Abraham Lincoln gets a lot of credit for being a great leader.
Here’s what he did, why it works and how it can make you a better leader.
1. Get out of the office and circulate among the troops:
Lincoln knew people were his best source of information. And accessibility built trust.
Guess what? Modern business theory backs him up. These days the management gurus call it “Managing by Wandering Around.”
2. Persuade rather than coerce:
Does the modern research agree? Yes.
The #1 thing Harvard Business School teaches it’s MBA students about negotiation is “They need to like you”.
3. Lead by being led:
Looking at the research, the type of leadership that works in the toughest situations is Lincoln’s method: being democratic and listening.
4. Encourage innovation:
Reward people for trying new things and don’t punish them for failure.
5. Influence people by storytelling:
Facts and statistics are great but when people hear presentations what do they remember? The stories.
There’s a lot to learn from Lincoln!
For more: Lessons From Lincoln: 5 Leadership Tips History And Science Agree On
Image source: Wikipedia
