Leaders Learn From Margaret Thatcher

Lessons women learn from Margaret Thatcher

In a recent book Women Lead that compiled the findings of two studies on women and leadership. Margaret Thatcher was noted in interviews with over 200 women as one of the top ten most admired women along with women's mothers, Hillary Clinton, Condoleezza Rice, and Oprah Winfrey etc.

Women noted that they admired her for the following reasons:

• She came from humble beginnings and rose to be Britain's first female prime minister
• She held strong opinions and make no qualms about sharing them.
• She understood partnerships and how to make them work such as relations with the US.
• She was a hard worker, confident, and led with clarity.
• She got things done.

While many women noted that she was a woman that you either admired or not she led with conviction and that was a trait that is important for leaders.

Tips from Women Lead

• Live without regrets. Take risks. Women stress the importance of taking risks and not regretting the risks that they take. Woman noted that when you have one life you don't want to reflect back on the missed opportunities.
• Let nothing stand in your way. Overcome obstacles. Many women shared that they learned from their mothers to not let anything stand in their way and this advice they will continue to pass on to their daughters and granddaughters.
• Be true to your own personal vision. Know thyself. Women interviewed noted that younger women should listen to their inner voices and be authentic to themselves. Self-knowledge is critical to developing your life path.
• Learn from Life's complexities. Women noted that there are no mistakes but rather complexities in life that create opportunities for learning.
• Make yourself heard. Speak up. Women stated that women should have the confidence to speak up and be heard and don't pass on opportunities to contribute to the conversation.
• Embrace education- all kinds. Women emphasized the importance of education and continual learning both formal and informal. Education was the top ranked attribute of leaders by both men and women in the quantitative study.

As Margaret Thatcher said it best,

If you want something said, ask a man. If you want something done, ask a woman.