Abraham Lincoln's Leadership Essay

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Abraham Lincoln

Leadership can be defined as "a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal" (Northouse, 2011, p. 6). A great leader, therefore, has the ability to get his subordinates working together towards the achievement of a common vision. To this end, the world has had countless leaders who can be termed 'great' on their various platforms. Abraham Lincoln, however, stands out; not only has he been consistently viewed as the greatest president the U.S. has ever had, but also as one who left a legacy that still moves and inspires people in America and beyond, more than 125 years after his death (Philips, n.d.). His roving leadership style and MBWA philosophy worked the magic and still attract the interest of leaders in the world, more than a century later.

Abraham Lincoln's greatest accomplishment, which many still regard as a miracle, was his winning the civil war and keeping the country together, and in so doing, overcoming the nightmare he had inherited from his predecessor, James Buchanan (Philips, 1992). The Management by Wandering/Walking Around (MBWA) personal philosophy, upon which Lincoln based his tactics during and after the civil war, worked in his favor (Philips, 1992). He believed in this philosophy because it gave him the opportunity to not only mingle and interact with his troops and the people he led, but also obtain firsthand and up-to-date information on their needs and expectations.

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This, he believed, was the only way he would know exactly what was going on in every matter he dealt with and hence expected the same of those to whom he delegated authority. The leadership trait of sociability comes up here (Northouse, 2011). Lincoln maintained personal touch and identified with people; he visited the sick in hospital, attended personal funerals, and most significantly, personally inspected his troops during the civil war (Philips, 1992).

Abraham Lincoln strived to build and maintain solid interpersonal alliances with his subordinates in recognition of the premise that "a house divided against itself cannot stand" (Philips, 1992, p. 27). This he did by giving authority to people who were considered his enemies, as long as they shared his vision and sense of ethics. He listened to, and gave his subordinates room to prove themselves, and was, in so doing, able to not only gain their trust and respect, but also get them focused on a common goal and strategy (Philips, 1992). He employed the strategy of persuasion, rather than coercion and used intelligence, as opposed to force, to get a job done. This was, however, one of his….....

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