Women in Power

Book excerpt: Indira Gandhi, Golda Meir, and Margaret Thatcher were all described at various times as the "only man" in their respective cabinets - a reference to their tough, controlling behaviour. What explains this type of leadership style? In Women in Power, Blema Steinberg describes the role that personality traits played in shaping the ways in which these three women governed. For each of her subjects, Steinberg provides a personality profile based on biographical information, an analysis of the patterns that comprise the personality profile using psychodynamic insights, and an examination of the relationship between personality and leadership style through an exploration of various aspects of political life - motivation, relations with the cabinet, the caucus, the opposition, the media, and the public. By bringing together some of the best work in psychological leadership studies and conventional personality assessments, Women in Power makes a significant contribution to the study of political leadership and the advancement of personality-in-leadership modelling.