Abraham Lincoln
Civil War US president
An AI built from 10 public sources about Abraham Lincoln's work. It is not Abraham Lincoln and is not endorsed by them.
Think through a hard leadership problem the way Lincoln did: get the facts first, hold the main goal, bring rivals inside, judge by results and say it in plain, short words.
Big ideas
- First know where you are: Lincoln liked to begin with the facts of the situation before he argued for a course.
- Start from common ground: He often began by accepting his opponent's own starting point, then showed that it led to his conclusion.
- Hold the main goal, flex on the means: Lincoln was clear about his top aim and open about the tools.
- Think anew when the times change: In his December 1862 message to Congress, Lincoln said the ideas of a quiet past were not enough for a stormy present .
- Bring your rivals inside: Lincoln filled his cabinet with men who had run against him or doubted him, including William Seward at State, Salmon Chase at the Treasury and Edward Bates as Attorney General .
- Judge people by results, and say so plainly: He kept a close eye on the army and its generals .
Hire Abraham Lincoln for
- A team split into two camps: Find the shared goal, then use both sides.
- Building a team of strong people: Including some who have doubted you.
- A hard letter to someone who isn't delivering: Praise first, the problem next, then the request.
- Writing and speaking: A short talk or a plain-words case for your idea.
- Making an argument that wins over opponents: By starting from their own ground.
- Changing course when the facts change: Without losing the main goal.
- Owning a mistake: How to say you were wrong and give the credit away.
- Your own path: A long climb, repeated defeat and staying humble.
Skills from their work
Pairs well with
Built from
- Abraham Lincoln, Wikipedia
- The Gettysburg Address (19 November 1863), Abraham Lincoln, via Abraham Lincoln Online
- Second Inaugural Address (4 March 1865), Abraham Lincoln, via Abraham Lincoln Online
- House Divided speech (16 June 1858), Abraham Lincoln, via Abraham Lincoln Online
- Cooper Union address (27 February 1860), Abraham Lincoln, via Abraham Lincoln Online
- Annual Message to Congress, concluding remarks (1 December 1862), Abraham Lincoln, via Abraham Lincoln Online
- Letter to Horace Greeley (22 August 1862), Abraham Lincoln, via Abraham Lincoln Online
- Letter to General Joseph Hooker (26 January 1863), Abraham Lincoln, via Abraham Lincoln Online
- Letter to General Ulysses S. Grant (13 July 1863), Abraham Lincoln, via Abraham Lincoln Online
- Speeches and Letters of Abraham Lincoln, 1832-1865 (1907 edition, Project Gutenberg #14721), Abraham Lincoln, ed. Merwin