Effective Leadership - Essay Example

of the of the Effective Leadership Introduction There are as many books about leadership on the shelves oflibraries as they are leaders themselves. Leaders have existed throughout history, from the cave dweller who thought of taking charge of the hunting and gathering function on a communal basis, to the modern sophisticated leaders at the helm of corporate institutions and at the Oval Office. Different leaders have enacted and espoused different facets of leadership, as befitted their times and their understanding of the functions of leadership. In this paper we are going to touch upon the leadership principles and life of Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth President of the USA. Discussion Lincoln’s Presidency is remembered for the American Civil War and the abolition of slavery, a goal for which he himself unfortunately had to pay the ultimate price of losing his life at the hands of John Wilkes Booth, a Confederate supporter. Yet Lincoln’s commonsense and well thought out approach to leadership makes us look at his life and principles again and again. He was a man who truly practiced what he preached. His undying and concerted efforts not only won the war for the Union but he also led from the front, marshalling and advising his forces and generals, while raising support and winning over the common man to the cause of freedom and equality for all, one of the principal features of our constitution and the American way of life, where each is free to do as he likes in the pursuit of happiness for the collective good of all. The author has very cleverly structured the book into four sections: People, Character, Endeavour and Communication. Abraham Lincoln’s way of dealing with people was rather unique, and as the author puts it, he may have been one of the earliest leaders to advocate and follow the principle of Management by Wandering Around, as later defined by Peters and Waterman in their bestseller ‘In Search of Excellence’. Lincoln believed in getting out of his office and circulating among the troops (Phillips, 14). Of course, where he could not do it in person, his messages of encouragement and comfort were instrumental in raising the troops’ morale and winning over many a man to his cause. During the four year Civil War, Lincoln spent a lot of time with the War Office, the Army and the Navy, inspecting troops and weaponry and noting their capabilities. He wanted the latest information at all times and is even known to be one of the only Presidents that came under enemy fire in a war situation. Lincoln walked across to his Secretary of State Edwin M. Stanton’s office every day to get the latest on the war situation. Besides having his weekly meetings at the set times and locations, Lincoln was often known to call extempore sessions of his cabinet and advisors as the need arose. Rather than lock himself away in an ivory tower, Lincoln loved to roam among the people. He would make himself accessible to most people almost 75% of the time, and believed that these ‘public opinion baths’ were necessary to gain the support of people as well as make himself a visible leader while garnering the thoughts and opinions of the populace. He favored as little security and protocol as possible, believing that a true and righteous leader had nothing to fear. Lincoln was also known to be an approachable leader with an efficacious, amicable style. He had an open door policy with all men reporting to him and wished to be visible and available to them. In the chapter Build Strong Alliances, the author wants to show us how the President used his wit, charm, communication and oratory skills to win not only Court arguments while in his practice at Springfield but also to opponents and people on the sidelines regarding the slavery issue. Lincoln was full of wisecracks, anecdotes and stories that would help in winning men over to the cause of emancipation. Another of Lincoln’s erudite principles of leadership was Persuade Rather than Coerce (Phillips, 39). Lincoln believed in the goodness of all mankind and had unshakable faith in Divine Providence. Lincoln believed that he could appeal to the goodness, the justice and the conscience in all of us that one man cannot be the slave or ruler of another. Rather men were all born free. It was only the oppression of the privileged classes that was making life unbearable for the black slaves. Many saw the abolition of slavery as an end to free labor and rightly so- it was an idea whose time had come. Lincoln would use logic, storytelling, a joke or anything else that could get the correct message across. He believed in equal rights for everybody and was prepared to go to war for it. Moving to Section II of the book, we see that the next chapter states that Honesty and Integrity are the Best Policies. Almost no one would disagree with that. He was not known as Honest Abe for nothing. His commitment to honesty and integrity can be seen right from his childhood to his rise to fame, the epitome of which was of course the Presidency of the United States (Phillips, 53). He would spend time getting all the facts right about a particular case or incident when he practiced law, and the same habit helped him immensely during his tenure at the Oval Office. Lincoln was a patient man and was known for his ability to see both sides of a situation. This quality often helped him size up the opposition and counter argue their statements and presumptions to his advantage. His wonderful appeal to logic, justice and fair play appealed to all and even opponents could be heard to admire him for his honesty and integrity. Lincoln was careful never to act too hastily when angered. After his death, letters have surfaced which he