IE Business School Case Study on the Rise of Margaret Thatcher. Despite being considered by many a polarizing figure, many valuable lessons and insights can be distilled by her life and professional story. The presentation was prepared by Jamar Johnson and a few of his MBA classmates.

1. WHO WANTS TO BE
A PRIME MINISTER?
Team D:
Elisa
Jamar
Hossam
Mohamed
Kosta

2. AGENDA
Biography
Analysing Ms Thatcher
Strategic Map
Costs and Sacrifices
Personal Mission
Management Control – Team D

3. EARLY LIFE
Born 13.10.1925 in Grantham to the family of a local political
activist
Receptive to her father’s influence
Studied in a competitive school
Focus – few areas where she could succeed
Relationships with right girls
1943-1947 – Somerville College in Oxford
President of the University’s Conservative Association
Management Control – Team D

4. PARLIAMENT EXPERIENCE
Elected into the
Parliament as a
Conservative
member
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1959 1961 1965-1969 1970-1974
Post in the
Ministry of
Pensions
Positions in
several shadow
ministries
Secretary of
State for
Education

5. A LEADER
1975 – Elected leader of the Conservative Party
1979 – Becomes Prime Minister of the Great Britain
Remains in office until 1990, presiding over radical political and
economic changes
Management Control – Team D

6. SWOT for Margaret Thatcher
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Strong work ethic
Skills identification and focus on strengths – self awareness
Father’s relentless push and family’s support
“You don’t follow the crowd, you make up your own mind”
Ambition and clear goals
Politically and socially skilled
Mix of spirit, fearlessness and intelligence
Willingness to learn
No engagement with stakeholders (Milk policy) – Hard
power profile – direct and confrontational
When to say no?
McGregor Theory X (mistrust of civil servants)

7. SWOT for Margaret Thatcher – II
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Increase Soft power to gain stakeholder support for
her policies.
The UK’s Soft power
“No sympathy in politics” means her allies can
become her adversaries
Family scrutiny
Economic situation of the late 1970’s – policies
became disruptive to the economy

8. How to become a Prime Minister?
Represent a
constituency
Campaign
relentlessly
Elected MP
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9. Congratulations, Prime Minister
Work hard
Get noticed
Become a
(shadow) minister
“Strike a king”
… and kill him
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Members of Parliament
Conservative Party
has won by a
Majority!

10. Costs of Getting Your Mission: Sacrifices
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• Work with a single-minded focus.
• Understand the importance of time. Leverage time to achieve goals and accomplishments.
• Have little concern for popularity, but mastered the art of timing.
• Worked to offset weaknesses. Developed those into strengths.
• Career > Family
• Worked herself to exhaustion and kept going.
• Developed a tough skin and was fearless in her final decisions and personal convictions.
• Did not allow other’s perceptions of her deter her. In other words, her being a woman
failed to hold her back. She worked twice as hard than her peers.
“Don’t follow the crowd, let the crowd
follow you.”

11. Costs of Getting Your Mission: Scrutiny and Risk
Management Control – Team D
The Milk
Snatcher and
Smear
Campaign
Campaigning
Against
Mentor and
Hail Mary
Victory
Further
Budgetary
Cuts and
Media Attacks
Son, Mark
Thatcher – left
UK in the 80s;
involved in
shady affairs
“I’ll see them in Hell first…I will never
be driven anywhere against my will.”
“When you strike at a King. You must kill him.”

12. FROM HERE TO A CEO? – STRATEGY
Management Control – Team D
• Maintain healthy work-life balance
• Use the best opportunitiesChallenges of Success
• Make your spouse your ally
• Spend time with childrenFamily Troubles
• Be disciplined
• Be effective
• Be active
Internal Processes
• Broaden your professional expertise
• Grow your network
Learning &
Development

13. FROM HERE TO A CEO? – IMPLEMENTATION
Management Control – Team D
Strategic Objective Initiative Target 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Challenges of Success
Maintain healthy work-life balance Have a hobby Never stop
Use the best opportunities Get promoted Every time
Family Troubles
Make you spouse your ally Value his/her opinion 100% support of your decisions
Spend time with children Join their activities 2 hours per day
Internal Processes
Be disciplined Meet your deadlines 100%
Be effective Work on big projects Praise by superiors
Be active Participate in a CSR initiative Mention in a company communication
Learning and Development
Broaden your professional expertise Customized education program Graduation
Grow your network LinkedIn following Follower base growth 10%/year
Balanced Scorecard for Becoming a CEO
Years

14. THE END
AND THIS WAS OUR LAST VC PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU!
Management Control – Team D