Book SummaryLincoln on Leadership, by Donald T. Phillips

1-Page Summary1-Page Book Summary of Lincoln on Leadership

Many consider Abraham Lincoln the greatest US president of all time. He held the presidency from 1861 to 1865, and during that time, guided the Union to victory in the American Civil War and signed the Emancipation Proclamation—a document that began the process of ending American slavery.

While many Lincoln scholars focus on what he did, author Donald T. Phillips explores how he did it. In Lincoln on Leadership, Phillips uses historical events, documents, and speeches to explain Lincoln’s leadership style. Then, he outlines how you can adopt Lincoln’s methods for yourself and your organization. In our guide, we’ll examine the three aspects of Lincoln’s leadership that Phillips argues were crucial for his success:

• In Part 1: Working With Others, we’ll explain how Lincoln...

Lincoln on Leadership Summary Part 1: Working With Others

Phillips begins by discussing how Lincoln worked and interacted with the people around him and how his style of communication benefited him. In Part 1 of the guide, we’ll explore the two main lessons Phillips says you can learn from Lincoln, as well as how Lincoln himself used these methods in his life and career. These two lessons are:

1. Make yourself accessible and create an environment where your employees are comfortable talking to you freely and openly.
2. Build strong relationships with your close colleagues so you can communicate and work together effectively.

Lesson #1: Make Yourself Accessible

Phillips argues that leaders should be open, accessible, and friendly to the people around them. This includes being around if people want to talk to you, as well as having a friendly and welcoming demeanor. By making yourself easy to approach and listening to your employees, you’ll gain their trust and respect—they’ll see that you care about their opinions and are committed to working alongside them. In addition, by talking to people on every level of your organization, you can gain valuable information about how things work and how you could improve...

Lincoln on Leadership Summary Part 2: Leading Ethically

While techniques and methods are an important part of learning to lead, Phillips argues that excellent leadership requires more than just a skillset. It also requires moral and ethical decision-making—a framework that enables you to define the principles your organization stands for and how it runs in accordance with those principles. Lincoln understood the importance of leading ethically, says Phillips, and he consistently held himself to a high moral standard.

(Shortform note: James Barber (The Presidential Character) goes further than Phillips, arguing that character and values are the main qualities that determine presidential success (even more than technical knowledge or skill). Barber specifically argues that successful presidents have “positive and active” characters—in other words, they value determination and enthusiasm. From Phillips’s perspective, such a president would succeed by instilling those same values in their organization as a whole to create a productive and persistent government.)

In particular, Phillips draws two...

Lincoln on Leadership Summary Part 3: Making Decisions

Now that we’ve discussed Lincoln’s communication and character, we’ll look at how he actually made the crucial decisions that defined his presidency. Part 3 of our guide will explain Phillips’s breakdown of Lincoln’s decision-making process, why it works, and how you can use it. We’ll explore the two main lessons that Phillips draws from Lincoln’s decision-making process:

1. Consult together, decide alone by asking your employees for input and ideas, then making all final decisions on your own.
2. Plan and persevere by setting long-term goals and consistently sticking to them.

Lesson #1: Consult Together, Decide Alone

While you should consult with your employees on possible courses of action, Phillips argues that all final decisions you make must be yours and yours alone. This strategy gives you the best of both worlds:

• By consulting with your employees, you get access to different ideas and viewpoints. If you use one of their ideas and it works, Phillips suggests you give them credit—this encourages your employees to continue doing good work.
• By making the final decision alone, you ensure that your course of action fits your overall vision of how...

Shortform Exercise: Consider What Lincoln Would Do

Think about how Lincoln would approach a leadership challenge you’ve faced or are facing.

Describe a challenge you’ve faced or currently face in a leadership position.