wrote to generals and others in a fit of rage or disappointment, but never dispatched. He was known to be a careful leader and did not want to alienate his supporters or generals even in the hard days of the American Civil War. He needed all the support he could get. The opposition clearly had the money to support the conflict and their cause, but in the end it was the ones who were right who would prevail, even though it took a long time coming. Abe Lincoln was their first hope that justice and equality could be achieved in America. Another of the qualities of a good leader is the ability to handle criticism. Lincoln was very much aware of the fact that as President, he was always in the public eye and the press and media would carefully analyze and report everything he said or did. Inevitably there would be criticism of the way he or his office was handling things- some just, some unjust- but the important thing was to carry on doing what they believed was right for the greater good of the nation. And that is just what they did. Be a Master of Paradox is what the author mentions as another principle that Abraham Lincoln followed. He was a master of wit and wisdom and could even use another’s arguments against themselves and in his favor. In Section III titled Endeavor, the author reiterates Lincoln’s principles of diligence and application to his goals and that of the Union. Behind every successful Presidency or leader is a lot of hard work and Lincoln was no exception. In fact he had known struggle and adversity since a very young age. It is amazing that despite all the earlier hardships and setbacks, this man rose to be one of America’s most effective and well remembered Presidents. Abraham Lincoln had to be decisive and quick many times during the War and this was possible because he was so close and knowledgeable about what was happening at the front. He was never laid back or without a sense of duty. Lead by being led is the principle next mentioned next by Phillips. Abraham Lincoln always believed in Divine Providence and the Will of God. When in times of trouble and tribulation, he was always in the habit of calling upon God to assist them in their cause. His faith and belief in God was steadfast even in the most trying situations. He was prepared to lead from the front and be decisive when it mattered, but also gave room to others having more expertise in their own areas to state their thoughts and points of view. He was one of the most accommodating of Presidents and would often wait until the others had their say before responding or summarizing what was his judgment of situations or events. Set Goals and Be Result Oriented and Keep Searching Till You Find Your Grant are two chapters that are self explanatory. Of course Abraham Lincoln and his cabinet of ministers and generals had to be goal oriented and alert. They had to set goals and targets to win the War on the battlefields as well as the hearts and minds of people that this sacrifice was one worth fighting for. Lincoln’s Gettysburg address is one of the classic examples of oratory and speechwriting that was written by the President himself and which appealed to the public due to its sense of history, promise for the future and sense of purpose for the War which they were fighting. The play on the word Grant is quite amusing, since it was Ulysses M. Grant who emerged as Lincoln’s most victorious and revered general of the Civil War. He would ultimately also take the reins of the Presidency after Lincoln’s assassination and Johnson’s mishandling and ridicule by the opposition. Encourage Innovation is the concluding chapter of this section, in which the author comments on Lincoln’s spirit of inquiry and investigation. Ever the scholar from his earliest days, Lincoln would be interested in new ideas and innovations from a variety of sources. He even inspected armory and inquired about its effectiveness. The last section of the book is entitled Communication. Leaders must be communicators and influencers and this is undoubtedly what Lincoln did in this role. Mastering the Art of Public Speaking is what Lincoln effectively did in his career as a lawyer and this helped him during his run for the Presidency as well. Lincoln believed that the power to speak off the cuff was very necessary both as a lawyer and a politician and advised young lawyers of its value as well. This President both wrote and memorized most of his speeches himself to great effect. He had to overcome his native shyness and awkwardness of gait and countenance but once he was geared up it was clear he knew what he was talking about. Influencing People through the Art of Storytelling was one of the principles Lincoln frequently employed during his lifetime. He inherited this art from his father. Lincoln would employ storytelling with a moral or a message directed to an individual or an audience for immediate effect. The last principle Preach a Vision and Continually Reaffirm it was a tactic Lincoln would continually employ through the American Civil War and the fight for emancipation. He never tired of the goal and its worth. This tactic is used to great effect even today by politicians and CEOs of corporations as they reaffirm their vision for the future. Conclusion Lincoln rose from very humble beginnings and overcame many personal difficulties to become the US President. His tenure in office was also one of the most trying and eventful times in American history. Yet the principles that he employed during his Presidency have stood the test of time and can even be resorted to today in leading corporations. Their significance is enduring. Works Cited Phillips, Donald T.: Lincoln on Leadership: Executive Strategies for Tough Times. Warner Books, 1993. Read More