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MARGARET THATCHER & LEADERSHIP.
Term Paper ID:26805
Essay Subject:
Examines development of her character & leadership skills, personality, psychosocial factors, ideology, religion, charisma.... More...
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Paper Abstract:
Examines development of her character & leadership skills, personality, psychosocial factors, ideology, religion, charisma.
Paper Introduction:
Margaret Thatcher and Political Leadership
Introduction
Political leadership involves many attributes. It often includes a power relationship, a capacity to persuade, as well as intuitive tactical and strategic skills. However political leadership is also framed by an individual's particular emotional and psychological development.
Margaret Thatcher grew up in a small apartment on the top floor of her father's grocery. She entered the political arena at an early age, coaxed along by her father. She often took notes at her father's political meetings, helped out in local election campaigns and worked at Conservative Party headquarters whenever she could (Harris, 1988, p.44). Thatcher was 14 when
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Margaret Thatcher wasthe Iron Lady to Ronald Reagan's John Wayne-like presidential figure.Unlike Reagan, however, Thatcher continued to exert influence long aftershe left her position as Prime Minister.Summary of Her Career Although Margaret Thatcher had long been involved in politics, it wasnot until the 1979 election that she made a larger impression on thecountry and the world scene. Thatcher began her undergraduate studies at Somerville College Oxfordin 1943. She often took notes at her father's politicalmeetings, helped out in local election campaigns and worked at ConservativeParty headquarters whenever she could (Harris, 1988, p.44). She was left withher legacy, which some felt was substantial. And Ramsden, J. (1996). She had already gained a reputation that was to increase during hertenure of being dogmatic and somewhat strident. Finally, despair does not seem her lot. She had a clear mandate for change and a House of Commons thatbasically supported her policies and legislation throughout her tenure. Unlikemost changes in power in the Conservative Party, it was effected by thegrassroots in the party. They were the foundation of her economic policy, both inencouraging privatization of industry and the development of a thrivingclass of self-employed entrepreneurs (Dellheim, 1996). It was the ordinary Mps, rather than the frontbench, who led the revolt and placed her into power. As it was, this basic mistrust and reliance on religious principlesthat emphasize the originally sinful nature of human beings, gave her animage that was not particularly flattering. Perhaps there was more trouble with the intimacy vs. The true believer: Margaret Thatcher. She was aleader, but not a warm, fuzzy one, and not a leader that would ever havesaid, nor been believed in saying, "I feel your pain". She had planned to remain for at least one or two moreParliaments, but this was not to be possible for her. Besides thatinnovation, she was the first woman to lead any British party (Williams andRamsden, 199 ). Harris, K. It depended upon adhering tothe principles that Thatcher identified with British success. Dellheim, C. Whilethinking of herself as a member of the elect for her values and her workethic, the Prime Minister also thought of others as clearly not of theelect. Reitain (1997) saw her workas central to the transformation of the modern British state and economy.The Economist (1996) saw her tenure as revolutionary, resulting in thesmashing of labor unions in Great Britain, the restoration of the Britisheconomy, an increase in privatization, a decrease in welfare, and a generalmovement away from the welfare state that had followed World War II.Psychosocial Development and Leadership Besides being dubbed the Iron Lady, Margaret Thatcher was also oftenlabeled as the "grocer's daughter". Clearly, she had legitimate authority through her election to theparty leadership and through her success in winning the general elections.This was a source of credibility and it provided her with an organizationalstructure through which she could exercise authority. In yet another revolution from below, Tory MPs did not giveMargaret Thatcher enough votes on a first ballot of her leadership for herto gain the victory. Leaders: Thatcherism RIP? Again, refer back to her religiousupbringing. NY: W.W. Her radicalism enabled her to challenge the orthodoxy, and the elite(Leaders: Thatcherism RIP?, 1999). She was one of their own who, through elocution lessons, madeherself a figure of power and authority, while retaining the middle classprinciples that guided her family and her own rise. (1999). Erikson, E. Clearly this didnot gain her support in the long term. That wasto undo her during late 199 , when her leadership was challenged byHeseltine. Charisma is a somewhat mysterious quality thatis generally vested in the person, although it might be more an attributionby others than an instance of the individual's possession of magicalcharacteristics. By 1949 she had become the