This year on October 13, Margaret Thatcher celebrated her 80th birthday. Here are just a few highlights from this dynamic leader’s amazing life. Margaret Thatcher (1) enjoyed more than 11 years in power as the Prime Minister of England, (2) led her nation to war in the Falkland Islands and won a glorious victory, (3) survived a carefully planned assassination attempt, (4) created a new political style named after her, (5) refused to draw a higher salary than her ministers, (6) was the mother of twins, and (7) was raised in a small apartment that only had cold running water, an outside toilet, and no bath. Considered together, these facts begin to paint a picture of one of the most successful women of this century.

In this article we’ll review Margaret Thatcher’s success skills and take a close look at her leadership and management principles. You will discover how Margaret Thatcher’s insights can offer valuable lessons for your own success and achievement. As with previous cover stories in Personal Selling Power, you’ll find brief benchmark tests (see sidebar) after each major topic. In the same way that corporations look for benchmarks to achieve excellence, top sales producers seek out personal benchmarks for achievement to avoid plateaus and reach higher levels of success. The benchmark questions in this article will help you appraise your performance in 11 important areas. As you discover the blueprints to Margaret Thatcher’s success, you’ll be able to set new standards for your own performance and create higher levels of success for yourself.

A Greengrocer’s Daughter

Margaret Hilda Thatcher grew up in a small apartment over her father’s grocery store in the town of Grantham, located 100 miles north of London. She once told a reporter, "My sister and I were brought up in the atmosphere that you work hard to get on." Their apartment had only cold running water, an outside toilet, and no bath. The store had a post office section and sold groceries, cigarettes, confections and spices.

Her father, Alfred Roberts, was very active in the community. He co-founded the Rotary Club, served on the local town council for 25 years and later became Mayor of Grantham. She described her mother, Beatrice, a trained dressmaker, as "intensely practical," who taught her how to bake bread, make her own clothes and decorate her room.

Margaret Thatcher once reflected on her upbringing: "We were Methodists and Methodist means method. We were taught what was right and wrong in considerable detail. There were certain things you just didn’t do and that was that. Duty was very, very strongly ingrained into us."

In school, she was most impressed with her headmistress, Miss Williams. She once told a reporter that Miss Williams was one of the most influential women in her life: "She always said, you must not be too satisfied with what you have done. You must try to do better. Whatever you have, you must try to live up to the best that is within you!" Margaret Thatcher has designed her entire life based on Miss William’s philosophy of ongoing improvement.

Ongoing Improvement

1. Are you living your life based on a philosophy of ongoing improvement?
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2. Do you feel that your greatest achievements are still ahead of you?
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3. Do you have a methodology for living up to the best that is within you?
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4. Do you challenge yourself to reach higher and higher right after you’ve achieved a great level of success?
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5. Do you expect, encourage and enable ongoing improvement from the people who work for you?
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YOUR IMPROVEMENT SCORE

Politics was often discussed at the dinner table and in the grocery store, and young Margaret felt a natural interest in the subject. She helped in her father’s political campaigns, took elocution lessons in school, learned to play the piano, became a member of the debating team and developed her talents in the dramatic arts. Influenced by an enthusiastic chemistry teacher, she elected science as her field of study, but realized later that she’d rather become a lawyer.

In 1943 she was admitted to Sommerville College at Oxford, one of England’s oldest women’s colleges. She soon joined the Oxford University Conservative Association (the members of England Conservative Party are called "Tories") where her political ambitions continued to expand. Margaret Thatcher was a great admirer of Winston Churchill and helped in his 1945 election campaign. She canvassed from door to door, handed out leaflets and delivered her first campaign speeches. Her lifetime goal was to make a significant contribution to her country. When Churchill was voted out of office, Margaret Thatcher was disappointed and commented later, "To me it seemed utterly unbelievable that the nation could have rejected Winston after everything he had done."

After graduation she took a job as a research chemist. In 1948 the Oxford Graduate Association sent the 23-year-old Margaret to the annual Conservative Party Conference where she won her first political victory. She was considered as a candidate for a seat in Parliament. In February of 1949 her candidacy was approved by a voice vote by an overwhelming majority. At the reception following the vote she was introduced to a guest who offered to drive her to the train station. His name was Denis Thatcher. He was more than impressed with the youngest woman in England to run for Parliament.

