I only met Margaret Thatcher twice. The thing that I thought about meeting her was how extraordinarily intelligent she was. You really had to be on your game otherwise she'd make mincemeat of you.
Interpretation
This quote reflects on the intelligence and formidable presence of Margaret Thatcher, emphasizing the need for preparedness when engaging with strong leaders.
Salman Rushdie's quote reveals his impression of Margaret Thatcher as an extraordinarily intelligent individual who commanded respect and demanded high levels of performance from those around her. Meeting her left an impression not only of her intellect but also of her ability to engage in discussions where one needed to be well-prepared, or else risk being overshadowed in conversation. This serves as a testament to her leadership qualities and the bar she set for intellectual rigor.
In practice
During a leadership seminar, one might reference Rushdie's quote to emphasize the importance of preparation in discussions with influential leaders.
I've been fascinated by Machiavelli since I was very young. I've always felt that he had a bad rap from history, and that he was actually a person quite unlike what we now think of as Machiavellian. He was a republican. He disliked totalitarian government.
Killing people because you don't like their ideas - it's a bad thing.
faith without doubt is addiction
I am clearly vulnerable to these more passionate and volatile unstable relationships. I am trying to not be so vulnerable.
In India, as elsewhere in our darkening world, religion is the poison in the blood. Where religion intervenes, mere innocence is no excuse. Yet we go on skating around this issue, speaking of religion in the fashionable language of 'respect.' What is there to respect in any of this, or in any of the crimes now being committed almost daily around the world in religion's dreaded name?
Reality is a question of perspective; the further you get from the past, the more concrete and plausible it seems - but as you approach the present, it inevitably seems more and more incredible.
We need to understand the other side to impact the other side. We become much more effective as humans and leaders when we engage in hearty conversations with those who are different from us, not necessarily to change our opinions, but to build the empathy muscle.
Most of what we call management consists of making it difficult for people to get their work done.
Heart of a solider with a brain to teach your whole nation.
Some people have better ideas than others; some are smarter or more experienced or more creative. But everyone should be heard and respected.
Connect the dots between individual roles and the goals of the organization. When people see that connection, they get a lot of energy out of work. They feel the importance, dignity, and meaning in their job.
As a company gets big, the information that informs decision-making gets massive. Depending upon the prism through which you view the business, your perspective will vary. If two people are in charge, this variance will cause conflict and delay.
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