By Titilayo Omotayo Alade
For decades, Theresa May nursed being the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. While that dream was achieved, it ended on an anti-climax note for a woman of uncommon records of excellence. Her tenure was consummated by the outcome of the Brexit Referendum in 2016 and consumed by a lack of Brexit deal in 2019. So what tips can an ambitious person glean from a world leader whose good enough just was not good enough for the people she led? Let us look at Theresa May’s timing, mindset, determination and skillfulness in building bridges in the last three years.
You can make plans, aspire, have hopes and work hard, but if the time is not right, it will bite! Ever heard the slogan, “Be at the right place, doing the right thing at the right time?” It simply means getting your priorities right and acting just as wisely. Prior to the 2016 Referendum, PM May was known to be against Brexit. Does PM May’s acceptance of Premiership on the backdrop of her lifelong aspiration seem like being at the right place at the wrong time? Did her ambition to be Prime Minister cloud her judgement in letting Britain have a leader that possessed the passion to get the people's desire through?
Theresa May announcing her resignation as Prime Minister
Theresa May announcing her resignation as Prime Minister
On Sky News, a British Member of Parliament and former Conservative Party co-chair Grant Shapps, observed that while PM May supported the call for the United Kingdom to remain in the European Union, but accepted to lead the ‘Leave cabinet’, Shapps expects May’s successor will emerge from the pro-Brexit camp. Simply put, the plan to leave needs to be handled by a leader that believes in the dream.
Another key ingredient is the right mindset. Brexit seems to have exposed a lot of challenges confronting the UK and EU which the leaders either misunderstood over time or were willfully blind towards. Because these challenges are critical in the success of the Brexit, the need to solve them is no longer a luxury. As a seasoned member of the leadership in Britain, May is familiar with these kinds of challenges. Till date, Theresa May goes on record as the longest-serving British Home Secretary and the only woman to hold “two of the Great Offices of State” by also serving as Prime Minister (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theresa_May ).
May served in diverse capacities including leading the European Affairs Unit and holding the office of Senior Adviser on International Affairs for the Association for Payment Clearing Services (APACS). So, why are her experiences not giving her a headway in the negotiations with EU? It is written in the Bible, no one puts “new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskins break…” The recurrent attempts by PM May to repackage the rejected Brexit deals make one ponder if her strategies were indeed unworkable. Although experience is good, working smart is more effective in solving these challenges. I once heard that it is not sufficient to work hard, but to work smart!
Determination alone does not cut it. The Prime Minister’s hard efforts to deliver a deal that ultimately split her cabinet, parliament and unintentionally left the United Kingdom more divided within and without is pathetic. While some of these may not be her doing, it does raise important questions: Should the PM have resigned earlier? Or was she right to stay on and fight for her beloved nation in the capacity of PM this long, even if many saw that there was no way ahead for ‘her’ in Brexit? According to Wikipedia, May has had fifty ministerial departures with thirty-three of these being resignations due to Brexit discord (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_departures_from_the_second_May_ministry). Also, Carole Walker - a Political Analyst on BBC said thirty-six resignations within Theresa May’s government does not augur well for her to hold on to power. Most times, the view from outside is different from the inside. Her view must have been different? What about you? From where you are, what is the current view on your job? Is there a need for balance?
PM May was accused of inability to make concessions. Most critics say a little more show of emotion from the PM before now may have helped. But for a woman who was accustomed to deciding the rules and giving instructions, it must have been pretty difficult taking instructions from those whose fate she decided. The moral here is to build bridges. As you climb up the ladder, remember you will come down someday, so make friends, and be ready to give and take.
As May begins to wrap up her premiership, the United Kingdom remains in limbo. Hers has been a really tough job during a very tough season and agreeably, May is tough! Even if she missed the opportunity to finish strong by delivering a Brexit deal, May can still finish well. Her counterparts have showered her with respectable encomiums: US President Donald Trump who is due to make a State visit to the UK in June described her as a good, strong, hardworking woman who “decided to do something that some people were surprised at.” French President Emmanuel Macron described May as respectful of her European partners, while German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she respects May’s decision to resign. A “woman of courage”, that’s how the President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker described her, adding that he viewed her resignation without personal joy.
As outgoing PM, who commenced UK’s Brexit negotiations with the EU, May should not relent in laying a good foundation for her successor. Incidentally, a wind of political change culminating from the European elections is sweeping across Europe. While May’s experiences and past merits cannot take her further as UK PM, time will reveal the true legacies of her premiership.
In conclusion, it is not sufficient to dream big, without paying critical attention to the different parts and structures that will unite to sustain any great vision. For the outgoing British PM Theresa May and other leaders around Europe, unfolding events have proven that seeing things from a different point of view will not only provide deeper insight on causes of action and reaction, but it will also demystify the reasons why sometimes, hard work, past experiences and accolades are really not enough to guarantee success!