In 1997 I had the great privilege of meeting Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace.

In a two-second interaction, she taught me one of the most valuable lessons of my life.

When the Australian cricket team drove into the courtyard of the great palace in London, we were given a thorough rundown on the protocols of our imminent meeting.

From the team bus, we were guided into a grand room where we were offered the loveliest cup of tea. The room was furnished with the most magnificent paintings and portraits. The scones with jam and cream were the best I have ever eaten.

Within 15 minutes of arrival and refreshment, a light bell tingled, and a voice announced the arrival “in three minutes” of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. We were told to take our positions, which was made up of a line-up, from the captain down, in alphabetical order.

Then, there she was. Small in stature, immaculately dressed. Beautiful. Majestic.

Walking towards us, the tingles ran up and down my body like a million friendly ants running the length of my spine to the top of my head. This was a unique moment.

What happened next though was more special. After welcoming captain Mark Taylor, she then made her way down the line. When she came to me, Queen Elizabeth shook my hand, looked me in the eye and offered something like “I am pleased to meet you.” Truth is I was so nervous I felt like I was going to faint.

This exchange took only a couple of seconds, but in that moment, she made me, the kid from the northern suburbs of Perth, feel like the most important person in the world.

Since that moment, it dawned on me that if Her Majesty the Queen of England can make me feel special, then we have a responsibility to make our kids, our colleagues, our teammates, and even strangers feel special.

To me, making others feel special is the essence of great leaders and people.

After that profound exchange, I had another moment of realisation.

Sharing a conversation with the longest-serving British monarch, she talked with a smile on her face of the excessive time her grandchildren William and Harry spent on PlayStation, the love of her dogs and how much she enjoyed horse racing and visiting the track.

Sound familiar? Although Queen Elizabeth was one of the most powerful and admired women in the world, she still had to deal with ‘normal’ life as we all do.

This was incredibly refreshing and a reminder that, regardless of title or stature, common courtesy, good humour and humility are critical values of the most admired people in the world.

It is no wonder the passing of the Queen has been met with such adulation and respect from many sectors around the world. Not only was she a leader but she also seemed a really good person.

My belief is that you can be both.

My experience is that the all-time greats are both elite at what they do and, more importantly, great at being a person.

This thought was prompted last Monday night when I watched the AFL’s Brownlow Medal count. Amongst the pomp and glamour was a special moment.

Geelong captain Joel Selwood was awarded the Jim Stynes Medal for his service, philanthropic achievements and leadership throughout the community.

On the field, Selwood is nothing short of a warrior. He is fearless, skilled and has played more than 350 games of AFL. He is tough and uncompromising. To some, especially opposition supporters, he may be seen as brute in the ground.

But the truth is, under the surface of what he does publicly, is a person who is an exceptional leader. I have never heard anyone who knows him say a single bad word about him. The opposite is actually true. He is revered, not for what he does on the field but rather, for what he does off it. In a word, he is just a good person, a sublime leader and, for that, he is a hero.

Josh Kennedy and David Mundy are of the same ilk. Elite athletes. Outstanding people. Heroes of the AFL for more than just their football skills.

During the Commonwealth Games, new heroes were introduced to the world.

South Australian Mum, Jess Stenson, won the gold medal in the marathon. Running down the final straight, Jess was thanking the crowd for their warm reception and good wishes. Imagine that. The most brutal event, the marathon, and through the physical and mental anguish, our champion still had it in her to humbly thank the crowd with a smile and a wave.

Talk about humility.

Through the exterior of a world class runner shone the smile of a person who quite simply oozed class. Her modesty was tangible. Her praise of her teammates post-event was heartening. Her family values were obvious.

I have never met Jess Stenson but, my gosh, I would love to one day. What a legend. She will certainly be one for us all to point to, when it comes to being a winner at both performance and life.

Another person I have never met, but see as a hero, is current Australian of the Year, Dylan Alcott. Dylan was the first person with a physical disability to be awarded the Australian of the Year. His list of achievements on and off the court is spectacular. As stunning, is his smile, sense of humour and wisdom.

For a young man, he is a hero to many. An inspiration. Not only for what he does, but also for who is. There is a distinction. But that distinction is less prevalent in the true heroes in this world.

The recent retirement of Roger Federer rounds it all off. He is the epitome of grace and poise both on and off the court. He cries, he laughs, he compliments others. His self-effacing, respectful demeanour has been stirring us for decades. Tennis fan or not, it is hard not to be inspired by Roger Federer, because you can’t help but like him.

Ash Barty, whilst not boasting the endurance of Federer, left the game on her terms. She will master the next chapters of her life journey because of who she is, not what she does.

When I was 18, I met Adam Gilchrist for the first time. Back then I thought this kid is too good to be true. For 38 years I have been waiting for him to prove me wrong. Truth is, he was not only a genius on the field, but he is also just as good off it.

Many of the men I was fortunate to play with, and against, follow similar paths. Equally, those I have coached and rivalled in those shoes are inspiring young men.

My all-time sporting hero Muhammad Ali once wrote;

“He took a few cups of love.

He took one tablespoon of patience,

One teaspoon of generosity,

One pint of kindness.

He took one quart of laughter,

One pinch of concern.

And then, he mixed willingness with happiness.

He added lots of faith,

And he stirred it up well.

Then he spread it over a span of a lifetime,

And he served it to each and every deserving person he met.”

The late, great Muhammad Ali lived through generations of segregation and loathing. He fought the hardest-of-the-hard in the ring. He fought racism and religious discrimination. As an athlete and a man, he was loved, he was hated. Yet he died as one of the most admired men of our lifetimes. His life transcended the boxing ring.

What I have found in my life is that the truly great people, do just as much away from their field of expertise as they do in it.

None of them are perfect. They are human and at times can be polarizing. But the thing about them is that they go out of their way to make others feel special in one way or another.

Despite their excellence, hard work, commitment and sacrifice that distinction demands, it is the humility and care that shines through.

They are the true heroes. Their care and humility are what we can learn from them.

They are also a shining light for our children and generations to come because they are great on and off their fields of choice.