NotitiesHow to Lead Like Abraham Lincoln
Christopher Coopersmith
This document discusses leadership lessons from Abraham Lincoln, emphasizing the importance of self-education, empathy, and the value of criticism. It highlights Lincoln's ability to turn enemies into allies and the significance of making decisions anchored in well-defined values. The text also reflects on personal growth through forgiveness and the impact of solitude on creativity.
Abraham Lincoln’s strong thirst for knowledge might have been the single most important factor in his success. Although his formal education ended at sixteen, he was far from done with learning. In fact, he called his time in school “defective.” So he turned to self-education. (Location 71)
Knowledge Is Its Own Reward Sometimes, people are able to commit to learning because they have an end goal in mind. But that is a limited way to think about knowledge. Knowledge is great when it has some practical application, but gaining knowledge is like digging a well: The more you dig, the greater the capacity. The same is true for your mind—the more you learn, the more you are able to learn. (Location 111)
Achievers are often great readers. Studies show that people who read with some level of consistency earn as much as five times more than people who don’t. (Location 123)
Lincoln’s heart beat to the rhythm of empathy for others. Whether the issue was the abolition of slavery or leading the country through war, he was quick to think about how his actions would affect others, including his enemies. When the war was over, he rushed to meet the leaders of the Confederacy with an extended hand of friendship. He dedicated the field at Gettysburg not just to those who fought for the cause he was championing, but for the men who gave their lives on both sides. He moved to honor “all who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. But in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate—we cannot consecrate—we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract.” (Location 310)
By the act of forgiving, I am no longer consumed by unproductive thoughts. I give up my bitterness. I am content in my soul and effective again with my fellow man... I forgive their lack of vision, and I forge ahead. I now know that criticism is part of the price paid for leaping past mediocrity. I will greet this day with a forgiving spirit. I will forgive myself. For many years, my greatest enemy has been myself. Every mistake, every miscalculation, every stumble I made has been replayed again and again in my mind. Every broken promise, every day wasted, every goal not reached has compounded the disgust I feel for the lack of achievement in my life... By forgiving myself, I erase the doubts, fears, and frustration that have kept my past in the present. From this day forward, my history will cease to control my destiny. (Location 364)
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Solitude allows for boredom, which is a precious gift for the brain. It both rests the brain and gears it up to work harder. Solitude allows us to enjoy and appreciate the natural beauty we whiz past every day. And solitude unlocks our creativity and intelligence the way nothing else can. Being by yourself gives you the time and space to reconcile the difficulties you have faced and allow them to teach you how to move forward without pain. (Location 426)
One of the greatest benefits of criticism is its ability to force introspection. If we are careful not to immediately rush to our own defense, we can learn a lot from what our critics say about us. (Location 488)
The best response to criticism is to first hear it out. (Location 497)
Offer thanks to your critic for pointing out something you did not see before. (Location 507)
Lincoln saw the presence of an enemy as an opportunity to call for friendship: “We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battle-field, and patriot grave, to every living heart and hearthstone, all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.” (Location 514)
He saw the presence of enemies as a challenge, and worked to convert them from opponent to ally. He remarked, “I destroy my enemies when I make them my friends.” He took the burden off of his critics and placed it on himself. He felt that since he was a good and kind person, there must be some reason why others had problems with him. He was known to say of his enemies, “I don’t like that man. I must get to know him better.” (Location 519)
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The best method for receiving criticism is to try to understand the perspective of the critic, whether right or wrong. (Location 523)
Imagine if, when you are criticized, you simply responded, “Thank you for sharing that with me. How might you have handled the situation?” It is a powerful question. It takes the focus off of the negative interaction and places it on solutions. (Location 528)
Criticism Can Create Friendships Have you ever made a critic into an ally? It is easy to see someone with opposing views as an opponent, but remember there are others who share your critic’s point of view who did not have the courage to speak up. Your critic has done you a favor by allowing you to see what others are seeing. (Location 539)
Every decision has a price tag. (Location 577)
But every decision also has a reward. (Location 578)
It might seem reckless or frightening to make decisions quickly. After all, you could make the wrong decision. This is a real risk of moving through the decision-making process too fast. However, there is also a risk in moving too slowly. Decision fatigue wears on the mind’s ability to organize the facts surrounding the decision. The brain will help you by allowing you to forget some of the important elements you need to make the decision because it does not want to become overwhelmed. The longer you wrestle with a decision, the less focused you are in making it. (Location 585)
It far better to deal with the outcome of a well-thought-out decision than it is to overthink it and suffer from analysis paralysis. (Location 590)
If you made the best decision you could with the information you had, you must trust that there is a reason for the outcome. (Location 620)
Decisions sometimes feel random. But a choice we make now that seems less than favorable may have great consequences. (Location 632)
Anchor Every Decision in Well-Defined Values (Location 634)
Some family comes to us by blood. Other family comes to us by experience. An often-misquoted phrase is “blood is thicker than water.” People who use that statement not only misquote it, but misunderstand the speaker’s original intent. The correct quote is “the blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb.” It means that you can develop a strong family bond with people with whom you have no biological connection. Men who have been to war together, for example, often consider themselves brothers in blood. (Location 680)
Perhaps one of the greatest moves you can make to improve the quality of your life is to prioritize your family. (Location 690)