Good day fellow readers, once again welcoming with open arms to my class blog (especially the one with my label)! This time round, I'm gonna share one or two bits of leadership qualities portrayed by a peson who is well know the people of the States of America not just because of his appearance on the dollar but also for his accomplishments as a transformational leader. He's none other than (waaitt...for itt) Abraham Lincoln.
Most of the leaders who surround us lead their companies and businesses, day after day, in an anonymous and silent way. Other people have or have had a major influence on many people because of their notoriousness: they are “worldwide” leaders, as was the case of such a legendary man as Abraham Lincoln. Having a look at the 16th American president, we can work some leadership lessons.
Before going further into his leadership style, let me just glimpse through of his background. Abraham Lincoln was an American statesman and lawyer who served as the 16th President of the United States from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. Lincoln led the United States through its Civil War, its bloodiest war and perhaps its greatest moral, constitutional, and political crisis. In doing so, he preserved the Union, paved the way for the abolition of slavery, strengthened the federal government and modernized the economy.
His greatest achievement was that he led the United States to ultimately defeat the Confederacy, and following his famous Emancipation Proclamation, he enacted measures to abolish slavery. Lincoln was correct in supporting the Union, which opposed slavery. He did not defend the Confederacy and the people supporting slavery.
It’s a fact that Lincoln was a skillful and admirable
leader. After all, if he wasn’t, he wouldn’t have been able to defeat the
generals of the Confederate States and reunite the country. With reference from
Joseph Chris article on Lincoln, I would like to borrow some of his extract to
further reinforce all the points listed…
1.
1. He knew how to handle his emotions.
One of the most difficult parts of being a
leader is knowing how to properly manage your emotions properly without
becoming a jaded. Many people find it hard to succeed in this endeavor, Lincoln,
however, learned to handle his emotions. Like any human being, he had intense
feelings every now and then, but he didn’t let these get in the way of his
work. Historians have discovered that, whenever he got angry at someone, he
expressed his feelings in a letter but didn’t mail it. As a result, he was able
to release his anger and feel better without hurting the other party. During
the times when he couldn’t control his temper and ended up lashing out at
someone, he immediately sent the person a letter or made a kind gesture to show
that he wasn’t harboring any ill feelings.
Perhaps one of the best examples of
Lincoln’s emotional intelligence was his decision to appoint Salmon Chase as
his treasury secretary. Chase was one of his top competitors and was fervently
eying the presidential seat, and he undermined Lincoln whenever he had the
chance. But Lincoln saw that Chase was good at his job, so he allowed him to
remain as treasury secretary instead of giving over to his personal
feelings and removing him from his post.
2. He shouldered the responsibility for mistakes
but shared his accomplishments with others.
As the president of the United States,
Lincoln could have easily passed on the blame to his generals and cabinet
members whenever something went wrong. But this did not happen; instead of
blaming other people, Lincoln acknowledged his mistake and apologized to
everyone. This even happened when the blunder was made by his staff members and
not personally by him. Rather than let them face all the backlash on their own,
Lincoln stood up with them and took responsibility for his subordinates’
mistakes.
3. He mastered the art of good communication.
Many world leaders are used to having people
listen when they speak. But Lincoln understood that good leadership wasn’t a one-sided
affair, so he made it a point to listen to everyone who had something to say.
This created a positive culture that allowed his cabinet members to speak their
mind, without fearing that they’ll get ridiculed or told to shut up. As a
result, even if Lincoln didn’t actually use their ideas or follow their
suggestions, they still felt that they’ve been heard and have contributed
something to the team.
Lincoln’s objectives (e.g. to end slavery and
unite the entire country) were almost impossible to achieve, but he didn’t give
up. When some people approached him and said that he might have to compromise
on the abolition of slavery, he didn’t listen to their advice. Lesser leaders
would have wavered and agreed that ending years of slavery was too difficult,
but Lincoln held his ground and pushed forward. These are the things that all
leaders should have: the ability to stay focused on what they want to achieve
and the unwavering belief that they will one day accomplish their goals.
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| The tragic final hours of Lincoln.. |
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