In the last few days two powerful female business leaders have been in the media. Margaret Thatcher who has died and Karren Brady, Managing Director\u00a0of Birmingham City Football Club\u00a0who was interviewed on TV by Piers Morgan. The two share a remarkable achievement – they both made it big in a male-dominateed environment where the glass ceiling is alive and well; these two well and truly smashed it. Margaret Thatcher did it in the 1970s and achieved the position of Prime Minister when in those days it was truly unthinkable that a woman could do so.\u00a0 Six years before she achieved that role she was seen telling a little girl on TV\u00a0there would not be a woman Prime Minister in her lifetime.\u00a0 Even by today’s standards it was a miraculous achievement. She then went onto shape the country giving many people standards of living that they would not have had if it hadn’t have been for the Iron Lady. Karren Brady began her rise at the tender age of 23 working her way up in the tough mans world of football. It seems to me that these two female leaders both demonstrate traits that have made them successful.<\/p>\n
Vision and Focus<\/strong><\/p>\n Both leaders had a\u00a0clear vision. Thatcher’s was to make the country strong and properous again after years of strife with the unions that had brought the country to it’s knees. At the time her vision was very ambitious.\u00a0 Whilst some may have\u00a0questioned whether it was attainable,\u00a0through her drive it became a reality.\u00a0 She was strong and did not turn away from achieving her goal despite the many obstacles.\u00a0 Her famous phrase “the lady is not for turning” demonstrated her resolve not to be dissuaded from her chosen course of action, which\u00a0had the country’s interest at heart\u00a0always.\u00a0\u00a0Karren Brady’s vision was to\u00a0turn an ailing football club into a strong and properous going concern.\u00a0 She took the team into the top league with a healthy bank balance and turnover of \u00a350m having persuaded David Sullivan a\u00a0 millionaire to buy and let her run the club.\u00a0 With her resolve she knew she could do it.<\/p>\n Dominance<\/strong><\/p>\n Both women had to be dominant in their field.\u00a0 Thatcher notoriously dominated her male colleagues in the Conservative party and even had\u00a0voice coaching\u00a0to lower her voice so that she spoke more like a man to increase that dominance.\u00a0\u00a0Karren Brady in her own way has had to have “balls of steel” to dominate in the world of football.\u00a0 Both women have had to have tenancity to achieve their goals.<\/p>\n Confidence<\/strong><\/p>\n Both Thatcher demonstrated and Brady demonstrates a healthy level of self-confidence both believing in their ability and skills.\u00a0 Thatcher may have appeared\u00a0nervous on many occasions, which is another reason why the voice coaching was brought into play to hide her shrilly female voice when she was giving speeches.\u00a0 Thatcher took risky decisions which would affect the country and Brady took risky decisions related to the football club that could have cost her millionaire boss millions, but for both women the risks paid off as they held their nerve.\u00a0 They took responsibility for their actions whilst moving everyone forward.<\/p>\n Innovation<\/strong><\/p>\n Innovation is key as a business leader and both women were bold to\u00a0create and carry out new plans challenging the status quo constantly.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Thatcher\u00a0closed down many unprofitable\u00a0mines, diminished the power of the\u00a0unions and sold off\u00a0the publicly run utilities.\u00a0 She gathered a top\u00a0team of politicians around her that supported her decisions getting rid of the nay sayers she had\u00a0initially brought together.\u00a0 Brady collaborated with others recognising the need to form win\/win situations.<\/p>\n Dedication<\/strong><\/p>\n Thatcher and Brady were dedicated to the job in hand.\u00a0 They put this above all else in their lives.\u00a0 Whilst both had husbands and a family their job came first.\u00a0 Brady went back to work after three weeks of having her first baby due to the dedication she had.\u00a0 Thatcher entered politics when her\u00a0her twins were very young and when most women gave up work when they married and had a family.<\/p>\n Whilst the two women had and have very different personalities in their own way they have achieved great things in a male environment with history that can never be altered and they act as\u00a0superb role models to other women.<\/p>\n In the last few days two powerful female business leaders have been in the media. Margaret Thatcher who has died and Karren Brady, Managing Director\u00a0of Birmingham City Football Club\u00a0who was interviewed on TV by Piers Morgan. The two share a remarkable achievement – they both made it big in a male-dominateed environment where the glass […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30,29,31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-karren-brady","category-margaret-thatcher-death","category-successful-female-business-leaders"],"aioseo_notices":[],"yoast_head":"\n<\/h4>\n
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