Margaret Thatcher Case

Margaret Thatcher was the first woman leader in Western democracy. Her life was committed to the political service to her country. She was a Member of Parliament, Secretary of State for Education, and Leader of the Conservative Party for the United Kingdom. She became Prime Minister in 1975 and served in this role for fifteen years. It was the longest term in twentieth century history. She strengthened the Western alliance against the Soviets in the early 1980s, awarding her the well-earned title of "The Iron Lady". (Suesse, 1998) She passed away on April 8, 2013. (Greene, 2013)

Power Bases

Early in her career, Margaret Thatcher made a never-ending effort to gain support with the people of her town by building a rapport with them. She interacted with them and gained personal knowledge of the people. When she went back to visit with them, she asked questions as to how family members were doing. This made her look empathetic towards them. She had a referent power base that supported constituent identification and liking for the leader. This power allowed her to build a strong social power. (Northouse, 2010)

Exercise Influence

Thatcher made sure that she was always prepared. She gave speeches that were based on facts and influenced people by capitalizing on her intellect, education, and work ethic. Her passion and expertise elevated her within the conservative party. Individuals took notice and her knowledge base was respected. (Suesse, 1998)

Credibility

Thatcher had the ability to present information precisely and as an experienced, intelligent expert. She won over constituents and colleagues. Her persuasive charisma sealed her influence and generated overwhelming support.

Her credible qualities began as a youth. She attended meetings and activities associated with her father's position in the city government. She attended Somerville College and became president of the Oxford University Conservative Association. She continued her studies and joined the Society of Conservative Lawyers. She served as a Conservative Member of Parliament for Finchley and became intimately aware of the pressing issues at hand. This lead her to become self-schooled in the details. She was able to present information precisely and as an experienced, intelligent expert. This won over constituents and colleagues. Her persuasive charisma sealed her influence and generated overwhelming support. (House, 1976)

Lessons Learned

Thatcher's strengths came from the many valuable lessons learned in her lifetime. Under her father's guidance, she learned the importance of networking to create allies and relationship power (Blanchard, 1995)to help leverage her position. She learned to take advantage of assigned leadership roles (Suesse, 1998) and researched information