No twentieth-century British Prime Minister ever came closer to assassination.
At an annual Conservative Party conference in Brighton, 1984, the Irish Republican Army attempted to assassinate Margaret Thatcher and her cabinet by bombing her hotel.
While Thatcher obviously survived without injury, some of her closest colleagues were either injured or dead. It came so close to killing her that the adjoining room suffered severe damage.
Of course most of us won't be faced with this type of opposition and hatred, yet it does speak to keeping our resolve when facing difficult circumstances.
Margaret Thatcher knew she had to change things in Britain to keep the country from sliding down the slippery slope it was falling into. She also knew the realities she faced from former prime ministers not being willing to deal with difficult circumstances, which caused her to inherit issues that had to be dealt with by painful medicine. There was no way she was going to be able to do it without undergoing powerful resistance and making a lot of enemies. Agents of change always will have to face this.
True leaders will sometimes have to face this type of situation, as far as it deals with change. Even the best companies will meet resistance, as change is disruptive, and the unknown causes fear in people. The key is communicating clearly and often, while keeping our resolve.
Most business leaders won't face physical assassination, but they will face character assassination and other types of attacks. Sometimes the attacks can have a powerful impact on colleagues, friends or family members close to us. In other words they can suffer attacks because they're connected to you in some way.
We must count the cost when we put forth initiatives. People with private agendas don't mind lying or attacking you if you don't line up with their pet causes. Look at the lies talked about concerning Wal-Mart - an entire company under attack. It can happen to you!
Margaret Thatcher Resources:
The Best Quotes From Margaret Thatcher's 'Statecraft'
Margaret Thatcher & the Revival of the West
Interview with Margaret Thatcher
Magaret Thatcher's Life in the Shadows
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