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LEAD LIKE LINCOLN
How to lead like
Abraham Lincoln,
according to a
Harvard historian
AP PHOTO
This undated illustration depicts President Abraham Lincoln making his Gettysburg Address at
the dedication of the Gettysburg National Cemetery on the battlefield at Gettysburg, Pa.,…
By Nancy F. Koehn
Historian, Harvard Business School
July 30, 2018
Record numbers of first-time candidates are staking their claim in
midterm contests all over the country. These people include Native
Americans, combat veterans, members of the LGBTQ community, and
women from both parties. As various pundits and entrenched
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politicians deride these newcomers, we must remember that many of
our greatest leaders were once unknown and largely untested.
Few people better personified this transformation than Abraham
Lincoln, who had less than a year of formal schooling. As I explain in
my latest book, through ongoing self-education, he made himself into
a skilled attorney, one of the best writers and orators in American
history, and our most revered president. His life’s journey was not
smooth or easy; indeed, Lincoln failed much more frequently than he
succeeded. However, what he learned during his tragedies and
triumphs, including the importance of making tough choices when the
stakes are high, can help rising leaders today.
Here are some of the most important leadership principles we can
glean from Lincoln’s example:
1. Know your mission
2. Look widely at the big picture
3. Focus on no more than three things
4. Solicit advice widely, but take ultimate
responsibility:
5. Be Aware of the trade–offs:
6. Understand the power of doing nothing
7. When critics attack, you must hold the line
Assignment
Read “Abraham Lincoln’s Challenge” in Forged in Crisis. Select one
of the seven leadership principles listed by Nancy Koehn. In a 1-2
page paper, translate 1 principle into three actions demonstrated by
President Lincoln in the reading.
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