Goal Setting

1. Are you clear about what you want to achieve in your life?
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2. Look back at your life and examine where you started and measure how far you’ve come. Are you satisfied with where you are today?
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3. Are you excited and enthusiastic about your goals?
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4. Do you have a clear daily, weekly and monthly action plan for achieving your goals?
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5. Do you review your progress regularly?
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YOUR GOAL SETTING SCORE

The Thatcher Family

In December of 1951, Margaret Roberts and Denis Thatcher were married in London. The beaming bride wore a velvet dress of Tory blue. Thirty years later, in a BBC radio interview Margaret Thatcher reflected on her husband, "I was just lucky with Denis. Absolutely marvelous." She told the interviewer that her husband always encouraged her to use her talents.

Soon after their marriage, the young couple moved to London. While Mr. Thatcher ran the family business (a paint and preservatives company), Mrs. Thatcher waged several unsuccessful campaigns against the ruling Labor Party and pursued her legal studies to become a barrister. In early 1953, when she was five months pregnant, she passed her intermediate bar exam. In August she gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl named Mark and Carol. She immediately hired a nanny, continued her studies and passed her final bar exams in December.

As the mother of twins, Margaret Thatcher received a double dose of guilt and worry — guilt for not being with her children to help them through important phases of their development, and worry about their welfare while she was pursuing her career. Many times she worked 16 to 18 hours a day, and often seven days a week.

In an interview with the Sunday Express, she explained how she managed to balance family and work: "A married woman who wants to have a full-time job needs to be extremely well organized. She has to be able to deal with domestic affairs quickly, make up her mind about household menus and shopping lists."

In another interview she emphasized the need for reliable help: "It is possible, in my view, for a woman to run a home and continue with her career provided two conditions are fulfilled. First, her husband must be in sympathy with her wish to do another job. Secondly, where there is a young family, the joint incomes of husband and wife must be sufficient to employ a first-class nanny/housekeeper to look after things in the wife’s absence. The second is the key to the whole plan. If we couldn’t afford to have resident help in the home, I would give up my career tomorrow."

Balancing Priorities

1. Do you organize your life to get the most done in the least amount of time?
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2. Are you able to prioritize your life to maximize growth and achievement?
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3. Do you spend enough time discussing career challenges and family problems with your spouse, or significant other, to minimize emotional conflict?
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4. Do you take time out to release stress and free yourself from everyday worries and anxieties?
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5. Do you have adequate help at home?
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YOUR BALANCING SCORE

Winning A Seat In The House of Commons

Talk is the principal tool of persuasion for salespeople and politicians. Former prime minister Harold Macmillan once said, "Mastery of the country begins with mastery of the House of Commons." Anyone who has ever witnessed a debate in the British Parliament will testify that it can be a surprisingly raucous place.

Speakers often get interrupted by boisterous shouts, foot-stomping, fist-banging or impulsive insults. Yet it is the free, uninhibited expression of human thought that advances the ship of state through the uncharted waters of the country’s future. Tony Benn, a former leader of the Labor Party’s left wing, once commented about Britain’s democratic process: "Through talk we tamed kings, restrained tyrants, averted revolution, and ultimately reflected public needs in such a way as to help shape public policy."

Margaret Thatcher’s communication skills were charismatic. She expressed her thoughts with simple, yet powerful, words and her delivery showed passion and certainty to remove any chance for ambiguity. Her keen intellect often leapfrogged those who were resistant to opening their minds to a more practical way of thinking. When asked about her feelings as a woman in a field traditionally dominated by men, she remarked, it doesn’t matter whether you are a man or a woman. What matters is your grasp of the problems and the need for action."

In 1959, after running a well-organized campaign, she was elected Member of Parliament by the district of Finchley. In her maiden speech in February 1960, Margaret Thatcher introduced a bill to force local governments to admit reporters to certain council and committee meetings. At that time she was the youngest of the 25 women in the House of Commons (with a total of 630 members). Her presentation had substance, and soon the bill was approved by the House.

Communication

1. Are you able to communicate clearly, confidently and persuasively?
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2. Does your sales presentation have selling power?
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3. Have you taken courses in effective communications?
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4. When you speak, do you use simple words, short sentences and clear word-pictures?
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5. When customers describe their unique situations, do you take the time to listen attentively?
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YOUR COMMUNICATION SCORE

Minister Thatcher Fails Forward

After the 1964 election, Labor Party candidate Harold Wilson became Prime Minister. The Conservative Party selected Edward Heath as their opposition leader and Margaret Thatcher was appointed junior spokesperson on housing and land. Later she took on the job of education minister of Heath’s shadow government.

In 1970, the political tides turned and Edward Heath became Prime Minister. Margaret Thatcher became the government’s secretary of state for education and science. During her first year she made a political mistake that took her by surprise. She gave in to demands for sweeping budget cuts and agreed to end the expensive practice of providing free milk to students in primary schools. When the word leaked out, demonstrators began shouting "Mrs. Thatcher, Milk Snatcher."

