Margaret Thatcher a Gun & Me

Back in the nineties I was invited as a guest to Robert Gordon University Aberdeen for their Annual Leadership Lecture and that year it was to be given by Margaret Thatcher. Previously I had presented some in-house MindStore courses to the university staff, however the invite came from Eddie Bell the then Executive Chairman of Harper Collins who were the publishers of Thatcher’s autobiography, Eddie had become a good friend through his enthusiasm and for publishing my first MindStore book.

I then became good friends with Eddie just through his sheer enthusiasm and then he went onto publish by first MindStore book.

As you might expect guests were advised to arrive early and we gathered in a private room close to the auditorium. I found myself going off to the gents and on my return I was suddenly pushed aside by what I assumed was a MI5 security man obviously preparing for the imminent arrival of Mrs.Thatcher. I got a brief glimpse inside his jacket to see a shoulder holster with a gun safely secured in its grip. Within seconds our speaker was whisked passed and taken to a room further along the corridor.

By the way, at the recent Pendulum Summit in Dublin Tony Robbins came accompanied by half a dozen of what everyone assumed were actors playing the bodyguard role including the authentic looking ear piece lead twirling down the back of their heads to tuck in bellow their stiff white collars. Margaret Thatcher’s crew that night were clearly the real deal and that gun wasn’t a toy.

Anyway, I have to say I was genuinely inspired by her lecture. It was not about politics but rather about her approach to leadership, at the end of her speech she got an enthusiastic and well deserved standing ovation.

Afterwards she joined the guests at a reception and she came and sat for a while at our table and I had a wee chat with her. She shared something that has always stuck with me. She explained that when she had initially taken over the leadership of the Conservative Party she realised that she was surrounded by what she called “weak and ineffectual men” and that she would have to deal with them. She added that she knew in advance that she would face endless challenges and hurdles in her way but she had decided before moving on that no matter whatever showed up that she would solve them, push them aside or climb over them.

No matter your opinion of her or what she did or didn’t do while in power I am sure you too can benefit from adopting her attitude to what most folks call “problems.” Every day you and I face our own challenges especially if we are committed and determined to achieve our goals. Best to adopt the attitude of almost celebrating when they do show up because if they have then we will surely be making progress. Decide now just like the late Baroness Thatcher that you too will find solutions, if needs be brush them aside and whenever necessary climb your way over them and keep moving forwards.

Keep Smiling Jack 