Abraham Lincoln and his Innovative Leadership The purpose of this paper is to present facts proving Abraham Lincoln is the perfect example of an innovative leader in any day and situation. We each have our strengths and capabilities. Direct guidance fortifies some; providing examples enlightens some; independence offers other individuals the opportunity to excel. Lincoln could see people clearly and to know how to motivate them in their area of expertise. Lincoln’s attributes and competencies made him a “Legacy Leader” from his early adult life as a frontier lawyer until his assassination while president. His humble attitude never hid his greatness and has been an influence in my life since childhood.
Lincoln’s Attributes
Leads
While watching
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Lincoln, Second Inaugural Address, March 4, 1865). From his early days as a frontier lawyer, Lincoln had the nickname of “Honest Abe”. Lincoln practiced what he preached knowing that subordinates prefer a hard truth to a simple lie; he found that honesty and integrity are the best policies. Lincoln also believed in the Golden Rule, treat others as he wished to be treated, never acting out of vengeance or spite. Lincoln had the courage to handle unfair criticism and encouraged others not to criticize.
Presence
Many of those in Lincoln’s staff believed he was a country bumpkin without a lick of sense. Those same men were soon to realize that Lincoln was a man of stature with a hidden core of steel. Lincoln had the self-confidence to let his subordinates know when they were right and he was wrong. Lincoln understood the best way to win the war was with a general willing to “assume the responsibility of command” (Phillips, 1992, p.41). Lincoln went through multiple general officers before he found the military leader needed in Ulysses S. Grant.
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Lack of formal education did not hold him back from learning all he could. Lincoln would often read a book multiple times until sure he understood the significance of each passage. During Lincoln’s early twenties, he worked on a flatboat moving cargo to New Orleans. The flatboat was stuck on a dam in New Salem, IL. Lincoln’s innovative idea to drill a hole in the boat to remove the water enabled the boat and cargo to make it to New Orleans. Lincoln used stories to explain situations that may have seemed like folk tales but provided a solid foundation of strong ethics. During the war, Lincoln would spend the majority of his time in the War office so he could make on the spot decisions. This timesaving practice is one of the reasons the North was able to win the Civil War.
The Impact on the Community Lincoln had the aptitude to pull people together for a common goal. Helping people realize that persecution of a group would lead to oppression of the country. Lincoln would not micromanage his staff allowing them to act upon their ideas with little to no guidance. If Lincoln noticed a subordinate in the process of failing, he would gently guide them to a different way of looking at the situation. One of his leading philosophies was to reach back and help the people below him to reach heights above their current station.
My Personal
Carwardine does a great job at going into detail at what exactly did that for Lincoln. He does not just talk about historical facts; he includes more of Lincoln’s personal ambitions and morals that shaped both his character and his political views. These values were also part of his vision of America as a nation. Carwardine makes it apparent that Abraham Lincoln understood the times and the people he worked for in order to make the nation better. In the end, he describes Lincoln by saying “his course as President was shaped not by impulsive, self-aggrandizing action or self-righteousness, but by deep thought, breadth of vision, careful concern for consequences, and a remarkable lack of pride” (Carwardine
The success of a nation relies heavily on its leader’s ability to fortify weaknesses and capitalize on strengths within the country. During the time known as the American Civil War, two opposing coalition arose to battle for their ideals and beliefs; The Union, led by Abraham Lincoln, was comprised of mostly northernmost states, while the Confederacy, led by Jefferson Davis, was mostly formed from southern states. Although the two leaders were born as fellow citizens of the same country, each of them exhibited significant differences from the other. Through the Civil War, both Lincoln and Davis displayed their strength and weakness in their ability to lead a nation during a time of conflict. When referring to the topic of political leadership,
With all of the books written about President Lincoln, one might believe that there is nothing more to learn about this great man. However, Doris Kearns Goodwin wanted to show an unconventional analysis of Mr. Lincoln and how he used politics to his advantage. Three well educated men with similar backgrounds were compared alongside Abraham Lincoln who was considered to be much less educated and unqualified for the position. This trio of officials was astounded when Lincoln won the election. Over time and years of working together, the four of them had become friends and respected each other.
When you hear the word “Lincoln” what is the first thought to come to your mind? Many would say a symbolization of honesty, integrity, freedom and even humanity. From 1861-1865 America was blessed with one of the greatest presidents we have ever had the 16th president of the United States of America, Abraham Lincoln. At the time of his presidency the country was divided into two regions the north and south regions in which they both had withdrawn from the union. Lincoln led the United States to defeat the confederacy which followed the famous Emancipation Proclamation, which was put in place to abolish slavery.
