Abraham Lincoln : A Visionary And Ethical Leader

I start this project on Lincoln’s leadership very reluctantly. I am a history buff and have always viewed his leadership through the eyes of jaded historians. They have portrayed him as a dictator, incompetent, and a buffoon at some points. After reading the Donald T. Phillips book Lincoln on Leadership, my mindset was totally changed. This book broke down four key areas that produced an effective leader in Lincoln. These areas are character, people, endeavor, and communication. I will be sharing a principal from each key area that I found important and then conclude with an overall thought.

Throughout the history of the United States of America, many great people have directed toward success. The American nation has been honored with many of the greatest people in history, including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and James Madison. Abraham Lincoln is considered one of the most greatest president in US History. Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12,1809 in Hodgenville, Kentucky. He is known for his leadership and skills as president along with his pleasant personality. Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. Lincoln led the United States through the Civil War and accomplished many things such as Emancipation Proclamation,

Abraham Lincoln is by far our most revered president in the history of the United States. He had a strong moral vision of where his country must go to preserve and enlarge the rights of all her people, but he was also a good man with a strong sense of character and a great discipline in the art of law; and he sought to continue the great and mighty legacy of the Constitution. He believed that the Founding Fathers had drawn up the Constitution without the mention of slavery because they felt that it would later die of a natural death. He would soon learn that that would not be the case.

April 15, 1865 was a highly anticipated evening at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C. President Abraham Lincoln, along with Vice President Andrew Johnson and Secretary of State William Seward were scheduled to attend a showing of Our American Cousin. This enjoyable gathering soon turned to tragedy for the American leaders. In the middle of the performance, shots were fired and blood was shed while the unassuming audience sat oblivious to the events unfolding. John Wilkes Booth executed his scheme to assassinate President Lincoln, one of the most important and influential men in American history, who inspired the masses with his unexpected rise to power.

It is hard not to agree with David Herbert Donald in his biography of Abraham Lincoln. He does his best to not give his professional opinion of anything and only writes about the topics from which he has proof of. The main ideas that the author has throughout the text is greatly supported with Lincoln’s own papers and from written first-hand accounts of his generation. Donald accounts for the changes of position on slavery and the equality of blacks throughout his presidency. I think that this book is a great depiction of Abrahams Lincoln’s life.

This era in American History is one that will always be talked about and discussed. This was a time when America was debatably at its lowest point in terms of agreement on certain things. Specifically on the issue of slavery. Abraham Lincoln, the president of the United States during this time, has to be given a lot of credit for the effort he put into this matter in American history. Even through the criticism and hatred that he would get from one side, he still kept the main goals in line which were being a good leader for the United States, freeing and providing equality for the slaves, and mostly importantly preserving the Union.

Abraham Lincoln is a modern day hero because he is compassionate for abolishing slavery, freeing slaves from harsh environments in the confederacy, and his speech to prove equality among caucasians and african americans. His name was Abraham Lincoln, he was born on february 12, 1809. Abraham was born near hodgenville, kentucky. He is a husband to Mary Ann Todd Lincoln and a father to Edward, Wille, Thomas, and Robert. One of Abraham's accomplishments was successfully passing the 13th amendment, helping the union win the civil war, and influenced the north and south together. Abraham is an absolute hero because of the inspiration he is too many people.

Another great leadership ability that Lincoln possessed was his ability to appoint the right people for the right jobs in his Cabinet. Even though they were some of the greatest minds of his time, some of his Cabinet members were also some of his biggest political adversaries. Through his great leadership, he was able to assemble this group and to pull them together to make it work. Lincoln also had the ability to make a mistake, learn from it and then move on, creating an environment of learning in his administration. Also, when the administration was successful, Lincoln was willing to share the credit with his administration, not taking all the credit for himself. This ability can be a great motivator, since it gives people a sense of accomplishment (Moreton, 2008).

Across time, political leaders have often been remembered for their greatness by how they faced challenges than with what particular skills or abilities they had during their time in office. This statement is known to be true as political leaders are often expected to solve certain issues or challenges when in office and if their contributions benefit the state or country. Additionally, history books, records, and scholarly journals will take note of a leader’s response to challenges, how they are handled, and if the issue is solved more than whether they adequately used certain skills and abilities to solve the problem. In short, challenges, when faced, allow the political leaders to be remembered more so than their talents.