youngestcandidate to be considered for a Party seat, and the only woman (Dahl andNeubauer, 1968). In any event, charisma is very valuable to a politician,as is apparent from the ability of politicians as diverse as Thatcher,Reagan, and Clinton to escape the consequences of their failures andfailings for many years. T. Her family didattain economic independence, and success at their level. She was able to inspire the party activists inthe Conservative Party, even if she was not viewed as inspiring globally ormaybe even by the majority of the citizens of the United Kingdom.Nonetheless, charisma played its role in gaining her authority within theConservative Party itself. It is also some form of charisma that maintains Margaret Thatcher in aposition of real power in Great Britain, even though that power is informaland partly exerted through her legacy. NY: Norton. London:Longman. Thatcher was not a typical,compromising politician, thought to blow in the wind. Dahl, R. New Statesman,12(553), 6. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall. Change in any society is never easy and in her long political careershe created many dedicated enemies as well as adoring followers. Her early years were characterized by domination of areligion that divided the world clearly into sinners and the saved. (1999). Herpsychological disposition contributed directly to her capacity to generatepowerful positive and negative political passions. This success,however, was not the kind of success the elites were used to. The Economist, 34 (7984), S8-1 . Essentially she was an upstart. However, she wasapparently quite skilled in taking advice from more experienced politiciansand equally skilled in inspiring party members at all levels of the party. (1963). (1997). The two were considered to be tough-minded ColdWarriors with conservative domestic fiscal policies. Weber (1947) focused on identifying the different sources ofsocial and organizational authority as distinct from one another, but itseems as though there were elements of different sources of authorityinvolved in Thatcher's rise to power and successful maintenance of thatpower for more than a decade. Shedid not appeal to emotions, on the surface, but to new ideas about how tochange the country and make it more efficient and productive. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson. While some of these might be problems of gender, they might alsobe more personal reflections on her character and personality. As a consequence,she would undercut herself at the upper levels of her own party. Theprinciples were the antithesis of the "British disease" of unionization andlow productivity. and Neubauer, D. Richards also noted,interestingly enough, that Thatcher's iron resolve was both her gift and,ultimately, the cause of her downfall. Richards, S. NY: Free Press. 6. them positions. The disenchanted isle. (1995). Thatcher's self-employment. Interms of generativity, too, she has maintained a role as contributor andleader to the national life. In looking at the literature, thereare still many references to Margaret Thatcher - both in terms of currentevent involvement and in terms of Thatcherism as an economic/politicalphilosophy. Yet in looking at the other psychosocial stages Erikson establishedand their tasks, Thatcher seems to have resolved most of those morefavorably. Isolationresolution, but her life seems to show a capacity for intimacy with apartner, or at least a very satisfying relationship for both people. Clearly, hers was a position more of autonomy, initiative,industry, and identity, rather than doubt, guilt, inferiority, and roleconfusion. She was also able tolay claim to rational authority through her connection with think tanks,new philosophies and economic concepts, and her own speaking style. Margaret Thatcher and Political LeadershipIntroduction Political leadership involves many attributes. The theory of social and economic organizations.Ed. However, she also offended many people, including most of her ownallies. Unlike many of the previous Conservative leaders, she was not amember from an upper-class background, with those historical roots and long-term connections with important families. While handbagging was directed ather political enemies, it was also directed at her political allies.Again, the term "scold" does seem appropriate. Her background was as a child from a lower-class, fundamentalist family, certainly not one in the mainstream ofBritish society. What is interesting about herascension to power was that it was accomplished in an unusual way. If this had been resolved more favorably, perhaps Thatcherwould have retained the love and affection of her fellow citizens in afashion similar to Winston Churchill, rather than feeling betrayed andabandoned by them. In general, then, the basic issue seems to be one of trust vs.mistrust (although her leadership was also somewhat shame-based in terms ofother people). (1968). She had a fundamental mistrust of others,feeling herself an outsider who had to fight to maintain her position andconstantly watch out for others who would seek to undercut her. She won general elections in 1979, 1983, and 1987.She ruled longer than any other Prime