Taking Cue From The Dynamic Leadership Of Margaret Thatcher As a woman entrepreneur, your emotional quotient is much higher than your male counterparts

By Sneha Banerjee

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Shweta Sastri, executive director at Canadian International School (CIS), is an ardent admirer of iconic leader Margaret Thatcher and says some "good to have problems" are necessary requisites in one's entrepreneurial journey.

Shweta says Margaret Thatcher is everything she would want to be as a leader. At the same time she also acknowledges the fact that because of her emotional quotient, she might never be as hard and tough as the "Iron Lady." Swetha said that Thatcher was a woman in a man's world and was able to prove her prowess with her excellent operational skills. Thatcher had the ability to make a person listen to her, which makes her very inspiring.

Shweta, who hails from an investment banking background, joined CIS in 2006 and since then she has been an integral part of the school's infrastructure expansion and academic development.

Shweta said that her journey as a leader has helped her learn about herself. Apart from managing people, one also experiences a period of self-discovery, she says. When you are on the forefront of things, people perceive you to be in the position of power and that makes you lonely. There are times you might have to take tough decisions and there will be no empathy for you. People perceive you as tough and hard. As a woman entrepreneur, your emotional quotient is much higher than your male counterparts. One does not want to be cut throat or come across as an aggressive personality. Shweta said that her entrepreneurial journey has taught her that she could be more resilient than she gives herself credit for and her flexibility in adapting to situations.

High grades don't always guarantee great careers

Shweta firmly believes that education is no longer about scores. A 99 percentage in exams does not necessarily guarantee that one is sorted in life. Your career life could be completely different. Good overall development and having a broad exposure to real life experiences helps in preparing a student for tough situations in life.CIS has been on the forefront of inculcating technology tools into learning. Shweta said that the access to easy and advanced technology has helped students become more aware of their surroundings.

Sneha Banerjee

Entrepreneur Staff

Former Staff, Entrepreneur India

She used to write for Entrepreneur India from Bangalore and other cities in South India. 

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