Leadership qualities of Abraham Lincoln
A leader with great leadership skills influences people and society. Some famous leaders have left a legacy worldwide because of their extraordinary leadership skills. The legendary American leader Abraham Lincoln left a legacy that is still remembered up to now. He was known to be a man of conviction. He believed that freedom was worth the fight. He would not allow anything to stop him from achieving his goals. Greater leaders have a push for what they want to achieve (Pfeffer, 2016).
Leadership qualities of Abraham Lincoln
Lincoln is one of the best leaders that ever lived. He led the United States through a challenging civil war and helped to stop slavery. Abraham demonstrated empathy for people, using his strong leadership qualities and personalized them (Galli, 2017). He was simple but had powerful intentions for his people; he fought for the self-esteem of others. Throughout his political life, he was led by the founding fathers’ values in establishing the constitution. He was willing to understand himself without letting his ego control his intentions to give good services and leadership to his people. He took the inner state as his responsibility; he did what he could for himself and the best of others in all trying moments. Besides, he chooses nobility over those who appeared self-centered. He created a friend out of antagonism. He nurtured the greatest talent even when it seemed challenging and to undermine. When he chose his first cabinet, he nominated his colleagues whom he had defeated in the presidential election since he believed they were the best minds available (Amar, 2017).
Through the hard times during the war, he chose to be light-hearted and supported his treatment for others that he encountered. He supported the morale of the people he was leading. He respected the decision of people to decide on complex issues, he reasoned and appealed to people. He gave a logical argument against an issue; he would narrate stories, which would amuse or educate people. He invested in his time and reflected on his thoughts before making decisions. That gave them the direction to lead-based on preparedness and diligence (Muteswa, 2016).
Abraham Lincoln was the role model of the phenomenon of fortitude and realized what he wanted to feed his heart and mind. He took the responsibility to meet the need of others. He won the interest of people by investing in them; hence they voluntarily believed and supported him. Abraham was more than just an American president; he was a role model of leadership that most leaders emulate. He demonstrated leadership qualities essential for the current business and executive leaders (Pfeffer, 2016).
He managed competing priorities while facing challenges of executing his vision. It wasn’t easy to lead others to join him in his vision. An ordinary leader can develop self-doubt and become frustrated with negative emotions. Lincoln faced many challenges, especially after he signed the emancipation proclamation, but he remained focused on his vision of attaining freedom (Amar, 2017).
The topmost admirable leadership qualities of Lincoln
Intelligence and empathy
He demonstrated emotional intelligence and empathy. As the president, he established strong bonds with the constituency. He acquired the respect of the people he knew, allowed people to visit him in his office. He had a high degree of emotional intelligence, and he sympathized with others. He never experienced leading others, but nobody doubted his leadership when he became a leader (Muteswa, 2016).
Good communication skills
Lincoln had good communication skills as he connected with others. He was an iconic president who could tell stories to his audience, and through the stories, he could communicate the vision he had. To be a good leader, one must know how to communicate and convey the message (Amar, 2017).
Social skills
Apart from being empathetic and emotional for others, he could mix with ordinary people. He demonstrated a good time persuading and leading teams. For instance, during the war, he formed a cabinet with political rivals and had faith in them. A good leader knows when to depend on others and can recognize the success of his followers (Amar, 2017).
Motivation skills
Motivation is the best skill of a leader. He shared his passion for the project to win support from the team. He worked and motivated them to work towards the set goal of freedom. He tried to put his principles in practice even in his difficult times (Galli, 2017).
Trust
A leader who gains trust from people is believed to be giving a positive message. For instance, in the movie by Steven Spielberg, the first lady tells Lincoln that nobody is loved in the whole world like him. She encourages him not to waste that power; Abraham accepted the advice and inspired his voters’ trust with and positive attitude (Galli, 2017).
Accept correction and advice.
Abraham Lincoln was a political leader who was ready for criticism and debate. He empowered his people though dialogue. He used people’s opinions to correct his mistakes and improve his image in public. The United States leaders also accepted advice from people. He also listened and followed his instincts. He received feedback as a way of developing social skills and learning (Galli, 2017). He dealt with conflicting opinions and personalities, but he was willing to listen. People were set free to oppose his views if they felt he was not right. However, listening was not a sign of acceptance, but he allowed his people to express themselves freely and offer their opinions. He would listen, process, and make the final decision. The executives can also copy from such a leader; they should allow open dialogue from their followers; allow ideas and suggestions from others (Muteswa, 2016).
Conclusion
Good leadership is essential for achieving any goals and objectives. Abraham Lincoln was only a president but an excellent leader who left a legacy that is remembered worldwide. He was a role model to many leaders in the whole world. He had emotional empathy and intelligence. He understood the needs of his people and focused on his vision. He led as an example; he did what he wanted his people to do. He was a good storyteller through storytelling; he could communicate his vision to his people (Amar, 2017). He had a good communication, social, and motivational skills. A good leader should lead by example; he should demonstrate empathy to win his followers’ trust. He should be a good listener and acknowledge his followers’ he should also respect others’ opinions even if they do not play a part in the decision-making (Amar, 2017).