Her political opponents were even more cruel. When she introduced her proposal to Parliament, members of the opposition shouted "Ditch the bitch!" The Sun, a London newspaper, called her "the most unpopular woman in Britain." There was little she could do but grin and bear the wave of adversity and wait until the public focused on more important issues. Margaret Thatcher admitted later that the criticism had hardened her. When asked how she coped she explained, "You have to build an armor around yourself, knowing the things they say aren’t true."

Handling Adversity

1. Do you turn adversity into stepping stones that lead to further growth?
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2. When you feel that other people are unfair to you, do you have faith in yourself to go on?
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3. Are you prepared to fight back and win small victories every day?
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4. When you’ve reached the point where you tell yourself, "I can’t go on," do you renew your commitment to "Never give up"?
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5. Do you allow yourself to make mistakes so you can learn and grow?
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YOUR ADVERSITY SCORE

Soon Edward Heath’s government faced the tougher challenges of the oil embargo, record unemployment, a labor strike, rampant inflation and a rapidly weakening currency. The Labor Party continued to gain strength and in 1974 the Conservatives were voted out of office. Margaret Thatcher took on a new role and became environment minister of the shadow government.

To improve its political fortunes, the Conservative Party decided on a new leadership selection process. Margaret Thatcher recognized an opportunity to advance her career and in November of 1974 she informed Edward Heath of her plans to become a candidate for her party leadership. Challenging her former mentor was a risky move, yet she had faith in her abilities, she was confident in her plans and she trusted her political instincts.

Opinion polls indicated that Thatcher had little chance of winning against the incumbent opposition leader. However, on February 4, 1975, her party cast 130 votes for Margaret Thatcher, while Edward Heath received only 119. Heath resigned immediately. When the second ballot was cast on February 11, Margaret Thatcher became the first woman leader of the Conservative Party and the leader of the opposition.

Her victory created a wave of enthusiasm in the country and the House of Commons. She quickly scheduled a whirlwind tour to visit seven foreign countries including the United States where she met with President Gerald Ford and secretary of state Henry Kissinger. To increase her influence on a global level, she delivered many hard-line speeches against Russia’s thirst for world dominance and lack of concern for human rights. The Russian news agency TASS called her the "Iron Lady," a label meant to be derogatory, but she wore it with pride, like a medal of honor.

Taking Risks

1. Are you willing to create new opportunities by taking risks?
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2. Are your convictions more important to you than your need for approval from authority figures?
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3. When you are going out on a limb, do you trust your abilities?
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4. Do you allow enough time for preparation to create the best opportunity for yourself?
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5. Are you aware that it is often riskier not to do anything than to make a bold move?
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YOUR RISK TAKING SCORE

The Long Road To Power

When Harold Wilson unexpectedly stepped down as Prime Minister in November 1975, James Callaghan, a savvy Labor Party member, was elected Prime Minister. As the leader of the opposition, Margaret Thatcher increased her influence on the global scene, and sharpened her oratory against the government in power. During Callaghan’s term the British economy worsened, unemployment rose, there were more strikes, and immigration problems persisted. Yet Thatcher’s shadow government appeared to be stuck in the secondary role of talking — without the privilege of taking action.

Although she was able to increase her popularity in the international arena, her image had plateaued in England. She soon took her own advice, "If you do not at first do what you want to do, you just come at it another way and try again." In 1978 she engaged a media consultant to help polish her appearance. Her speeches became more polished and poised. In an effort to become more persuasive she learned to tone down her voice and made greater efforts to allow her human qualities to shine through.

Margaret Thatcher had developed a plan for reforming England and she was prepared to fight for her convictions. After 19 years in the House of Commons, she knew that she was ready to become Prime Minister. In an interview with the London Times she confessed how much she enjoyed competition: "I must say the adrenaline flows when they really come out fighting at me and I fight back and I stand there and I know: Now come on, Maggie, you are wholly on your own. No one can help you.’ And I love it."

After several unsuccessful attempts to challenge the party in power, in March 1979 she forced a showdown, delivered a fiery speech and proposed a no-confidence vote. After a seven-hour debate and an inconclusive voice vote, the speaker called for a "division" where the members approving the no-confidence vote leave the chamber to the right-hand lobby and those opposing the motion walk out to the left-hand lobby. When the Speaker announced the vote count, Thatcher’s motion had been approved by 311 members and rejected by 310 members. The next day, Prime Minister James Callaghan requested the Queen to dissolve Parliament and national elections were set for May 3, 1979.

