How to Be a Boss: 12 Tips from The Crown

They say that heavy is the head that wears The Crown, but nobody talks about just how much heart you need too. It turns out there’s little room for self-doubt after you’ve landed the ultimate promotion (regardless of whether you wanted it), but fortunately—like Queen Elizabeth—most of us are surrounded by friends, family, and a solid team to keep us supported and focused. Here’s how to channel your inner queen, or king, to be a boss (crown jewels not included).

So you wanna be a boss. Netflix and chill will yourself to get off the couch already. How to Be a Boss (According to Your Favorite Shows) is your excuse to binge all the TV you want. It’s career inspiration, right?

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Whether you’re navigating a new dynamic with your latest deskmate or trying to strike the perfect work-life balance, The Crown provides an interesting template for reaching peak Boss Life™—especially since Queen Elizabeth manages to confront even the worst case scenarios with an impenetrable poker face. We see it in the way she handles rogue prime ministers, or loved ones in existential crisis, and how she wields power by unapologetically making hard choices and sticking to them—all while expressing an authoritative, even-keeled tone.

But we, like The Crown’s heroine, still have to go to work every day and deal with what’s thrown at us. Here’s how to channel your inner queen, or king, to be a boss (crown jewels not included).

1. Embrace those awkward moments of mentorship—you may be the one others look up to.

Alex Bailey / Netflix

2. Exercise your powers of observation, with discretion.

Alex Bailey / Netflix

3. Don’t be afraid to express your disappointment. No one gets a pass just because they’ve got seniority.

Stuart Hendry / Netflix

4. Push outside of your comfort zone. Sure, social functions can be painful, but even allowing a few minutes of face time might mean the difference between a cold greeting in the break room and a lifetime alliance.

Alex Bailey / Netflix

5. Dress for the job you want. Or the job you have. Or the job you used to have. How about this? Dress the way you want. Let the power follow.

Netflix

6. Support your arguments and ideas with visual aids. Nothing screams “I know what I’m talking about” like a photo, video, or a breathtaking graph.

Alex Bailey / Netflix

7. Take time to put your feet up. Everyone’s got limits, and most of those limits are standing up for far too long.

Alex Bailey / Netflix

8. Try something new, already. Empires weren’t built by sticking to Slack.

Alex Bailey / Netflix

9. Treasure your allies—they’ll make their allegiances clear by the way they greet you, regardless of setting.

Stuart Hendry / Netflix

10. Surround yourself with people you trust. It takes a village to be a boss.

Alex Bailey / Netflix

11. Every once in a while, try to get away. Because it’s shocking how helpful not staring at your laptop for even a day can be.

Stuart Hendry / Netflix

12. Reflect on your achievements. You’ve gotten this far and not even your greatest enemy can take that away from you.

Stuart Hendry / Netflix

Feature image by Niall McClelland

Words by Anne T. Donahue