Abraham Lincoln is widely regarded as one of the best presidents in the history of the United States. He grew up in humble circumstances on the frontier in the early 1800's. He was mostly self-educated, and became a lawyer in his home state of Illinois. Although he was elected to the US House of Representatives, he was unsuccessful in two attempts to get elected to the US Senate. Nevertheless, he was still elected to two consecutive terms as President of the United States in perhaps the most challenging period of our history, the American Civil War. His leadership was the key to keeping the nation together and offers some valuable lessons for leaders today. Here are a just a few leadership characteristics from our 16th President:
Persistence: Lincoln's rise to become the Commander-in-Chief was certainly not a sure bet. Starting with humble beginnings, he became a self-educated lawyer by sheer will power and desire to succeed. Later, he failed in two attempts to win election to the United States Senate, but still succeeded in becoming the 16th President. As Commander-in-Chief, he fired a succession of ineffective generals until he finally appointed Ulysses S. Grant to head the Union Army during the Civil War. In both his personal life and his political life, persistence was a key to his success. Without persistence, he would have never become a lawyer, never run for office after his first failed attempt to become a senator, and never would have persisted until he found the fighting General Grant to lead the Union Army to victory.
Courage: As President, Lincoln faced with unimaginable problems including the dissolution of the union and dealing with the issue of slavery. He had the courage of his convictions to succeed. While various politicians opposed his policies and personally ridiculed him, Lincoln had the courage to do what was necessary to keep the nation together and end slavery.
Learning: Growing up on the prairie as a young boy, Lincoln's family moved from his birthplace in Kentucky to Indiana and later Illinois which made it difficult for him to attend school. He had less than two years of formal education, but he was passionate about reading and learning all during his lifetime. As a quick study, he was able to learn and apply lessons. This passion for learning made him a successful lawyer and then again served him well when leading the nation as Commander-in-Chief.
Humility: Lincoln never forgot his humble beginnings. Although he attained the highest office in the land, he remained a humble man throughout his life. His humility allowed him to incorporate some of his major political rivals into his presidential staff and create what historian Doris Kearns Goodwin called, "a team of rivals." In her book about Lincoln's cabinet by the same name, she defines his genius as his ability to gather a team of high-profile rivals to deal with the issues of the Civil War. Only his humility allowed him to build a team with men who had big egos and held widely divergent views.
Humor: Lincoln had a good sense of humor which he used to disarm opponents and to win friends over to his position. He used wit and humor to teach simple, but profound lessons with parables, short stories, and memorable quotes.
There a many reasons why Americans hold Abraham Lincoln in high esteem; however his personal leadership qualities are one reason why he is often regarded as our best president. By personal example, he demonstrated how a leader can succeed even in the most difficult circumstances. A Union victory and ending slavery were never pre-ordained outcomes of the Civil War. It was only through Lincoln's courageous and steadfast leadership that the nation was saved and freedom was extended to the oppressed. Lincoln stood tall then, and his legacy still stands now as an inspiration to young leaders facing difficult challenges today.
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Leonard Kloeber is an author and leadership consultant. He has extensive leadership experience as business executive and as a military officer. He has been a hands-on leader in a variety of organizations large and small. Most recently he was a human resources executive for a Fortune 100 company. His book - Victory Principles, Leadership Lessons from D-Day - illustrates seven bedrock leadership principles that all successful leaders use. Download a free summary of the Victory Principles at: http://www.victoryprinciples.com and find other bonus materials for leaders. Contact him at staffride@gmail.com
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