The Plateau Trap

1. When you feel you’ve reached a plateau, do you immediately fight your way back to further achievement?
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2. Sometimes we feel that we won’t achieve the progress we’ve hoped for. During these times, do you get more creative, more determined and more industrious?
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3. Are you convinced that for every plateau there are at least ten new ways for starting a new growth phase?
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4. When you’re stuck, do you get competent help to get yourself unstuck?
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5. Do you realize that becoming an overnight success is the result of a lifetime of hard work?
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YOUR PLATEAU AVOIDANCE SCORE

Both parties engaged in a tough election campaign and both parties were predicted to win. The campaign themes looked like a role reversal. Margaret Thatcher Conservative strategy focused on change, reform and renewal, while the Labor Party promised stability. The press was abuzz about the possibility of having a woman as the future Prime Minister. Margaret Thatcher elegantly sidestepped the issue and reminded her fellow subjects that the British would never have beaten the Spanish Armada if it had not been for the firm hand of Elizabeth I. She canvassed the country with a high level of enthusiasm, determination and discipline. Political observers credited her well organized campaign as the key to winning the election.

On May 4, at 2:45 p.m., the Conservative victory became official. James Callaghan resigned and Margaret Thatcher asked for the traditional royal audience to formally assume the leadership of the Government. After the official meeting with Queen Elizabeth II, she was escorted to 10 Downing Street, the prime minister’s official residence.

A huge crowd of reporters wanted to get the first reactions to her victory. She recalled her modest background and credited her father for his guidance and wisdom. To herald the Thatcher era of Britain history, she quoted St. Francis of Assisi, "Where there is discord may we bring harmony, where there is error may we bring truth, where there is doubt may we bring faith, and where there is despair may we bring hope." It was a tremendous moment for Margaret Thatcher. Only very few privileged people are granted such a glorious experience during their lifetimes.

Dreams Into Reality

1. Are you using your talents and ambitions fully to turn your dreams into reality?
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2. Are you aware that if you do what you really want to do, your body will work more efficiently and your mind will work more enthusiastically?
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3. Do you realize that we are all born to win, but many of us have been conditioned to lose by people who have never dared to dream big?
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4. Are you aware that most of us automatically underestimate our full capacities and therefore never put them to use 100 percent?
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5. Do you advance confidently in the direction of your dreams?
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YOUR DREAM FULFILLMENT SCORE

The Leadership Style Of The Iron Lady

Margaret Thatcher’s first cabinet meeting set the tone of how she expected her government to run: efficiently, effectively, where people work as a team and where all ministers were expected to play from the same sheet of music.

Within the first three months she began a series of changes that led to lower taxes, lower government spending and fewer government controls. Visiting heads of state like German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt noticed a "spirit of decisiveness" and the British press lauded her for making good on her campaign promises. She quickly became a rising star in international politics. At her first European Heads of Government meeting in Strasbourg, she stole the show as the only woman.

As her circle of international friends widened, her global influence expanded. Before first seven-nation summit in Tokyo, Russia Premier Kosygin invited her to an informal stopover in Moscow. During the 90-minute chat, Kosygin served Russian caviar and French champagne hoping to bend her ear on arms limitations and the world economy. Thatcher, however, tried to win his sympathy for Vietnamese refugees.

At the Tokyo summit she left other heads of state impressed with her vast knowledge and quick grasp of the essence of complex problems. She was friendly, yet she kept her distance. She made sure that other heads of state would address her as Madame Prime Minister, not as "Margaret." It took foreign heads of state only one face-to-face meeting to realize that they were dealing with an extraordinary leader. Secretary of State George Schultz described her best: "She’s tough and smart. She’s a great and determined lady who’s shown us what leadership is all about." What made her so remarkable was that she understood how to use power. Margaret Thatcher explained, "All power is a trust. We have to use our power wisely and well."

Leadership Power

1. Are you able to get tough when the situation demands it?
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2. Are you able to fully show your human qualities instead of wearing a mask?
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3. Do you have a clear vision for your future?
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4. Do you share your vision with the people who follow you — bringing them enthusiasm, high energy and conviction?
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5. When your subordinates ask for directions or decisions, are you able to direct and decide without delay?
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YOUR LEADERSHIP SCORE

Throughout her term as prime minister she encouraged her fellow citizens to assume a greater share of individual responsibility and to treasure the gift of independence. In a speech to a group of business leaders she stated, "I came to office with one deliberate intent: to change Britain from a dependent to a self-reliant society; from a give-it-to-me to a do-it-yourself nation; a get-up-and-go instead of a sit-back-and-wait Britain." When the opposition noisily jeered her vision, she often used George Bernard Shaw’s famous line in contempt of her colleagues, "Liberty means responsibility. That is why most men dread it." Her philosophies, her personality and her political selling style became even more focused, effective and compelling.

