At LexION Capital I give a brief, firm-wide presentation on Monday mornings that highlights the work of individuals and organizations that embody some aspect of LexION’s mission or core values. Recently, I spoke to my team about Margaret Thatcher, an undeniably bold leader who changed the course of history. Margaret Thatcher, although her political legacy is contested, has a message that is relevant to everyone, and especially essential as career inspiration for Millennials, who are just starting to work their way up in their careers:
“If you set out to be liked, you would be prepared to compromise on anything at anytime, and you would achieve nothing.”
Margaret Thatcher was not only the longest-serving Prime Minister of the 20th century, but the only woman Prime Minister in UK history. She was both loved and hated. No matter what you think of her policies, an essential element she brought to her work was this focus on her mission and the job at hand, rather than paying attention to how people felt about her. Of her detractors, she once said, “The more personal the attack, the more I love it,” because it meant the other person had nothing of substance to say about her arguments.
This is relevant everywhere from dealing with school bullies to navigating the corporate world strategically. Not everyone will like you. This is especially true if you set out to challenge norms, disrupt thestatus quo, and take a stand – and I hope you do!
