Lincoln and Leadership

Lincoln and Leadership 

After reading and researching Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin, I learned that before occupying the White House, President Obama was asked in an interview "what one book will you bring with you to the White House" and he said Team of Rivals. Before reading this book, I knew Abraham Lincoln was reveled and goes down in history as one of the great presidents, but I had no idea that he was so idealized for his leadership qualities. When describing Lincoln's leadership qualities, the word "finesse" effectively describes the maneuvering, ease, efficiency and skill that Lincoln demonstrated in his ability to lead his cabinet and the nation.

Lincoln was not one to jump to conclusions or react quickly but rather valued the opinions of those around him and took time to process and evaluate decisions. It takes great courage to surround yourself with those who are not your best allies but who have the most knowledge in a subject area and want the best for the nation.

The leadership quality that was most personally impactful and noticeable was Lincoln's psychological capital. Lincoln demonstrated all components: efficacy, optimism, hope and resiliency throughout his leadership roles and throughout his lifetime, both professionally and personally. He had a vision for the country and a plan for how he was to achieve the vision and he believed in himself, the union and his leadership team beyond all measures.

It was especially inspiring to read about a leader that was not the front runner or a domineering character who had to have the first and last say. I think Lincoln presented an efficient, but also a softer side of leadership that speaks measures to how efficient the Carnegie principals are. As we said in class, Lincoln was the embodiment of Carnegie's principles, many years before the Carnegie principles even existed. Lincoln was the cool, calm and collected leader that kept his friends close and his enemies closer who believed in vision larger than himself and was wiling to work with a team of rivals to serve the the nation as commander in chief. He was able to win friends and influence people by appealing to nobler motives and getting to know the person and be genuinely interested in other people. He was able to diffuse a tough situation with storytelling and able to rally the troops and stir things up when necessary.

I enjoyed both reading and listening to this book on audiobook. The book was daunting at first because it was such a large task in a short amount of time, but when great things are expected, people (and I) rise to the occasion to make it happen.

Team of Rivals Reflection

Team of Rivals, written by Doris Kearns Goodwin is all about Abraham Lincoln's rise to presidency, his presidency, and his everlasting legacy across the globe. The book, although roughly 800 pages, really caught my attention and I often times felt that I could not put it down. I would read it before and after work every day. One of the main reasons why the book was so interesting to me was how diverse all of the people were in regards to leadership styles and organizational behaviors.

Throughout the book, it astonished me on how many failures and trials Lincoln had to face both prior to becoming president and during his presidency. I feel that the trials assisted in molding him into one of the best leaders that the United States has ever seen. Since the beginning of the book, Lincoln was never as fortunate as his future cabinet members when it came to education and money. Lincoln was a self educated man who borrowed books from anyone that he could. He understood the true meaning of hard work and did not take it for granted.

During Lincoln's presidential campaign and during his presidency, he showed astonishing emotional intelligence. He was able to continuously make decisions without letting his emotions or personal desires influence him. Lincoln would often write the emotional letters but store them away for a couple days, reread them, than either keep them locked up forever or throw them away. He was on the level of self actualization and often sacrificed his personal health for the better of the country.

Lincoln was also a master negotiator and influencer of people. Although Carnegie's book, How to Win Friends and Influence People, was not written at the time; Lincoln possessed many of the attributes. He would also listen to anyone's personal opinion fully, even if he did not agree, and would often be seen sitting back and listening rather than trying to lead any argument. Lincoln was a master tactician and timed his comments precisely. He would often start with a story that would bring all sides together and have a meaningful purpose. This would calm the opposing sides down while slowly instilling his ideas into their heads. He would then give his points, and wait while the opposition would determine that it was their idea and agree with Lincoln.

I was also astonished with how diverse Lincoln's cabinet was. Lincoln knew that a more diverse cabinet leads to a more successful one. Having opinions from all sides of the spectrum does lead to more arguments, but it also brings about the best solutions. In the book it was said that Lincoln believed that a cabinet of like minds is the same as a single ruler. This personally touched me because in the past, I have often times found myself only wanting to be around my close group of friends. We are all similar with similar beliefs and backgrounds, which leads to similar ideas. If I want to lead a more diverse lifestyle I will need to reach out to more diverse minded individuals.

