Being powerful is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are, you aren’t.

Margaret Thatcher is widely credited with this aphorism from her years as Britain’s Conservative leader and prime minister, when her authority—especially as the first woman to hold the office—was constantly scrutinized in a male-dominated political culture. The remark is typically cited as a private, off-the-cuff observation about status and credibility: real power is demonstrated through outcomes and command, not through self-advertisement. It also reflects Thatcher’s cultivated public persona of firmness and control (“the Iron Lady”), and her sensitivity to how claims of legitimacy can backfire when they sound defensive or performative.

The line draws an analogy between social status (“being a lady”) and political authority (“being powerful”) to argue that genuine standing is recognized rather than proclaimed. It implies that power, like dignity or class, is performative in the sense that it is validated by others’ deference and by outcomes, not by self-description. The quip also reflects Thatcher’s reputation for emphasizing resolve, discipline, and command: authority is demonstrated through action, competence, and the ability to shape events. As a rhetorical device, it functions as a put-down of bluster—suggesting that those who must announce their power are compensating for its absence.

1) “Being powerful is like being a lady: if you have to tell people you are, you aren’t.”
2) “Power is like being a lady—if you have to tell people you are, you aren’t.”
3) “Being a lady is like being powerful; if you have to tell people you are, you aren’t.”