One hundred fifty-four years ago, Abraham Lincoln was assassinated at Ford’s Theater. At Lincoln’s deathbed, his Secretary of War Edwin Stanton wept: “there lies the most perfect ruler of men the world has ever seen. Now he belongs to the ages.” Stanton’s opinion has been echoed by presidential scholars who consistently rate Lincoln as America’s best president.
What made Lincoln such an excellent leader? From his humble frontier origins to his time in the White House, Lincoln’s life provides numerous examples of leadership. By studying Lincoln’s habits, we can find valuable lessons for our own lives.
Never stop reading, never stop learning
Remarkably, the author of the Gettysburg Address only had six months of formal schooling. However, Lincoln was an avid reader who recognized that self-education was the key to self-improvement. As a young man in Illinois, he taught himself the law, but also looked to non-legal works for insight. While his fellow lawyers slept, Lincoln would read Euclid’s Elements by candlelight. Lincoln later explained that the ancient mathematician’s concepts of logic and proof helped him to make better arguments. In 1854, Lincoln would cite Euclid in an essay against slavery.
When Lincoln was a first-term Congressman, his fellow representatives were often amused to find him in Library of Congress studying everything from Shakespeare to Constitutional Law. When he came back to Washington as president, he returned to the Library of Congress, this time to study war. Many historians have remarked that Lincoln had a better grasp on military affairs than did many of his generals. Yet, this knowledge was not innate. As he had taught himself law, now Lincoln taught himself strategy by reading Clausewitz and Napoleon.
Acknowledge mistakes and keep an open mind
In the frenzied political atmosphere of the Civil War, a lesser man would have refused to admit his errors or respect his critics. Lincoln was different. When Ulysses S. Grant, began his campaign on Vicksburg, Lincoln considered it a grave mistake. When Grant besieged the city, Lincoln argued against his plans. However, when Grant seized Vicksburg, the commander-in-chief displayed an exceptional degree of humility concluding his congratulatory note: “I now wish to make the personal acknowledgment that you were right, and I was wrong.”
Although Lincoln remained a pragmatist, his views on civil rights progressed significantly during the war. At its outset, Lincoln believed slavery was wrong, but did not believe in racial equality nor consider abolition central to the Union cause. One of his fiercest critics, Frederick Douglass, condemned Lincoln’s “tardy, hesitating and vacillating policy” on slavery.
In 1862, Lincoln finally issued the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing slaves in the rebel states. Lincoln also began allowing African-Americans to serve in the Union ranks. However, slavery persisted in the border states, and as Douglass noted in his White House meeting with Lincoln, African-American soldiers were mistreated and underpaid.
In Lincoln’s Second Inaugural address, the president expressed his changed views that he slavery “was the cause of the war,” and that ending slavery was a priority. Lincoln had begun to see African-Americans as citizens who deserved participation in public life. In his last public speech, Lincoln spoke in favor of extending voting rights to African-Americans.
After Lincoln’s assassination, his former critic and friend, Frederic Douglass, eulogized him as “the black man’s President: the first to show any respect to their rights as men.”
Practice empathy in cases great and small
Perhaps Lincoln’s most notable trait was his tremendous empathy. By 1865, the Civil War had cost almost 600,000 lives and brought unprecedented devastation. Winning the war had been difficult but winning the peace would be no less daunting. Many Northerners were demanding that Lincoln harshly punished the Southern traitors. Instead, Lincoln affirmed his commitment to national unity by pledging “malice towards none” and “charity for all.” For Lincoln “bind[ing] up the nation’s wounds” meant healing the suffering of all Americans, not just Northerners. Lincoln’s abiding love for all Americans enabled the nation to move towards reconciliation.
Lincoln’s empathy also helped him manage his quarrelsome cabinet. After surprisingly winning the Republican nomination in 1860, he had to appease his former rivals. With America in crisis, Lincoln knew these men would be valuable public servants if he could convince them to serve. Former frontrunner William Seward’s pride had been severely dented, so Lincoln offered him the most important role in his cabinet, Secretary of State. Shortly thereafter, he asked for Seward’s input into his Inaugural address. When the Secretary of State returned with seven pages of edits, Lincoln tactfully incorporated the best ones. Quickly, Lincoln had turned Seward from embittered rival to friend and confidante.
Learning from Lincoln
Today, as our nation faces deep political divisions, Lincoln looms especially large. He reminds us to seek the best in ourselves and our neighbors. Lincoln’s greatness as a leader came from the goodness of his character. We need his style of moral leadership now more than ever.