Timing is of course everything in PR and marketing.  I witnessed a beautiful example of this recently coming out of Denmark.  Queen Margrethe II reigned for 52 years, abdicating just a couple of weeks ago in January, 2024.  She has been succeeded by her son King Frederik X, and if anyone ever needed advice on how to follow a queen of 52 years, it’s Frederik, who has to fill some very regal slippers indeed.

Fun fact:  both Queen Margrethe II and Queen Elizabeth II of England are great-great granddaughters of Queen Victoria of England, who lived from 1837 to 1901 and reigned for just under 64 years.  (Queen Elizabeth II still has everyone beat, reigning for an amazing 70 years before turning the country over to Charles III.) It’s an impressive family.

Back to the advice for the new King.  Trine Nebel, longtime political commentator and Assistant Professor and Management Rhetorician, Professional College Absalon in Denmark, and I have often exchanged views on each other’s political worlds over the years and become friends during those heated discussions.  So, I was not surprised when she published an op-ed piece in the Danish consortium of newspapers which covers most of that country on the subject of the succession.

In the piece, she offers 10 ideas for the new King to ponder based on the leadership principles that her college, Absalon, teaches its students as part of the leadership training course that all leaders in the government must take in order to retain their positions over time.  It’s a clever, fun way to give the King some advice, talk up the school, and spread the word on good leadership practices at the same time.

Because her timing was perfect, the op-ed piece received widespread notice throughout Denmark, and the school earned a nice moment in the spotlight.  Trine is already well-known in Denmark and has appeared on Danish television and in the press over the years, so she is a trusted source for journalists and commentators to reference, quote, and comment on themselves.

In short, her piece has all the necessary attributes to go viral in her world.  It’s timely, it addresses a hot topic, she is already a trusted commentator, and the clear structure of the op-ed makes it easily digestible and implicitly gives the reader a way to think about the new King’s role that is relevant and fun.

Here’s her advice in summary form.  I link above to the translated version of the piece, but please understand that Google translate doesn’t do justice to the sparkle and wit of her prose.

Learn from your people – they will mirror your successes and failures and your policies’ ups and downs as well.

Lead with empathy and create a strong professional community.

Your kingdom is a chessboard, where each piece has strengths and weaknesses. Make your moves accordingly.

Nurture your people.

The king is like the conductor of an orchestra – create the right harmony.

Think strategically, two moves ahead. As Trine notes, “we’re not quite done with the chess metaphor!”

Practice honest and open communication.

Be ready to change and adapt.

Don’t forget succession planning – help your son, the prince, develop in his role. A pawn can become a king. . . .

Make sustainability core to your reign. Think about the long term.                                                      

Good advice for any leader, no?  Wouldn’t it be wonderful if our next president could take some of these lessons to heart in our divided country?