Minister since Lord Liverpool in the18 s. She was often blunt, tactless, and unyielding. She scolded those whodisagreed with her, treating them as though they were disobedient andignorant children. What no one dares tell the PM. However political leadership is also framed by anindividual's particular emotional and psychological development. However, she no longer exerts the legitimate,governmental authority that she once had, and her charisma is not of thesame quality as the Dali Lama or Nelson Mandela. Tory Radicalism: Margaret Thatcher, John Majorand the transformation of modern Britain, 1979-1997. Inc., 18(1 ), 33-36. Although she did notliterally hit them with her handbag, the term came to mean being assaultedby Thatcher in public and reduced to a humiliated victim. This term related directly to MargaretThatcher and her practice of using her handbag, and its contents, todestroy her opponents intellectually and emotionally. Parsons. She was dogmatic, acting as though she aloneknew the truth and had the answers for Britain's salvation. Weber, M. References Brantley, B. Margaret Thatcher grew up in a small apartment on the top floor of herfather's grocery. There is much emphasis on Thatcher's religious background, and rightlyso. Maddox (1996) discussed her leadership and style as that of the truebeliever, and this also seems appropriate. (199 ). For example, in a discussion of Tony Blair's leadership in the Bosniancrisis, Richards (1999) indicated that Blair was still influenced byThatcher's leadership style. There was a form of righteousness to Thatcher's leadership style thatis personified by the term "handbagged", which came into popularity duringher tenure as prime minister. It did notdepend upon who one knows, or even education. Norton andCompany. She remains a player on theinternational scene. This was a very emotional occasion for her, since she felt betrayed byher colleagues. Williams, G. Yet her capacity forautonomy, initiative, and industry also insured that she had a major impacton not only the politics but also the culture of Britain. New York Times Magazine, May16, 1999, p. She had replaced Heath after theConservatives lost the 1974 elections, but she was not a very charismaticleader or strong in those early years. She tended to divide the world into groups that were adversarial,taking us vs. (1988). It seems as though she also had some type of charisma, too, althoughthis is not entirely clear. She was raised outside the mainstream of Anglicism, outsidethe mainstream, and outside the parameters of what was considered to beappropriate religiosity.Political Authority In exploring Thatcher's sources of political authority, it isdifficult from the outside to determine exactly where that authority wasgained. At that point, she determined to resign, leavingoffice (Dellheim, 1995). She hasleft a profound mark on her country whether you agreed with her politics ornot. She was, however, vastly appealing to the petit bourgeois from whenceshe came. It often includes apower relationship, a capacity to persuade, as well as intuitive tacticaland strategic skills. November24, 1996. Reitan, E. Thatcher. (1947). Childhood and society. She entered as a reader in Chemistry and quickly became involvedin religious and political activities. Conclusion One thing is certain about Britain and Margaret Thatcher. (1999). In looking at Thatcher's history and style in terms of developmentalstages, it is interesting to explore how she resolved some of Erikson'sbasic developmental tasks. Brantley (1999) entitled his brief biography of her "scold",and she was described as both an austere nanny figure and a helmet-hairedAmazon. (1996). In terms of political leadership, Margaret Thatcher ismost often considered as more like Ronald Reagan than any other politicalfigure of her era. Ruling Britannia. Maddox, B. Readings in modern politicalanalysis. In termsof Erikson's first stage of development, then, Thatcher seemed to determineupon mistrust, rather than trust, as a basic stance toward other people inher political life (Erikson, 1963; Dellheim, 1995). Richards asserted that post-Thatcher, Britishprime ministers had to behave in an almost ostentatiously strong fashion, ala Thatcher in the Falkland Island crisis. London. While the Iron Lady labelspoke to her strength, she was also thought of as lacking in warmth,compassion, capacity of care and connect, flexibility, and other importantqualities. Margaret Thatcher dominated the political world of Great Britainthroughout the 198 s. (199 ). The Economist, 351(8116), 18. These were theentrepreneurial ideals of self-help, thrift, work, respectability, andreligion. Irrigating women. Dellheim, C. The Thatcher revolution. Seeking support from her cabinet, she did not receivemuch encouragement. This was both pejorative andaffectionate, depending upon the speaker's class and attitude toward herpolicies. She took pride innot changing her position. Thatcher was 14when World War II began, and she immediately plunged into patriotic serviceand continual support for the policies of Winston Churchill. She entered the political arena at an early age, coaxedalong by her father.
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