Lincoln's Leadership Abilities Comparison and Contrast

Compare and Contrast Paper on Abraham Lincoln on Leadership
Introduction
Successful leadership, like any other endeavor, can be replicated. The recipe for such replication is the study and understanding of the leadership ideologies and approaches of successful leaders in the field of interest. One of the greatest leaders of modern civilization is Abraham Lincoln, and his method, life, and ideologies have been studied and proposed across multiple books and journals of leadership discipline. Lincoln on leadership is one of such studies that introduce the life of Abraham Lincoln as one of the most successful and memorable statesmen in American political history, and his success is examined under various contexts. Lincoln on leadership is the primary study for this paper; however, observations are made from other leadership literature to reinforce the author’s views on successful leadership, as illustrated through Abraham Lincoln.
Lincoln on leadership: synopsis
The author, Phillips (1992), introduces Abraham Lincoln as one of the most influential and successful leaders of the 18th century, of the likes of Thomas Jefferson. It was quickly identified that the circumstances around Lincoln’s assumption of office served to excite his administrative and personal accomplishments to mythical proportions. In the first part, he assumed office at one of the most perilous political environments of American history, with certain states already seceded to the confederate party and others preparing to join. The major route of the Mississippi was hijacked, and the military was low on budget and workforce under the command of a seemingly unassuming general. Unemployment was on the rise due to the aftermath of the 1857 financial panic. Slavery was still campaigned for in border states with fierce abolitionists in the north: another recipe for a civil war, etc. Lincoln, himself, was an unimpressive lawyer and statesman at the time, and many regarded him as a pushover. However, through sheer will, deliberate development, and a hands-on/personal approach to political administration, Lincoln was able to inspire and motivate his cabinet, troops, and the entire nation to a common and achievable goal. He mastered the art of persuasion, instead of coercion, for including his subordinates in his vision for the nation. Abraham Lincoln was regarded for his attributes of honesty, integrity, astuteness, and empathy. These were largely developed in him by his upbringing. However, he learned other skills of oration, persuasion, etc. working professionally as a lawyer, and later a politician (Phillips, 1992).
Concepts for successful leadership: Abraham Lincoln
The entire lessons and ideas presented in the book can easily be categorized under the following headings: People, Character, Endeavour, and Communication.
· People
Abraham Lincoln influenced people. This is in line with one of the 21 fundamental laws of leadership illustrated by Maxwell (1998). Unlike the conventional idea of leadership at his time, Lincoln preferred a persuasion approach to influencing the decision of his followers (as opposed to coercion). This is seen in his character of making requests of his subordinates rather than ordering them. He believed in a fundamental principle of a kind and unassuming persuasion for influencing any person’s decision, even if such a decision is obviously in such a person’s best interest. The major goal of this approach is to ensure that his followers have a sense of partnership in the overall governance, thereby making them feel like colleagues rather than subordinates. Lincoln also made strong alliances with the likes of Edwin Stanton, William Seward, George McClennan, etc. Each of these individuals had a sort of resistance to Lincoln when he assumed office, but he realized their potential contributions to his vision and found common ground with them. The key part was to promote trust between all parties, through personal interaction or engagements. Finally, Lincoln was well informed about the affairs and needs of the people. He used the technology of his time (the telegraph) and gathered verified information from trusted advisors and through personal interactions. Lincoln showed genuine care and compassion for his followers, which in-turn yielded loyalty, trust, and admiration. This kind of example is seen in the description of Princess Diana of England and her ability to influence her subjects based on personal relations (Maxwell, 1998, pp. 15-16).
· Character
There were so many names attributed to Lincoln, e.g., “Honest Abe,” this is due to the level of distinguished character he possessed. Much of his character can be attributed to his rough but highly religious Baptist upbringing. As described by Maxwell (1998, p.8), various laws of leadership can be learned, and Lincoln improved his character over time through personal evaluations and intentional development. Lincoln had sincere integrity and believed strongly in ethics. As Maxwell (2005) indicated in Ethics 101, people generally have mistrust in their leadership due to the underlying self-serving nature of such leaders. For a leader to gain the trust of his people, he must transcend self-service to focusing on the common good. Lincoln showed this through his pursuit of liberty and equality for all men: a controversial idea at the time due to slavery. This was a politically dangerous stand at the time; however, it was the ethical stand that Lincoln decided to take. Lincoln also learned not to act in vengeance and handled criticism with grace. On the other hand, he ensured every form of misinformation that could destroy his reputation, or the government was clarified. This promoted transparency and exposed the true villains in the situation.
· Endeavor
Being a leader is significantly hinged upon decision-making (Northouse, 2012, p.45). The wrong decision, depending on the type or level of leadership, could be as costly as the death of people or the destruction of an entire nation. In making decisions, Lincoln was always careful to consider all his options for the best outcome. This was seen in his decisions and activities throughout the civil war against the confederates, e.g., the decision to re-supply Fort Sumter. However, while being careful in decision making is important, the ability to quickly make such decisions is also critical. Some situations cannot afford the leader too much time for consideration. So decisions must be made based on all available information and the vision or objective of the occupied leadership position. Phillips (1992) believed Lincoln’s approach administration was a good one, especially in the aspect of allowing people to show forth their best selves. He provided opportunities for people to come up with ideas and tried them out in various positions to see who fits best. This fostered a sort of specialization in his administration as well as trust in Lincoln as a leader, and it can be described as transformational leadership as identified by Northouse (2012, p.167). This is seen in Lincoln’s letter to Grant, after Vicksburg, where he indicated that he was not entirely certain that Grant could achieve the expected result, but he gave him a chance to prove himself anyway. It is also imperative to give credit when its due. As an innovator, Lincoln also fostered ideas in his followers. This is great for morale and improving the self-confidence of the followers, with a consequence of the overall betterment of the administration (Maxwell, 1998, pp. 76-81).
· Communication
As part of Lincoln’s developmental process, he improved his ability at writing and public or private speaking. This may be attributed in part to his initial profession as a lawyer, but it also developed throughout his political career. The significance of effective communication is in its ability to transform any opposition into a believer of a cause. This can be illustrated from Lincoln’s address on the issue of slavery, where he referenced the founding principles of liberty and equality, which is personal for every American. He communicated using whatever approach was necessary for a situation: mostly via anecdotes. He was able to inspire the troops, the people, and members of his cabinet, which shows the true mark of an effective leader.

Conclusion
Lincoln on leadership describes various leadership attributes that can be emulated from the great American statesman, Abraham Lincoln. As seen in the paper, the concepts of leadership proposed by the author have been found consistent with various other texts, especially the famous 21 laws of leadership. These ideologies are considered replicable and achievable for effective practical leadership. However, “Leadership without ethics is just management.”
References
Maxwell, J.C. (2005). Ethics 101: What Every Leader Needs to Know. Center Street Publishing. ISBN: 9780446578097. Retrieved from: http://lasacoassurance.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/John_C._MaxwelEthics-101_-What-Every-Leader-Needs-to-K-1.pdf
Maxwell, J.C. (1998). The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership. Thomas Nelson Publishing. ISBN: 9780785288374. Retrieved from: https://www.speakersbase.com/uploads/3567e22e8083ad294bab525f9c0b631c57f40f2b1478780702.pdf
Northouse, P.G. (2012). Leadership: Theory and Practice. California, USA: publications Inc. ISBN: 9781483317533.
Phillips, D.T. (1992). Lincoln on Leadership. New York, NY: Warner Books. ISBN: 9780446394598