Throughout recent history, the definition of leadership has been the subject of a vast number books, articles, and essays. Countless authors have attempted define the ability to lead in a tangible way. They have scrutinized on how one becomes a leader and how one successfully leads. Because the ability to lead is so ambiguous and no one can follow a definable set of steps to become a leader, many authors have use examples of leaders to illustrate their views on the subject. And even in the limited scope of time that is the history of the United States, dozens of men and women have lead Americans through their words, beliefs, and actions. Whether they are appointed leaders such as President George Washington or Thomas Jefferson, or leaders of worthwhile cause such as Susan B. Anthony or Martin Luther King Jr., these leaders provide a blueprint that if examined carefully, can provide useful advice for those aspiring to become great leaders. And for Donald T. Phillips, the American leader whose life “still inspires and moves people from all walks of life” and provides an example of leadership that is without equal is Abraham Lincoln (Phillips). In his book Lincoln on Leadership: Executive Strategies for Tough Times Phillips provides 15 overarching leadership qualities that Lincoln followed all throughout his life. By describing how Lincoln exhibited each of these qualities thoroughly, Phillips then relates how potential leaders today can duplicate those same qualities in their

Ever since I was a little child, I have been an admirer of President Lincoln, his achievements, and his incredible rags-to-riches story. A long time ago, in the beginning of the 19th century, Abraham Lincoln was a small town Springfield boy who was born to a poor family and had little access to formal education. However, Lincoln was hard-working and determined to succeed, and taught himself law and became a prosperous figure. There are many tales of how he walked miles and did odd jobs just to be given the chance to read a book. It was this dedication to learning and knowledge that would lead him to the highest office in the nation. However, he still had troubles, and when he ran for the House of Representatives in 1846, he was defeated by his Democratic opponent, Henry Clay. Nevertheless, he persevered through his troubles, and his nationwide fame from his debates with Clay landed him the Republican Presidential Nomination in 1860. After a long and strenuous campaign, he won in a landslide, and took the office of President of the United States. When Lincoln took office, the United States was in a period of national turmoil, from the Missouri compromise and a larger disagreement on the issue of slavery. In 1861, the Southern states rallied together in a confederacy to try and secede from the Union, but Lincoln knew he had to keep the country together. Throughout 4 long and harsh years of bitter warfare, his leadership led the country through the bloodiest war it had ever seen, and many say it was his decisions and strength that kept the young country together. One of the most memorable moments of the war came from his remarkable address in the battle at Gettysburg, a few months after he issued the Emancipation Proclamation. This masterpiece of a speech rallied the nation around him and the morale-boosting victory at Gettysburg turned the tide of the war and lead the

Abraham Lincoln is known to almost everyone. It is recognized that he led the country through one of the hardest times in its history. What many of us do not know or understand are the methods he employed in order to lead us through the Civil War. Phillips became interested in Lincoln’s leadership methods and abilities because he found that these same ideas were still being taught today. He wrote this book because he was unable to find other books detailing Lincoln’s leadership. Because Lincoln’s methods are still applicable in today’s leadership environment, Phillips realized that much could be learned by examining Lincoln’s actions while

In chapter two of Lincoln on Leadership, Lincoln is described in detail for his compassionate and caring nature. He was said to contain this particular nature by the fact that he maintained alliances, took time out of his schedule to stay in contact with his people, and he granted many pardons as a result of his kindness. I find the utilization of compassion and a caring nature provide the

Donald T. Phillips’ book, Lincoln on Leadership, explores the life and practices of Abraham Lincoln as the leader of the United States of America. Without question, Lincoln’s legacy lies as one of the greatest leaders in the history of the country. Lincoln’s style of leadership, which facilitated his accomplishment of one of the most complicated tasks in a divided country, have only recently become the foundation for developing concepts of leadership in both private and public organizations. Throughout Lincoln on Leadership, Phillips discusses over one hundred of Lincoln’s principles of leadership and practices, practices which still inspire and motivate persons in all aspects of society.

He often would walk from his office to the Secretary of War’s office to discuss strategies to win the war. David T. Phillips stated in his book Lincoln on Leadership that, “Lincoln spent most of his time among the troops” (p.13). Lincoln rode his horse most of the time to the camp of the Union soldiers and cheered them up. He also motivated them by letting them know the importance of winning the war. The Core Lesson under Individual Consideration states that, “The leader empathizes with and supports each follower and keeps channels of communication open” [BCEE] (2014a, p.13). We have discussed Lincoln as Visionary Leader now let’s move on to Lincoln as Ethical Leader.