Success Tips From Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln was born into abject poverty 200 years ago. At any other time and place, this lowly origin would have dictated his future, but his self-determination would assure his seat in his country’s history and almost single-handedly created the prototype of the self-made American.


The bicentennial of his birth this week has led to a renewed interest in all things Lincoln, but of course that’s not the only reason. In his November victory speech, President Barack Obama said: "We are and always will be the United States of America." With that one word -- united -- he invoked the full scope of Abraham Lincoln’s achievements and firmly established the direct relationship between the two men. Yet, precisely what is that relationship?


In short, Abraham Lincoln’s presidential achievements cleansed the Declaration of Independence of its glaring hypocrisy regarding equality and vindicated its revolutionary democratic principle: that the people have the power to elect as leader the citizen of their choosing, whomever that might be.


Although matching the specifics of Abraham Lincoln's career might not be a fair standard to set for oneself, we can still be informed by his general tenor and character. To that end, we offer the following professional success tips from Abraham Lincoln.

In communication, be brief and direct

Edward Everett was a renowned orator, and in 1863, at Gettysburg, he spoke for over two hours. His florid rhetorical style was typical of the era, and that speech is all but forgotten. Lincoln spoke for just three minutes; his style was lean and his message direct. With the exception of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address is likely history’s most influential oration.


Presidential pointer:

Long-windedness -- in a presentation or an e-mail (who knew that success tips from Abraham Lincoln would extend into the digital era?) -- signals pretentiousness and egotism. It ignores one’s audience and waters down your message. Honesty and brevity, meanwhile, combine to produce direct and high-impact communication while giving the impression of being forthright, efficient and selfless.

Don't succumb to intimidation

Prior to his assassination at Ford’s Theatre in 1865, Abraham Lincoln survived at least three direct attempts on his life, and endured a constant stream of death threats -- and he did it without the benefit of an organized Secret Service detail. If he was rattled by any of them, he didn’t let it show -- not in his activities and not in his policies.


Presidential pointer:

Intimidation and bullying, they are both methods of getting you to change your mind or your stance based on fear rather than principle. Giving in to intimidation subverts your ability to lead and negotiate while giving your opponents leverage to use against you. Whether you follow this rule as one of the success tips from Abraham Lincoln or one of the mafia tips from Al Capone, doing so will only leverage your credibility in the public's eye.

Keep your enemies close

One of the categories scholars use to rate presidents is their appointments (who they pick to help carry out their policies). Abraham Lincoln’s cabinet appointments were not only shrewd, but almost a who’s who among 1860 presidential hopefuls. In fact, he installed no fewer than five of his former political opponents: Edward Stanton, Simon Cameron, Salmon Chase, William Seward, and Edward Bates.


By way of comparison, the last four presidents appointed no more than one or two of their former rivals to their administration (obviously, they weren't paying attention to the success tips from Abraham Lincoln). President Barack Obama, meanwhile, has already appointed three (counting Bill Richardson).


Presidential pointer:

There are clear professional advantages to this success tip from Abraham Lincoln. When you keep your opponents close, not only can you keep tabs on them, but by presenting a united front -- among a team, department or company -- you also carry more clout, and you can still exploit their skills and benefit from their networks.

Be open to change

In The Nation, professor Eric Foner wrote that "the Lincoln we should remember is the politician whose greatness lay in his capacity for growth.”"


By 21st century standards Lincoln was a racist, but he opposed slavery because it violated the principle of equality in the Declaration of Independence and because it deprived people of their inherent right to be compensated for their work. Yet he disagreed with abolitionists who sought full and immediate emancipation; he favored a gradual plan, one that compensated slave-owning Southerners for their loss of "property." As the Civil War raged on, he realized the enormous political and strategic value of full and immediate emancipation. Thus, when he issued the proclamation, it debilitated the Southern economy and bolstered his own military, as 200,000 blacks joined the Union Army.


Presidential pointer:

In his victory speech, President Barack Obama said: "That's the true genius of America: that America can change. Our union can be perfected." In any area of your professional life, be open to change and to the ideas of others. By exploring them, you can uncover unimagined opportunities and inspire others to do the same. There is only room for improvement so long as you are looking for it.

Seize opportunities for leadership

Lincoln redefined the role of the chief executive. In a time of crisis, he asserted its intrinsic authority in a variety of ways, not all of them popular -- or even legal. While Congress was out of session, he conscripted an army and went to war, a violation of Article VI of the Constitution. He also suspended the writ of habeas corpus so he could detain thousands of potential enemies, violating that same document’s 5th Amendment right to due process.


To Lincoln, the Constitution was of no value if the Union it governed came apart, so he positioned himself as its chief arbiter, relegating the other branches of government to supporting roles. Many saw him as a dictator, but he achieved his goals of abolishing slavery and preserving the Union -- results that are difficult to argue with.


Presidential pointer:

Don’t allow your job description to fully define your job, especially during times of crisis when people are looking for someone to step up and assume a leadership role. While we can't advocate the breaking of laws or the violation of company policy, a look at Abraham Lincoln's life can encourage you to embrace a wider vision of possible solutions, one that isn’t restrained by unrealistic or outdated policies.

big plans stir the blood

Extant photos of Lincoln portray him as awkward and serious, but he was a brilliant storyteller, a gifted orator and a natural leader whose political acumen scholars routinely rank at the top. These qualities projected -- and instilled -- confidence when it was needed most. After all, 1861 seems like an awful time to seek the presidency: the winner would inherit decades of differences that were ready to split the nation apart.


Yet Lincoln sought it anyway, and he very easily could have been America’s goat. Instead, he’s its axis point -- the place where the citizens of the first democratic nation in history to be free, equal, and multi-racial, are able to unite and rediscover their common ground.