Telling a group of men to “show up and be accountable” is new territory for most women. We have been in back of or on the side of our men for eons.
Not that we have to be loud and bossy to get our way. We just have to be clear.
Margaret Thatcher, portrayed by Meryl Streep in the film The Iron Lady, was a woman of depth and conviction. Strong in an arena that few women have, until now, been privy to. Making policy and carrying out “stuff” of the “real world”, you know, like declaring war was not the province of many females.
One story about Prime Minister Thatcher that always puts a smile on my face is the following:
Out to dinner with her leadership team she was frustrated with their lack of backbone and indecisiveness. The waiter came over to get her order for the evening meal.
“Madam, will you have the chicken or the fish?”, he queried.
“The chicken, thank you”, she replied.
“And madam, what about the vegetables”?
“Oh” she looked at her cabinet, “They will have the chicken also”!
What a spicy woman with amazing courage and a vast sense of humor.
And for Streep, an amazing actor who leaves behind powerful images of women on business.
Sylvia Lafair
Sylvia Lafair, PhD, is President of CEO – Creative Energy Options, Inc., a global consulting company focused on optimizing workplace relationships through her exclusive PatternAware™ Leadership Model. Dr. Lafair is the author of Don’t Bring It to Work: Breaking the Family Patterns That Limit Success published by Jossey-Bass. As an executive coach and leadership educator, she has more than 30 years of experience with all levels of management from leading corporate officers of global companies to executives of non-profits and owners of leading family-owned businesses. She is now offering GUTSY Women Weekends, giving women the opportunity to dialogue and clarify next steps.
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