Leading Like Lincoln showcases vignettes from the 16th president to exemplify emotionally intelligent leadership.
Abraham Lincoln employs empathy, understanding, reason and a dash of humility to bridge the gap between northerner and southerner. By steering clear of moralizing and judging, he eases the battle ground on which each side’s views are firmly planted and moves the opposing forces to a field of deeper understanding.
They are just what we would be in their situation. If slavery did not now exist amongst them, they would not introduce it. If it did now exist amongst us, we should not instantly give it up…I surely will not blame them for not doing what I should not know how to do myself.
Lincoln heightens the effectiveness of this approach with humility by using himself as an example.
In a world where we often cast one side as good and the other as evil, Lincoln offers a different approach.
If you’ve seen empathy result in change please share your story so others might learn, and in advance thanks for taking the time to do so.