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Lincoln On Leadership

LINCOLN ON LEADERSHIP

Angela K. Borders

Mr. Cotham
Park University Internet Campus

Senior Seminar in Management (MG401)
Park University
July, 2008

Throughout the relatively brief history of the United States there have been many great leaders.   Several, such as Washington, Adams, Jefferson, and the Roosevelts, became presidents; other like Franklin, Webster, Anthony, and King made a dramatic impact on mankind without reaching the White House.   There are countless other leaders, on both local and national levels, in all aspects of society, who could be labeled “great.” Yet there is one person who rises above all of them; one who is consistently ranked as greatest president.   One who is viewed as the greatest leader this nation has ever known or will ever know and one who, although dead for more than 125 years; still inspires and moves people from all walks of life, from all around the globe; that person is Abraham Lincoln.   Only ten days before Abraham Lincoln took the oath of office in 1861, the Confederate States of America seceded from the Union taking all Federal agencies, forts, and arsenal within their territory.   To make matters worse, Lincoln, who was elected by a minority of the popular vote, was viewed by his own advisors as nothing more than a gawky, second-rate country lawyer with no leadership experience. Lincoln on Leadership is the first book to examine Abraham Lincoln’s diverse leadership abilities and how they can be applied to today’s complex world.
The life of Abraham Lincoln, especially his presidency, demonstrated that he possessed all of the great leadership qualities. Some of his inherent abilities were natural; others were consciously developed over the course of his life.   Qualities such as honesty and integrity, empathy for the common man, and devotion to the rights of individuals were products of his upbringing.   During his adult life, Lincoln’s chosen profession as a lawyer prepared him for his future executive leadership...