Political leadership inspired by thematic principles

Lincoln

The Civil War was the bloodiest in American history, and yet President Abraham Lincoln pursued and persisted in a just cause. It could have been considered politically expedient to allow the slave states to cede, avoiding the conflict but permitting the institution of slavery to continue unchallenged, unhindered, and unresolved. Instead, Lincoln did the difficult thing: he invested human and financial resources in a deadly and costly conflict that lasted years. Lincoln is recognized as one of the world's greatest leaders because of his vision, determination, and trust in his fellow Americans. The Union won the war because of Lincoln's leadership, which was unwavering. Lincoln understood that slavery went against the moral fabric of the nation as well as the principles embedded in the United States Constitution. The United States could become a "more perfect union" by achieving a cohesive culture devoid of slavery and other gross injustices. Lincoln's decisions were not necessarily politically expedient; but they were morally correct and did result in a more perfect union "conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal," (Lincoln, 1863).

One of the reasons why Lincoln emerges as one of the greatest American leaders is because he put country before politics, and even before his own self-interest. Lincoln's beliefs about slavery stemmed from his commitment to upholding the core values of the American Constitution, such as liberty, freedom, and equality. As Smith (2013) points out, "to understand Lincoln's leadership properly, one must understand it as a feature of constitutional government." What this means is that Lincoln places formal law and due process of law ahead of personality politics. "Constitutional government cares more about the forms than about the outcomes," (Smith, 2013). Ironically, a strong leader also must be results-oriented and Lincoln was clearly results-oriented based on his "almost uncontrollable obsession" with achieving goals (Phillips, 1992).

Leadership rooted in constitutional law and values can seem paradoxical because of the leader's concern both for process and outcomes. The paradox of constitutional leadership is that "Leadership involves boldness, decisiveness and action, even a willingness to go it alone; constitutions work in the opposite direction, imposing forms and rules, checks on power and limits on executive initiative," (Smith, 2013). Leaders like Lincoln are "masters of paradox," (Philllips, 1992, p. 79). Lincoln "showed his mastery of paradox by skillfully providing a rock-solid, stable government as a foundation for the nation's security, while at the same time personally instituting massive amounts of change," (Phillips, 1992, p. 79). Maintaining the stability and integrity of the nation was the main reason why Lincoln refused to watch the South cede. The United States of America was a union that needed to be preserved, and its integrity depended on the development of shared values and ideals. Slave owners and those who supported them disagreed with Lincoln, but their views were tainted by racism. Lincoln knew that if the nation was to survive, slavery could not be a part of it.

Lincoln chose to do what was right rather than what was politically expedient, even during the darkest times of the Civil War. As Moreton (2008) points out, things were looking good for the South in 1864. It appeared almost as if the South might win, and many of Lincoln's advisers "said that there was no way to win the war and he might need to compromise on slavery," (Moreton, 2008). However, Lincoln would not budge. It would have certainly been the politically expedient thing to do for Lincoln to surrender and make a compromise that would result in the preservation of the union on the South's terms. Lincoln did not want to preserve the union at the expense of its moral integrity, though. For Lincoln, the emancipation of the slaves was integral to the creation of a "more perfect union." Referring to the tremendous loss of life that the Civil War caused, Lincoln (1863) stated in the Gettysburg Address, "It is for us the living rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced." The soldiers who fought in the Civil War would have died in vain if Lincoln had not persisted in accomplishing the dual goal of preserving the union and eliminating slavery.

Because he was willing and able to do what was right in terms of moral and constitutional law, Abraham Lincoln was a superior leader. He remained stalwart in his commitment to the constitutional values of freedom, and he even offered the world "a new birth of freedom," with the emancipation of the slaves. What Lincoln understood was that the nation founded on principles like "liberty and justice for all" could not stand divided on an issue as morally contentious as slavery. Lincoln also understood that slavery was not compatible with the Constitution, which is why the Civil War was justifiable even if it was bloody. Lincoln could have allowed the South simply to cede, which would have cost fewer lives on the battlefield. Instead, Lincoln pursued the path of righteousness that saved the lives of countless African-Americans, paving the way for a new and more just nation.