Undaunted by descending voices of selfish gain, Abraham Lincoln stuck to his words that he knew would lead to a better nation. One such example was his willingness to appoint
Lincoln said, “I am a patient man” “but it may as well be understood, once and for all, that I shall not surrender this game” (Goodwin 216). Being a patient leader is hard to come by and Lincoln being such an understanding man is a great factor for having a successful political leadership. Lincoln was a hard but generous man, he “offered the rebellious states a last chance to end the war” (Goodwin 217). Lincoln had good leadership but is taking the patient way to
Abraham Lincoln was no expert in war, no brilliant tactician, and no
Lincoln once said “I do the very best I know how- the very best I can; and I mean to keep on doing so until the end.” Lincoln always strived to be the best he could be in everything he participated in whether it be chopping down a tree or becoming a lawyer. Although Lincoln had awful manners he was very successful in everything that he done. There were many experiences throughout Lincoln’s lifetime that made him an attractive candidate for the United States Presidency in 1860. The three experiences that led to Lincoln being a candidate for presidency are him serving in the Black Hawk War, The Lincoln Douglas debates, and his role in politics.
Lincoln was a lot of things but he was mainly confident. He was confident in the change in slavery and what he strived to achieve as the President. Lincoln spoke a 701 word brief speech for his second Inaugural Address. This speech stated the sin of slavery and punishment of it in a the best way of stating it confidently(Lincoln 1). This could have been a possible explanation for his assassination due to the fact that a month after his death this speech was copied and printed as a big deal.
Abraham Lincoln was not just an important president, He also did a lot more than you might that not know about. In the stories “Honest Abe” by Barbara Radner, she informs you how honest Abraham Lincoln was. She showed us that Abraham Lincoln walked two miles to repay someone that he overpaid. In the article “Backwoods Boy” By Russell Freedman, he explains how Abraham Lincoln was loyal to his family and explained to us how he grew up and was loyal to his family. Honest Abe was to persuade us that he is Honest and Backwoods Boy was to inform us about Honesty.
Many public figures attract a lot of attention to themselves by having integrity, or lack thereof. The sixteenth president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, became known as “Honest Abe” because as a lawyer he never defended cases that required him to ignore his conscience (Kennedy 406). Along with other redeeming qualities, his uprightness made him a good leader in the public’s eye. Additionally, Lincoln had a very successful career, winning the popular and electoral votes in 1860, drawing an end to the Civil War, and famously abolishing slavery (Wilson). However, some might say he was not so virtuous when it came to the Civil War.
Abraham Lincoln may have been bold in the way he spoke, but he was very tactical and wise when speaking his mind. He knew in order to get his cabinet members on board with one of his most important acts, The Emancipation Proclamation, he needed to be tactical in how he presented the act. The Emancipation Proclamation was not something Lincoln took lightly, but rather he reworked the way they put this act together multiple times, sometimes even restarting the document. He faced a great challenge when presenting this document. He knew that many people would be in opposition to his words and that on the contrary, this could save the lives of many.
" His leadership skills proves that he is committed and qualified in being the strongest president. "It was Lincoln's leadership, his commitment to values, and his strong moral fiber that made it possible for America to find its way though the Civil War," (The Great Emancipator, Paragraph 3). His leadership skills is what helped put abusing African Slaves to an end. Abraham Lincoln always had the intention of doing what was right for the whole country or the greater good. He went against all odds and defeated the south in slavery, making him a stronger leader.
Best United States President The Unites States of America has been served by forty-three presidents so far. A good number of them were competent leaders who performed and were behind the ever-developing economy in the United States, good structure of leadership has also been the backbone of success in the country. However, the best among all the presidents that served the United States is Abraham Lincoln. This research paper hence has explained in detailed form why Abraham Lincoln performed more compared to the other president of the United States. (Pederson, William 57)
Over hundreds of years America has had many presidents, some able to complete the tasks at hand, but many were not worthy of leading this nation. President Abraham Lincoln was one of the few who led the United States of America with great strength and courage. Abraham Lincoln was the best U.S. president because he had a great impact on ending slavery and he was one of the greatest natural strategists and leaders of all time. Abraham Lincoln is considered to be America 's wisest president. Abraham Lincoln, "proved to be a shrewd military strategist and a savvy leader during what became the costliest conflict ever fought on American soil."