Leadership Lessons from Women

In 1979, Britain’s economy was bankrupt and the newly elected Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, immediately went to work privatizing all the nationalized industries, such as aerospace companies, telephone companies, utilities, the National Transport and public housing that was sold to its tenants. She sold all of these industries on favorable terms to promote private enterprise. Its goal was to reduce the power of government and promote the rights of people who would own and pay a mortgage on their new properties.

The unions were crippling Britain with their intimidation and strikes. Prime Minister Thatcher stood her ground against the unions that controlled the coal and steel industries. Employers and their workforce had struck the right balance. It was no longer necessary for men to join unions.
Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher believed in putting her “faith in liberty, free markets, limited government and a strong national defense.”

Early family life and education of Margaret Roberts

Margaret Hilda Roberts was born in Grantham, England, the daughter of Alfred and Beatrice Roberts, on October 13, 1925. As a child, Margaret Roberts learned about the business of balancing budgets at her parents’ Roberts grocery store in Grantham. Her family lived above the store, and she and her older sister were raised to be honest, attend church, help others, and do charity work in their nearby community. Margaret’s father, Alfred Roberts, spoke daily about Conservative politics at his home. In Grantham he was a councilor for local politics.

Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was Prime Minister for 3 terms, 11 and a half years. When she became Prime Minister, her country was on the verge of financial disaster and with public order problems. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher said at the time: “Unless we change our ways and our direction, our greatness as a nation will soon be a footnote in the history books, a distant memory of an island in the high seas, lost in the mists of time as Camelot, kindly remembered for its noble past.”

When he left office in 1990, his legacy was a strong economy with a society that was confident in its future.

Leadership Principles: As a leader, you believed in working with experts who shared your vision, your plan of action with the shared goal of repairing Britain’s economy. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was dubbed the “Iron Lady” by the Soviets “because of the hard line she took against them”. As a leader, she had strength, determination, honesty, integrity and the courage of her convictions with a passionate belief in the right way to get her country back on track once again.

Leader of Romayne Frank, my mother, started her successful construction and management business from scratch over 40 years ago on a shoestring budget. She started her Real Estate and Construction Management Company with her husband, my father, Robert J Frank, MD.

Leadership Principals: Leader Romayne Frank started the new company by surrounding himself with experts who knew the construction business and real estate markets. He listened to his experts and had a vision, an action plan for his new company. My mother had the gift of looking at the earth and seeing its potential. She had the courage of her convictions, honor, integrity and morality that included a code of ethics and a clear and decisive passionate belief in the right way to conduct her business.

My mother, Romayne Leader Frank, said, “In the construction business, you want to use a licensed construction contractor, who has experience with references, is insured, has workers’ compensation, and is also guaranteed for time and money.” This means that the job must be completed for a set amount of money and must be completed by a certain date. In construction, you want an all-inclusive, turnkey job from a licensed, trained contractor.

Their Legacy: My mother and father, Romayne Leader Frank and Robert J. Frank, MD built dozens of buildings from Oyster Point to J. Clyde Morris Boulevard, in Newport News, Virginia, and in Hampton, Virginia, James City County, in Williamsburg, Virginia and the Isle of Wight, VA. Bringing new businesses to the Cities where they built new buildings. They also brought many new jobs and more taxes to these cities.

Family life and education of Romayne Leader Frank

Romayne Leader was born in Detroit, Michigan, the son of Earl David Leader and Mary Chernick Leader on May 28, 1929. Romayne’s father, Earl D. Leader, worked at the Ford Automobile Company assembling cars so he could get into law school. Once he finished law school, he represented many businesses and ran for local political office. Romayne’s mother, Mary Chernick Leader, worked as a secretary at the Boroughs Corporation, had a women’s stock club where she taught other women how to study companies and invest in the stock market with little money to develop a stock, and helped the Society Braille. Romayne’s parents taught him the value of truth, honesty, hard work, religious faith, and service to others. Her parents discussed local politics with her and taught her about business and finance.

Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and businesswoman Romayne Leader Frank were conquering new territory in areas of government and business dominated by men. They both went to law school after getting married at a time when women did not attend law school or work outside the home when they had young children. Both understood the value of a legal education in society to help serve others. They had the courage of their convictions as leaders to never give up despite obstacles. With character, honor, integrity and hard work they achieved their goals of serving others. As women leaders, they left a legacy for their countries and their children and grandchildren of economic growth and prosperity and the right and honorable way of doing business.

What are the five things you can do to be a world leader like Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and businesswoman Romayne Leader Frank?

1) Be a leader who has the courage of his convictions, honor, integrity and morality that includes a code of ethics and a clear and resolutely passionate belief in the right way to do business or run his country.

2) As a leader of your country, organization or business, surround yourself with a “Brain Trust”, competent people who know your business and markets, have like-minded ideas and a strong and unwavering brainpower to help you achieve your goals.

3) Go around the table and listen carefully to your experts. Then make informed decisions.

4) Once the Leader of the country, company or CEO organization knows all the problems to be faced and has studied them from all angles, the Leader needs to have a vision, an action plan with the goal to be met. Leaders must have a strong belief in service to others.

5) In the construction business, you want to use a construction contractor, who is experienced with references, license, insurance, workers compensation and also a guarantee of time and money. This means that the job must be completed for a set amount of money and must be completed by a certain date. In construction, you want a turnkey, all-in job from an expert contractor. Remember the idea is to keep costs down with excellent workmanship from a licensed, insured contractor with turnkey work and no change orders allowed.

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