Overall, Team of Rivals improved my intelligence of Lincoln and the Civil War much more than I have ever known. Previously, I only know as much as school had taught me, which was minimal. The book also lead to a lot of self-reflection. I need to be able to have the self awareness that he had and listen and surround myself with more intelligent people. Understanding that I know little motivates me to learn more. I also need to be a better listener. Listening, for Lincoln, assisted him with maintaining friends all over the political spectrum. Lastly, I need to spread out and surround myself with more diverse minded people. In doing so, I will continue to improve my intelligence, and will learn better ways to solve problems that I would have never previously conceived.

Reflections of Lincoln-Team of Rivals

I recently finished the Lincoln book, and while I know we are going to be talking it out and analyzing the details of the leadership qualities that Lincoln showed in his presidency, I wanted to take a minute to reflect back on some impressions I received and thoughts I had while reading the book.

I have never been a big Civil War buff, my dad and grandpa are, and when my parents lived in Fredericksburg my folks would go to battlefields and tours and dad would tell me all the interesting tidbits he picked up.  I nodded along politely, but it was too removed for me to get to invested in more than just some interesting history facts.  So when I learned we would have to read this very large book in a very short period of time, on a subject that at first glance didn't really seem to relate to the class topic, I was not thrilled.  I learned very quickly how wrong I was, on many counts.

To make efficient use of my time, I got an audio version of the book so I could listen while I commuted to work.  I quickly became so engrossed in the book that I would sit in the car a few extra minutes when I got to my destination just to finish a story or thought from the author.  I would laugh at the images that were created by the authors words, get saddened by the characters losses, and be fully outraged and aggravated on the Presidents' behalf from some slight or scheming done by his rivals. It made me laugh and depressed at the same time as I listened to the beginning of story as the author described the political climate of the day and the marches on Washington, and the outrage of the country and the radical change they felt was needed, and reflect on how 150+ years later, it resonated so deeply still with our current political climate.  With a few technology upgrades, Goodwin could have been describing the lead up and months of the 2016 election, right down to the backlash against immigrants.

I was fascinated by the description of the rivals and marveled at Goodwin's' research and depth of information on each of them.  Her descriptive style and evocative phrases painted a vivid picture in my mind of the men, the times, and the personality of each.  When the Civil War started and the Battle of Bull run was described, it made me want to drive to Manassas to walk the battlefield and contemplate the mistakes and missed opportunities.  The same was true for all the battles in places I have driven past, but never took the time to really see.

I told my dad about the book, he had already read it of course, but I shared my fascination and how the author made me feel like it just happened and my desire to see these places now so close to me. When I told him I was ready to strangle Chase and kick him back to OH he laughed and agreed. I marveled with him how Lincolns ideas were changed over time and how that made made him such a powerful leader that he was then able to change a counties collective mind.

Though I knew how the story must end, everyone knows, it was heart-wrenching to hear of Lincoln's assassination and how his once bitter rivals mourned him.  I couldn't help but think of all the good he could have done, had he lived and finished his term.  What would the present have been like, if Lincoln had been able to bring the South back into the Union in his way?  How much more progress would have been made in bringing the people together if he had been around and his genius with people and understanding and compassion been available to heal the wounds of war?

Lincolns' true genius was not his vision of what could be, but of how he made that vision a reality and why he wanted to.  He truly felt that all men were equal and deserved to be treated as such.  He felt that each person brought value and strengths and was humble enough to want the best for his nation, to include bringing all those strengths into his cabinet to be the best for everyone, though he had to work harder to manage their differences.  His self-mastery and ability to understand what motivates different people and therefore utilize that so they came around to his way of thinking was both subtle and powerful.  It was more than charisma, more than likability, Lincoln had a true fascination and caring for each person.  I wondered, as the book drew to a close, if perhaps he was a bit of an empath, for the level of emotional intelligence he was able to use is not seen in many.

While I am not sure this book will turn me into a Civil War nut like my dad, it definitely brought history alive and presented the challenges of political life and how to be a true leader.  I think we should all strive to have more leadership qualities that Lincoln showed; compassion towards everyone, restraint when in the face of anger or insult, patience and thoughtfulness before decisions, and a resolute determination to do the right thing with no wavering of your path. It made me think of the leader I want to be, where I can appreciate, value and seek those with different opinions, because it is ultimately better for the collective.  I will strive to remember compassion towards everyone, and to value and truly listen to anyone who has something to share, because of the value they feel from being listened to.  I love how Lincoln used stories to make his meaning clear and I want to develop that skill, so I don't come across as blunt but rather can convey and nudge my listener in a subtle way that they may not even realize.  So a book that I was skeptical of for a leadership class, imparted the best leadership lessons to me, all in a way that was subtle and fascinating.  :)