Rolex Big Boat, Queen Elizabeth I & Creating a Legacy
I always think of the beginning of September as the end of summer. As a kid, we went back to school after Labor Day, so it has always been a time to start new things for me. Normally, my summer interns go back to school, and I return to whatever I was doing before they started, but not this year. I have four that will be staying on, so I will continue to manage their activities, but what I love the most is the leadership part of the internship. Since I’ve run out of the educational decks from my years teaching leadership at UC Berkeley, my last Monday meeting, which is the educational part of the internship, covered their favorite leaders. They cited Princess Diana as a favorite leader, and we talked about my favorites, Martha Stewart and Oprah Winfrey, but my favorite leader of all time is Queen Elizabeth I.
Queen Elizabeth I transformed England from an impoverished island into a formidable global power. Inheriting a nation burdened by debt and foreign threats, she engineered a remarkable economic recovery through strict fiscal discipline and currency reform, eventually establishing one of history’s first state-run social welfare systems. Her reign ignited the English Renaissance while backing pioneering maritime expeditions that opened global trade routes, chartered the East India Company, and launched England’s naval dominance with the decisive defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588. A master strategist who brilliantly navigated a patriarchal world by transforming her unmarried status into a powerful diplomatic weapon, Elizabeth governed with sharp intelligence, creating a legacy as one of the most successful leaders in history.
What I love the most about her is her active faith. The Spanish Armada was forced off course by Atlantic storms droving dozens of ships into the rocky cliffs of Scotland and Ireland. Over 15,000 soldiers and sailors perished while millions in silver bullion, bronze cannons, and gold treasures were seized. Queen Elizabeth I attributed the victory to unseen intervention, striking a commemorative medal with the inscription: “God blew with His wind, and they were scattered.”
Apart from being a brilliant strategist, she turned England into a world-class center of literature, drama, and artistic innovation by supporting the theatre, poetry, and literature. All of this was her legacy.
How do we shape our legacy?
For me, I have done that firstly with my family and raising my children. I got mobbed yesterday by an influx of schoolchildren walking down the street. They were screaming and quite unruly, and I thought, how will they ever become productive adults? Raising children is not an easy task. The years I spent at home with my children, working in the classroom, coaching soccer, and driving carpool were not as meaningless as they then seemed.
I remember one day I was so tired of my daughters friends who did not know how to use a knife and fork or not talk with their mouths full, that I set my formal dining room table with my mother’s silver and poured myself a glass of chardonnay (the then drug of choice of housewives), and served them dinner. I started at the top. Napkin in your lap, then moved on to how to hold a fork and knife, then how to cut only three pieces at a time, and so on.
Second, I always enjoyed working and managing people. I started my career as a systems analyst and stayed close to technology. A friend told me how important it was to be a good boss; if you did nothing else, that was enough. So I was patient, I was nice and I was fair. My background now helps me develop other leaders through my consulting practices. I love coaching; for me, it is a privilege that I don’t think of as work because I love it so much.
Lastly, with my sustainable sailing apparel company Ocean SF, I am able to educate on ocean causes and the dangers of polyester in our oceans and drinking water. This is extremely rewarding, and my favorite part, of course, is working with my interns! I think they all know how much I care about them. I love creating leaders while building this amazing and impactful brand.
Once again, Ocean SF is looking forward to San Francisco’s sailing event of the year, the Rolex Big Boat Series, hosted by the St. Francis Yacht Club, where almost 100 big boats will come to compete this year in this world-class sailing event! We are so proud to be their sustainability partner. We are also working with Sailors of the Sea and the Marine Science Institute and hosting three informal sustainability educational sessions in the Rolex Plaza the week of September 14th. Days and times to follow.
This is my legacy what’s yours?
Sydney 