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Leadership Profile: Abraham Lincoln

Profile of a Leader: Abraham Lincoln

“With malice toward none; with charity for all.”


Leadership qualities:

  • Integrity

  • Empathy and Compassion

  • Emotional intelligence

  • Excellent communication skills

  • Motivation

  • Optimistic attitude

  • Accepting criticism and advice

  • Open-minded


Leadership Style:

Much of Lincoln’s success was due to his ability to communicate and connect with others. The iconic US president was a renowned storyteller, who could get his audience involved in his stories and vision of his projects. To be a leader is essential to establish oneself as a good communicator and know how to convey messages clearly.

Besides empathy and emotional intelligence, the ability to mix with others is a characteristic trait of good leaders and their skills to persuade and lead teams. During the American Civil War, Lincoln formed a cabinet composed of political rivals, in whom he put his faith. A strong leader knows when to rely on others and is able to recognize the success of his team above his own.

Abraham Lincoln always tried to inspire trust in voters with an optimistic attitude.

He was a transformational leader.


Vision:

Abraham Lincoln was against war and slavery. This may sound contradictory given the fact that the most brutal and bloodiest war happened during his leadership in the United States. He believed in democracy and in the nation and the people of the United States. He strongly felt that slavery of human beings is wrong and that the people were born equal and that everyone deserves freedom. He also believed in providence and higher power without attaching that to a certain fanatical religious belief. This quote shows this very clearly:


“My concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God's side, for God is always right.”


And, even though he had this great vision, he was able to relate to things individually, just like the deaths that occured due to the civil war. He did not take human lives lightly.


Qualities as a Leader:

They say Lincoln was born as a natural leader. He was 6 foot 4 inches high, and he was able to command the room with his presence wherever he appeared. He was a good public speaker and negotiator which eventually helped him to win the election and he became the president of the United States. He was a self-taught lawyer with no higher education or impressive background. However, he was interested in politics and law from the very beginning.

He possessed a very unique quality as a leader, and that is, he was open to criticism and debate. He empowered his leadership through dialogue with the American people and used the opinion of others to self-correct mistakes and improve his public image. While he accepted advice, he also followed his own instinct whenever he thought it was the wise decision.

Another aspect about Abraham Lincoln that was unique is that he was not only respected, followed, or admired but people, the nation loved him. That has something to do with his role as savior of the Union and emancipator of enslaved people. His rise from humble beginnings to achieving the highest office in the land is also a remarkable story.


Leadership characteristics:

Abraham Lincoln had a strong sense of integrity and believed in his own principles. He was able to inspire people and thus evoked loyalty, dedication and confidence of those around him. They also say that Lincoln's communication skills were extraordinary and had a remarkable ability to communicate his goals to his people. He was intelligent and self-confident who was able to lead through turbulent times. He surrounded himself with people who had strong egos and high ambitions, including his own rivals. They were unafraid of asking him questions, and questioning his authority. He owned his mistakes and shared responsibility with others.





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