Lincoln on Leadership: Executive Strategies for Tough Times

Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 1992

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Summary

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Preface-Part 1, Chapter 3

Part 2, Chapters 4-7

Part 3, Chapters 8-12

Part 4, Chapter 13-Afterword

Key Figures

Themes

Index of Terms

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Tools

Beta

Discussion Questions

Themes

Building Productive Relationships

Phillips develops the theme of creating successful working relationships with others in multiple chapters of Lincoln on Leadership. Because differences in opinion and personality between bosses, coworkers, and/or employees is perhaps the number one challenge in modern work environments, Phillips examines these dynamics from many different angles using examples from Lincoln’s own professional life.

Chapter 2, “Build Strong Alliances,” uses the example of Lincoln’s disagreements with Secretary of State William Seward to show that even if colleagues or bosses/employees disagree at first, if the leader strives to treat others with respect, then these antagonisms will likely turn into productive working relationships in the long run. Despite the initial difficulties of this relationship, Lincoln saw value in Seward’s contributions to the government and sought to keep him in office, even when the Secretary of Treasury rallied to have him replaced.

While Lincoln favored building relationships, he wanted to ensure that the people in his government were functioning and productive. In Chapter 11, “Keep Searching Until You Find Your Grant,” Lincoln’s inability to form a working relationship with General George McClellan was indicative of a relationship that wasn’t productive. Through this example, Phillips argues that leaders must learn to move on from setbacks like this and focus on other relationships that have the potential to work:

It hurt Lincoln somewhat not to have formed a successful link with McClellan, but at least he’d maintained his integrity. The lesson to be learned here is to simply not give up attempting to build solid alliances. For every failed attempt like the relationship with McCellan, there may be two successful ones like Seward and Stanton (33).

Communication and Rhetoric

Rhetoric is the art of communication, and because people involved in business or politics today need to be well-versed in public relations in order to succeed, Phillips explores the rhetoric of Abraham Lincoln and the many forms it took. Lincoln was an excellent extemporaneous speaker, but he did not rely on these skills to reach his audience in high-stakes situations (145). Instead, he spent considerable time researching and writing carefully crafted speeches that he would deliver on the campaign trail or to soldiers in the Civil War. Phillips provides excerpts from some of these speeches so that the reader can understand Lincoln’s eloquence and his practiced approach to public relations.

Discussing Lincoln’s use of letter-writing is another way that Phillips develops this theme in the text. Lincoln used letters, sometimes strategically, to express his views or give his generals time to contemplate his directives. Because his letter writing allowed him to be more nuanced, Lincoln was able to make suggestions to his generals rather than coerce them to comply with orders. His skill as an orator and writer meant he was able to persuade those working for and around him.

Another persuasive technique that Lincoln employed was the use of jokes, anecdotes, and storytelling to appeal to a wider audience, state his opinions without being offputtingly direct, and to communicate in an interesting, companionable way. Lincoln also used his presence as a form of communication. In Part 1, Chapter 1, Phillips points out that Lincoln would circulate among the troops and visit government officials in person. Lincoln’s presence enabled him to communicate directly, subtly monitor the goings-on, and convey that he was “of” his people, not “above” them.

Lincoln also used letter writing therapeutically, as it helped him manage negative feelings and address public slights without actually telling the public. Thus, letter writing was Lincoln’s outlet for internal communication. All in all, Phillips wants to show that polished rhetoric is essential for success as a leader, as Lincoln proved in many situations throughout his life.

Managing Stress

As another common pitfall of modern work environments, stress, like disagreements among colleagues, is an important theme that Phillips wants to address so that his readers have some practical methods for coping in the workplace. Stress is commonly referred to as “burnout” today and can be a major cause of personnel turnover in companies.

During his tenure as president, Lincoln faced immense stress. He was president during the Civil War, when the country was on the brink of collapse, and there was no end in sight. Despite the extraordinary causes of Lincoln’s stress, the ways in which he dealt with it can be useful to modern leaders. Like Lincoln, they can vent their frustrations in private, they can avoid taking revenge on people who disagree with them, and they can exercise empathy and compassion toward others rather than generating discord.

Lincoln managed those around him in a diplomatically rather than an emotionally. We see this diplomacy in his interactions with Seward, Stanton, and McClellan. Each of these men disagreed or openly defied Lincoln at some point in time, but Lincoln still treated them with respect. In the cases of Seward and Stanton, Lincoln was able to win them over to his cause, whereas if he had acted harshly, he would’ve been met with more opposition (as was the case with Chase, who tried to overthrow Seward). Lincoln’s cool head in a time of crisis is a critical trait that made him a successful leader.

When Lincoln did have the urge to express his feelings or tell his side of the story, he wrote letters that he never sent. This practice, similar to therapeutic journaling, allowed him to control his very human reactions to difficult situations and helped curb rash, emotional actions. Phillips explores each of these methods throughout the text, continually reaffirming Lincoln’s exemplary ability to keep his temper in check.