Lincoln On Leadership By Donald T. Phillips

Although Theodore Roosevelt led by using Intellectual Courage, he held another great attribute of Ethical Leadership. He was the epitome of an Ethical Leader portraying one of our own Air Force Core Values of Service Before Self which is defined as the ability to have professional duties take precedence over personal desires (BCEE,

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.

The presidency of Abraham Lincoln came during a highly radical and chaotic period of American history. For historians such as James McPherson, they see Lincoln as the greatest leader in American history. For McPherson, Lincoln succeeded in combining military pragmatism with the political ideologies of the North, as well as Lincoln’s own idealism, thus assuring Northern victory. However, not all historians agree that Lincoln was a masterful tactician. Chester Hearn, believes that although Abraham Lincoln was one of America’s most venerable statesmen, his presidency was marked by flaws and a general misunderstanding of how war is waged. McPherson’s Tried by War and Hearn’s Lincoln, The Cabinet and the Generals, make the argument for each of

An example of an individual that had outstanding leadership skills is President Andrew Jackson, who, irrespective of previous letdowns, with persistent innovation and passion did all he could to clinch the presidential seat and make America a better place. He being categorized among our forefathers, the first Presidents of the United States, makes him an individual that was not motivated by money or the like, but one that was driven by a deep feeling to serve Americans for the sake of establishment of their country (Barbuto & Wheeler, 2007). Andrew Jackson was a true servant leader because he operated within the premise upon which servant leadership is founded upon i.e. “There's no greater purpose than service to others.” He stands out from the current world presidents of today because he was never driven by power, money, and prestige but through service to other people. This paper is going to give invaluable insights concerning Andrew Jackson's leadership style through the lens of the servant leader.

Williams shows us that Lincoln never hesitated in making difficult decisions based on results. Lincoln's people skills are clearly established in Williams’s writings. Lincoln seems keen at applying pressure as well as giving his generals a free hand when necessary.

He did not have the luxury of creating intellectually cohesive, internally consistent methods in the midst of the very messy business of civil war. Driven by circumstances and his own background to more or less improvise an approach to presidential warmaking [sic], Lincoln was above all else pragmatic and realistic,

Comparing The Political Leadership Of Lincoln and Davis It may seem self- evident that Lincoln was the greater political leader; Lincoln led the winning side while Davis was defeated. It has though, been thought that once the Northern advantages and Southern disadvantages have been considered, that it is possible, that almost anyone could have led the North to victory. If this is so, was it Davis's strong leadership, which ensured that the confederacy survived as long as it did? Davis's government has inevitably been blamed for the way it ran the war.

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).

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

FDR's leadership, as well as the other leaders discussed in our text, are individuals whom are a learning tool for the future. As demonstrated throughout history, leaders and society continually learn from our progress, development, and our continue to evolve effectively. History has taught us that it is wise to learn from our past. In this specific case, learning and teaching ourselves of the traits and leadership that FDR possessed is an important lesson in understanding how leadership evolved to where it stands today. FDR also teaches us about the effectiveness of visionary charismatic leadership, and the impressive obstacles that can be conquered using this specific set of character strengths.

Lincoln on Leadership is a book that discusses all of Abraham Lincoln’s leadership styles and strategies and talks about how successful he was because of these attributes as our President. The main character of the book is President Abraham Lincoln. He grew up in a poor background and worked his way to where he was as President. Lincoln tried many careers such as a postmaster, a surveyor, and a lawyer so that he could have a life of success. He always learned from his failures and worked very hard to make it in life because he was from such a disadvantaged background. He was devoted to human rights, innovation, and compassion. He was an amazing leader with leadership styles that kept the United States as one. Leaders today should be able to use these guidelines and to try to an effective leader no matter what setting this is in whether it is business, politics, or healthcare.

When reflecting throughout America’s history, two people in particular exemplified the essence of true leadership traits, Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela. While others displayed a vast variety of traits, Martin Luther King Jr. as well as Nelson Mandela displayed traits of leadership that stood the test of time, and while today, their traits still influence, as well as affect people in today’s society. Throughout his time as political activist, as well as South Africa’s first African President, Nelson Mandela’s

Lincoln had many strategies when it came to his leadership, and from the book, “Lincoln on Leadership,” his ideas and techniques are showcased in detail. From the many strategies that Lincoln had employed, I had identified three techniques from three different chapters in Lincoln on Leadership for analysis. The first strategy that I will discuss is from chapter two; “Showing your compassionate and caring nature will aid you in forging successful relationships.” The second strategy is from chapter three, and it is as follows; “A good leader avoids issuing orders, preferring to request, imply, or make suggestions.” Lastly, the third and final strategy that I will discuss if from Chapter six; “Do the very best you know how – the very best you can – and keep doing so until the end.” I chose these specific strategies in accordance to their applicability to my leadership style, as I find myself identifying with these rather comfortably. I will begin to explain this through the first strategy regarding compassion and a caring nature.

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.

Abraham Lincoln was an Ethical Leader; he did the right thing, and made ethical decisions regarding slavery. Lincoln was an honest man, and as a result he earned the nickname “Honest Abe”. David Phillips wrote in his book “Lincoln on Leadership”, “Lincoln always did the right thing or at least he attempted to do so” (1992, p.54). Thomas N. Barnes Center for Enlisted Education [BCEE] (2014b) defines ethics as “what we understand to be good and right behavior”. Lincoln did the right thing and did not associate himself with people he could not trust. He fired his first Secretary of War, Simon Cameron, for illegally awarding a defense contract and other shady dealings.