Abraham Lincoln: Without Divine Assistance, I Cannot Success; With It I Cannot fail
The story begins with the departure of Abraham Lincoln at the railway station from his home of 25 years on his way to Washington, D.C. to be President. While hundreds of people came to send him off, neither his wife or children were there because of his wife’s illness. In his farewell address, he spoke with “sadness, and in great humility” even though he was “tired and distraught” (Watson, 1998, p. 69). In his short speech, he gave credit where it was due and thanked the people there and said he owed them everything (Watson, 1998, pg. 69).
While there are a few leadership lessons in this story, such as humility, giving credit, showing gratitude, etc. I choose to focus on transparency and vulnerability. Lincoln shows transparency and vulnerability by expressing his sadness, and as the author notes “great humility” (Watson, 1998, p. 69). In spite of the fact that he “looked tired and worn … his voice was warm with affection”(Watson, 1998, pg. 69).
The lesson on transparency/ and vulnerability shows how important it is for me as a leader to be deliberately more expressive of my emotions, failures, heartaches, etc. whether it be as a leader of a small group or as a business owner. While many people hide their weaknesses, the emotional circumstances of his departure did not affect Lincoln’s candor. In spite of him showing what many people would call ‘weakness,’ Lincoln was one of the world’s greatest leaders.
Watson, L. (1988). Light From Many Lamps. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster.