Written by: Telile Fikru Badecha on June 20, 2014

Doris Kearns, in her book, Team of Rivals: The Political genius of Abraham Lincoln, eloquently writes the story Abraham Lincoln, America’s greatest president and his three competitors, William Henry Seward, Salmon Portland Chase, and Edward Bates for the Republican nomination for the presidency of the United States in 1860s. I especially enjoyed reading about the early life, romance, family, and political aspirations of these men. Through their story I learned so much “about the history of the United States, the different lifestyle in the early 19^th century.”[1]

Here are my take aways from the life of Lincoln as described in this book:

Perseverance. According to Goodwin’s portrayals, all four men had some ups and downs in their lives; however Lincoln’s experience was even more difficult than that of his competitors. He was born to a very poor family and after the loss of his mother and sister, grew up as the only child. Unlike his competitors, Lincoln had no family to support him to attend formal schooling but he taught himself. Because he was drawn to politics, he attempted to become a state senator but failed due to his humble background and lack of popular relationships to recommend him. However, he never let his difficult circumstances hinder him from pursuing his ambition to serve in politics. He kept running again and again until he was elected to the state senate and later the presidency.  His story clearly remarks the significance of perseverance as a key for success. This makes me think that no matter where you come from, the key is learning how to maximize the opportunity at hand and do the right thing with perseverance.

Diversity. Another crucial lesson from Lincoln’s leadership is that he included in his leadership not only people who would support his views but also those who held opposing opinions. As Goodwin states, “Lincoln chose the very strongest men for his cabinet, regardless of their political backgrounds.”[2] He knew that his competitors had more knowledge and experience in politics than he did, thus he sought their advice before making decisions with far-reaching implications.[3] What I like about Lincoln and the other three men is their willingness to put aside their differences and focus on what they had in common for the good of their nation. Lincoln was a very wise and strategic in the ways he delegated to others under his leadership. For instance, Lincoln knew very little about foreign affairs, thus he delegated the head of foreign affairs position to Steward.  Therefore, leaders do not have to know everything but they need to know how to delegate to others. One of the reasons why most leaders I have come across fear to delegate is that they don’t trust the other team member would do the work the ways they wanted. So they end up getting involved in every responsibility and control everything, which in return makes team members uncertain about their responsibilities. It is not a wise thing for a leader to do all the work even if he or she knows how to do it right.

Story telling. Lincoln was a great storyteller. “[He] was always ready with a story or anecdote to entertain, persuade, or defuse argument.”[4] Goodwin quotes Henry Whitney who marveled at Lincoln’s storytelling skills saying, “he emerged from his cave of gloom and came back, like one awakened from sleep, to the world in which he lived, again.”[5] We know the bible is full of God-inspired stories. God communicated his message through stories. Jesus told stories, taught in parables. It is interesting that often people will forget the outlines in the sermon but remember the story. Thus, stories are a great device for effective communication in any ministry and leadership settings.  As leaders, it is a critical discipline to set time aside to learn stories and refine our communication skills in order to bring about the desired impact.

About the Author

Telile Fikru Badecha