President Lincoln’s leadership offers valuable lessons for all

  • Published
  • By Col. Walton F. Reddish
  • 512th Aerospace Medicine Squadron commander
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  Throughout history, there have been individuals who have been bred and cultured to assume roles as leaders of great nations and causes. More often, however, common people have been forced into leadership roles with little warning or preparation. One such person was Abraham Lincoln. 

When Lincoln took office in 1861, seven states had already seceded from the Union and the Confederates States of America had already been formed. Ten days before Lincoln's own inauguration, Jefferson Davis had been sworn in as President of the Confederacy. 

A virtual unknown and viewed by many as an incompetent bumpkin and an "accidental" president, Lincoln walked into a maelstrom of turmoil and strife unprecedented in the young republic. His response to the frenzy and the subsequent civil war is legendary. 

Any student of leadership would benefit from a review of his philosophies of the governance. In particular, much can be learned from his interactions with others. 

Abraham Lincoln, while a complex thinker, was a very simple, unassuming man. His approach to most situations was direct and austere. He preferred persuasion over coercion and endeavored to make the best use of an individual's strengths. As president, he sought to avoid "orders" but favored a "request or a suggestion."  While not timid to act when necessary, Lincoln tried to allow his subordinates to make the right decisions from the information available to them. He felt that decisions made in this way, brought more enthusiasm from the executor. 

Lincoln also believed that leaders should interact closely with their subordinates. Especially early in his administration, he was seldom found in his office. He made a point to personally greet and inspect every volunteer infantry unit that traveled through Washington. He once stood in a soaking rain as soldiers gathered below him, thrilled to see the president. When asked why stayed out so long in the rain he said, "I guess if they can stand it, then so can I." 

The president also liked to mingle personally with those he served. He was known for wandering into the offices of civil servants and then lingering for casual conversations. Often, rather than summoning his subordinates, he would go to them, arriving unannounced. In addition, visitors to the White House were seldom turned away. His secretaries estimated that he spent 75 percent of his time receiving guests. Lincoln felt that an accessible leader would be viewed as a trustworthy leader. When forced to fire Gen. John C. Fremont he wrote, "His cardinal mistake is that he isolates himself and allows nobody to see him; and by which he does not know what is going on ..." 

Lincoln often appointed men to office who were his political enemies simply because he thought they were the best choice for the job. His Secretary of State, William Seward, was one of his biggest critics and opposed him in the 1860 election. By the time of Lincoln's death, Seward was one of his best friends and one of Lincoln's greatest admirers. Lincoln often said he defeated his enemies by making them his friends. 

Any leader at any level of command would do well to study the writings and philosophies of Abraham Lincoln. Instinctively, he seemed to know how to get the most of the people around him and, at the same time, command their respect and loyalty. 

A few of the basic points of his leadership style are readily seen in those writings.
1. Don't ask your subordinates to do what you wouldn't do yourself.
2. Seek casual as well as formal contact with those in your command or section. Attend functions and gatherings as your schedule will allow.
3. Be accessible and plainspoken. Don't intimidate and don't be intimidated.
4. Never give an order when a suggestion or request will suffice.
5. Surround yourself with knowledgeable people and not simply those who agree with you.

This short article only scratches the surface of the Lincoln leadership style, and I hope it will spur the reader to research further into the historical writings of and about a great leader. We could all learn a great deal about our interactions with other Airmen.