Magaret Thatcher

Margaret Thatcher: Optimism, self-confidence, honesty, integrity and drive are just a few traits that portray Margaret Thatcher. Her leadership style may be defined as a combination of an autocratic, transformational and charismatic leader. Nevertheless, her leadership style was mainly task oriented. What are her values? Margaret Thatcher considered herself to be a conviction politician. Her leadership was based on clear firmly held principles. Margaret Thatcher’s family and early education in Grantham played a major part in shaping her political beliefs. She was taught strong traditions of self-help, charitable work, and ethics. What make her a great leader? Margaret Thatcher was very influential in her leadership role. She had been tough, forthright, consistent and inspiring. She had empowered and motivated the citizens of Britain to purchase their homes in which they lived at a discounted price. Additionally, companies that the state initially owned were now owned by the community. Her intent was to change Britain from a dependent to a self-reliant society. Margaret Thatcher success of implementing the privatization policy of government assets had improved influential internationally. Moreover, Margaret Thatcher had a firm approached to policy making and exuded self confidence, which gained her the nickname â€Å"Iron Lady†. She was willing to act on her intuition and trusted her judgments. She accomplished her goals and was never afraid to stand up for her beliefs even if it made her unpopular. Despite her colleagues and experts objections, Margaret Thatcher was very confident in her decision making. In Britain, she was an autocratic leader who governed decision making. For instance, while the recession of the early 1980s intensified, she increased taxes, despite concerns expressed in a statement signed by 364 leading economists issued towards the end of March 1981. Margaret Thatcher prided herself of being in charge and winning the majority of her debates. She was very combative; fighting for what she believed was the right way to direct her country. Margaret Thatcher was committed to lessening the power of the trade unions, whose leadership she blamed for weakening parliamentary democracy and economic performance during industrial action. BBC news reported that, Margaret Thatcher â€Å"managed to destroy the power of the trade unions for almost a generation†. She demonstrated courage and positive attitude during the face of adversity. In 1984, Margaret Thatcher barely escaped injury in a PIRA assassination attempt at a Brighton hotel. However, she was adamant about delivering her speech the next day as scheduled, at the Conservative Party Conference. Margaret Thatcher was a transformational leader who inspired others and brought about significant change. Her intention was to lead Britain to greatness by overcoming the country’s economic and financial challenges. She privatized some nationalized industries and social programs, including education, housing, and health care. Britain’s economic upturn in the 1980s was due to Margaret Thatcher’s leadership. She also regained the Falkland Island from Argentina. She took a strong stand against the trade unions during the miner’s strike (1984-85), and moved Britain toward privatization, selling minor interest s in public utilities to the business interests. She also introduced â€Å"rate capping† which effectively took control of expenditures out of the hands of city councils, part of her policies aimed at reducing the influence of local governments. In 1989 she introduced the community poll tax. Where possible, sale of state assets took place through offering shares to the public, with generous terms for small investors. The Thatcher Governments presided over a great increase in the number of people saving through the stock market. They also encourage people to buy their own homes and to make private pension provision, policies which over time have greatly increased the personal wealth of the British population. Conclusion Margaret Thatcher was the first British Prime Minister in the twentieth century to win three consecutive terms. Serving as a transformational change agent, Ms. Thatcher tackle distorted public opinion and braved daunting unpopularity to implement reform. Showing an adept touch at choosing her issues carefully, and fighting battles that could be won, Ms. Thatcher established urgency, formed a strong vision backed by a guiding coalition and planned for short-term wins. Her greatest legacy is the degree to which she institutionalized her reform policies. Ms. Thatcher represented such a unique, decisive, unflinching character, with the ability to capitalize on circumstances and energy. _____________________________________ Bibliography Margaret Thatcher Foundation –margaretthatcher. org Wikipedia