Responsibility

1. As a manager, do you expect your salespeople to assume a greater share of responsibility?
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2. As an employee, do you strive to take a greater amount of initiative?
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3. Do you encourage your employees to become independent from your daily direction?
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4. Do you hold your salespeople accountable for their actions and their results?
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5. Do you reward people in your organization who take on greater responsibility?
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YOUR RESPONSIBILITY SCORE

A Brush With Death

Margaret Thatcher often used to write her speeches in the wee hours of the morning. She enjoyed the quiet time, which helped her ideas to crystallize. Her high level of energy allowed her to get by on about five hours of sleep.

In October 1984 she stayed with her husband Denis in an elegant suite at the Grand Hotel in Brighton, an old seaside resort where the Conservative Party held their annual conference. While most delegates were sleeping, at 2:50 a.m. Margaret Thatcher was still polishing her speech for the next day. At 2:54 a.m. a powerful blast ripped through the building. A carefully hidden bomb exploded four floors above Margaret Thatcher’s suite and tore out a huge section of the hotel’s facade. The results were devastating. Five people died and 34 people were injured as four stories collapsed one on top of the other. Although the bathroom in Thatcher’s suite was destroyed, she and her husband escaped without injury. The Irish Republican Army claimed responsibility for the terrorist attack. They hoped to kill the British Cabinet and threatened more violence in the future.

Margaret Thatcher announced immediately after the bombing, "Life must go on. The conference will go on as usual." She kept her word, and after a short period of rest, she entered the Brighton conference hall at 9:30 a.m. and was received by thunderous applause. She told her audience, the fact that we are gathered here now — shocked, but composed and determined — is a sign not only that this attack has failed, but that all attempts to destroy democracy by terrorism will fail."

A few months later, Margaret Thatcher admitted that the terrorist attack had given her a new outlook on life saying, life is infinitely more precious to me now. When something like that happens, it alters your perspective. You’re not going to be worried or complain about silly little things any more." Like many people who had a brush with death, Margaret Thatcher increased her focus on life saying, life is always scary in some respect, but it is also full of hope. In the end your hope rests upon what you are prepared to do to help things along."

Motivation

1. When you are having a very bad day, do you consciously take action and deal with the problem head on?
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2. When you lose a sale, do you try to turn the negative experience into a learning lesson for further growth?
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3. Do you recognize that even the worst situations never last?
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4. Do you realize that the only emotion that is stronger than fear or worry is hope?
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5. Do you know that the best motivation in tough times is faith?
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YOUR MOTIVATION SCORE

Returning To Private Life

Just as many people in England had a hard time understanding the popularity of Ronald Reagan, many Americans were puzzled by England’s growing dislike of Margaret Thatcher. After 11 years as the undefeated leader of the British government, people began to question Margaret Thatcher’s ability to contribute to further improvement. Students of leadership know that it is human nature to seek out strong leaders, yet once a strong leader is in power, it is equally human to promote new and able leaders to knock the old leader off the pedestal. During her last year in power, opinion polls showed that the Labor Party would beat her and she was seen as "out of touch with ordinary people."

The Bishop of Durham called Mrs. Thatcher’s policies "wicked." Oxford’s law professor Ronald Dworkin claimed, "the very concept of liberty is being challenged and corroded by the Thatcher government." Some newspapers viciously called her "Attila the Hen."

In her own party her management style raised eyebrows since she replaced more ministers than any previous Prime Minister. It was no secret that she expected obedience in her ranks and it was only a question of time until her followers turned into rebels. Sam Rayburn, the U.S. Speaker of the House, was once quoted as saying, "you cannot be a leader, and ask other people to follow you, unless you know how to follow, too." It may be simplistic to say that Margaret Thatcher’s iron will created an element of fear that eroded her support. It may be too easy to call inflexibility the chief cause for her fall.

People close to her affirm that more than a decade at the top did not change Margaret Thatcher’s basic character. However, her legendary success had given her the appearance of royalty and her name became a trademark of a very distinct brand of political wisdom (Thatcherism).

A new generation of people began to resist her strong medicine for improvement. After eleven and a half years as prime minister, three previous election victories, and a glorious military triumph in the Falkland Islands, Margaret Thatcher told her cabinet, "It’s a funny old world, that here I have won a majority of my party, and yet I feel I have to go."

On November 22, 1990, Margaret Thatcher resigned as Prime Minister of England and, without great fanfare, retired to private life.