Margaret Thatcher Historical Leadership
Margaret Thatcher, Iconic Leader in History
(King, 2002)Chellee Nemec
Abstract
There are too few iconic women leaders in history when in which female leaders of today can aspire to. While the numbers are small the women that did make their mark in history are notable leaders for women of today to emulate. After learning more about her life, Margaret Thatcher may very well be the most influential female leader of our time. No other female leader and many men for that matter have been able to accomplish what she did in her lifetime. She is definitely a leader to admire, learn from and aspire to be like. She has a no-nonsense approach to politics, a quality that I believe is missing in great leaders of today.
Margaret Thatcher, Iconic Leader in History
Thatcherism
Thatcherism encompasses the leadership style, political conviction, economic and social policy of British Conservative Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Margaret was known for her stern approach to leadership. In my research I have identified three types of leadership that exemplify Margaret’s abilities as a leader: trait, transactional, and transformational.
Early on in her political career she exemplified the trait leadership style because she had the notion that some were inherently born with leadership traits like her father was. The documentary The Making of Margaret Thatcher, the narrator says, “Her father Alderman Alfred Roberts fostered her early interest in politics. He was the mayor of Grantham and was involved a great deal in local public life. He took Margaret with him on public duties. He saw her as carrying on his tradition.” (Wiedmann, 2008). In her early years of leadership, Margaret manifested all of the trait theory leadership characteristics that she saw in her father. She was intelligent being an oxford graduate. She was self-confident, determined, lead with integrity and was sociable.
While most people would categorize Margaret Thatcher as a transformational leader, an evaluation
(King, 2002)Chellee Nemec
Abstract
There are too few iconic women leaders in history when in which female leaders of today can aspire to. While the numbers are small the women that did make their mark in history are notable leaders for women of today to emulate. After learning more about her life, Margaret Thatcher may very well be the most influential female leader of our time. No other female leader and many men for that matter have been able to accomplish what she did in her lifetime. She is definitely a leader to admire, learn from and aspire to be like. She has a no-nonsense approach to politics, a quality that I believe is missing in great leaders of today.
Margaret Thatcher, Iconic Leader in History
Thatcherism
Thatcherism encompasses the leadership style, political conviction, economic and social policy of British Conservative Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Margaret was known for her stern approach to leadership. In my research I have identified three types of leadership that exemplify Margaret’s abilities as a leader: trait, transactional, and transformational.
Early on in her political career she exemplified the trait leadership style because she had the notion that some were inherently born with leadership traits like her father was. The documentary The Making of Margaret Thatcher, the narrator says, “Her father Alderman Alfred Roberts fostered her early interest in politics. He was the mayor of Grantham and was involved a great deal in local public life. He took Margaret with him on public duties. He saw her as carrying on his tradition.” (Wiedmann, 2008). In her early years of leadership, Margaret manifested all of the trait theory leadership characteristics that she saw in her father. She was intelligent being an oxford graduate. She was self-confident, determined, lead with integrity and was sociable.
While most people would categorize Margaret Thatcher as a transformational leader, an evaluation
References: Dyson, S. B. (2009). Cognitive Style and Foreign Policy: Margaret Thatcher 's Black and White Thinking. International Political Science Review, 33-48. King, A. (2002). The Outsider as Political Leader: The Case of Margaret Thatcher. British Journal of Political Science, 435-453. Linberg, T. (2009). Iron Logic: Margaret Thatcher Revised. World Affairs, 96-101. Moore, C. (2013). Margaret Thatcher: The Authorized Bigorgaphy From Grantaham to the Falklands. New York: Alfred A. Knoff. O 'Sullivan, J. (2008). Margaret Thatcher: a legacy of freedom . Natioanl Observer, 57-64. Sawer, P. (2012, Janurary 8). How Maggie Thatcher was remade. Retrieved from The Telegraph: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/margaret-thatcher/8999746/How-Maggie-Thatcher-was-remade.html Steidlmeier, B. M. (1998). Ethics, Character, and Authentic Transformational Leadership. Center for ELadership Studies, School of Management, 1-22. Wiedmann, D. (Producer), Walding, C. (Writer), & Godel, J. (Director). (2008). The Making of Margaret Thatcher [Motion Picture]. The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved from http://youtu.be/IIgFqOgADtQ