons Why Monarchies Cease to Exist

Monarchies have ended for a variety of reasons — military coups, democratic elections, or murder.
Some royal family members remain prominent after their monarchies are abolished, while others are forced into exile.
The last king of Bulgaria was elected as the country’s prime minister more than 50 years after the monarchy was abolished.

How many Royal Families are there in the World

Countries With Royal Families. Of the 26 monarchies around the world, 12 are in Europe

Wonder where and how the British Royal Family would occupy themselves if/when they are removed in the future? We have seen that managers without adequate skills can have a devastating impact on the workforce. It is debateable whether or not any of the current set of BRF have adequate skills, because the only requirement in Royal circles is the order of birth and to whom, not actually how competent you are. The position is decided as soon as pregnancy is known, and no choice is given to any of the siblings that follow as to whether or not they will be content to be the footstool of the older sibling and to be the Whipping Boy for any misdemeanours of that older sibling. The Uk and the wider world has seen how the UK Monarchy operates if one of the children express a desire to leave.

There has been no workforce planning as to how they can deliver whatever they consider to be a service to the UK, with the resources they have. More than half the resources are above the age of 65. No one at any age is ever been considered for training and development at a young age, in relation to the positions and responsibilities that lay ahead.

We are now in a situation with a weak monarchy, and the next two lined up for the throne, both of whom who are severely lacking in different skills and ethics and codes of behaviour, to stand up and claim to be representing the Uk on a whole range of things. The two combined do not make a whole competent person, and the fact that they are jealous of each other, and both wanting the throne for different reasons, the impact on the country is secondary. One has been waiting for over 70 years for the position, and the other just wants to add another Title to his collection. Beyond that it is extremely doubtful that other than the power kick it appears to give him, it all seems self gratification, rather than consideration of the benefits to the community. It needs to be said that some sections ofd the UK population are not seen as worthy as others for senior Royals, and that is a concern to people of colour. The evidence of how they have accepted or not the only person of colour into the Royal family, and how that member of the family was treated, and is still treated badly and maligned daily, has had to move out of the UK and live on another continue, in order to reduce the risk to life of the Sussex family. The 2^nd in Line has made it a full time job to try and destroy his brother and his family, purely because he chose an independent life away from the Monarchy, and a life that is not reliant on the UK tax payer. The Sussexes are self financing and are extremely successful to date, and in demand globally. The 2^nd in Line wants to destroy the success, in the mistaken belief that if the Sussexes are not seen in the public eye as successful business people, that somehow, by default the UK Monarchy will be seen in glowing colours. It is mistaken belief that respect and adoration will come ones way by title alone. Just like the traits of arrogant managers mentioned earlier and the impact on the workforce and the business outcomes achieved as a result, this plays out in the same way. An entitled person believing that just being them will be enough to make them shine bright and adored. Well the spotlight in the Uk is now on the the whole BRF and it is not working out too well for them. Much as the UK media have tried, they cannot blame the Successes for that outcome in terms of the BRF the establishment wanted in the UK.

The Uk is left with a Monarchy comprising of people who are not respected or liked, and at best, most of the UK could care less about. Either one of those conclusions does not bode well for the family post Queen Elizabeth. 1000+ years of history, does not in any way justify continuing with the construct. I see no evidence of competency for the roles handed out like confetti, and the cosplay that goes on in ceremonies, for duties and tasks none of them have ever done. The entitlement and arrogance is off the scale, against a backdrop of very questionable activity, which if done by other members of society, there would be pages of it in the tabloids with lots of salacious headlines.

Monarchies are on the decline, and one day they will all be gone. I personally believe that the UK is going to be gone before the majority eventually feel the requirements of a Republic. What do you think?