The leader and the moment
Consider this:
- In the summer of 1860, there was a persistent, growing unease among Americans about the road the nation had traveled in recent years. All knew that the country was entering a critical moment in its history, that the stakes were somehow very high.
- In the middle of that year, a tall, lanky and pragmatic lawyer came out of Illinois to become the nominee for president of a major political party.
- A year before, virtually no one expected him to become the nominee.
- His administrative work consisted of managing a two-person law office. His total government work amounted to three terms in the Illinois state legislature and two years in Congress.
- Many observers focused on the man’s paucity of experience in the corridors of national power. Doubt about his ability to deal with a potential crisis spread quickly.
Despite all this, Abraham Lincoln’s past turned out to be a poor guide to his leadership as president. Yes, he stumbled badly on several occasions. And yes, privately, he was frequently anxious about the outcome of a war that became, he said, “fundamental and astounding.”
Moments of doubt test and shape every leader. In Abraham Lincoln’s case, several factors unrelated to his resume determined his ability to meet the challenges. The first was Lincoln’s ability to see his own significance on a larger stage. Another was his suppleness — fire generals, rehire them, teach yourself military strategy. A third factor was his commitment to framing the stakes of the larger moment — what was at issue, what were the tradeoffs, why did it matter?
A final and critical aspect was Lincoln’s thoughtfulness — not only in the public choices (and speeches) he made, but also in the late-night conversations he had with himself about the ultimate meaning and worth of what he was doing.
In all these ways, the man met the moment. And both were profoundly affected.
Nancy F. Koehn, an authority on business history, is the James E. Robison Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School. She is currently working on a book about the most important leadership lessons from Abraham Lincoln and another on social entrepreneurs.
That was terrific, Professor Koehn. Thanks.
Jim McConnell MBA’74
The implication is we are supposed to attribute a Lincoln-like quality to Obama. First it was JFK, now Lincoln. Please!
Obama may be most like William Jennings Bryant. A losing presidential candidate; but he was a good speaker (and he did not use a teleprompter).
I thought this article was about leadership. I don’t see any particular political issues here. WHy are the conservatives so agitated? Could it be that maybe they fear change, even when it is obviously needed? (aside from being so self-righteous)
The attempt here to imply that Obama might be a modern day Lincoln is a poor one, at best. The only common denominator is their lack of prior experience; in every other way they are as different as can be.
Obama is nothing more than a radical leftist, and is by far the most radical and farthest left presidential candidate in U.S. history. His lifelong association with Ayers and Dohrn, unapolegetic members of the “weather underground” should serve as ample proof of his radical anti-American leanings.
Somehow I doubt that Abraham Lincoln would have tolerated domestic terrorists committed to bringing down the American government. Obama has not only tolerated them, but continues to count them as close friends; a serious indictment of his judgment.
This article was nothing more than an Obama ‘08 campaign commercial masquerading as a treatise on leadership principles. Insulting.
There is another “inexperienced” leader from Illinois who is ready to meet this moment in our history.
http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/jamesray/gGBZkB
Abraham Lincoln relied heavily on God during the war years. The Republican Party was not one of the two “major” political parties of the day. They were a “third party”. They had fielded a presidential canidate only once before in 1856 (John C. Fremont. Mr. Lincoln’s election to President was a miracle. Miracles do and can happen today.
I’ll note for the record that the significant late-night conversations Lincoln had about “the ultimate meaning and worth of what he was doing” was with Almighty God, not just with himself. And that made all the difference.
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Patricia Sellers has written some of Fortune's most talked-about cover stories, including "Can Meg Whitman Save California?", Melinda Gates ("The $100 Billion Woman"), "MySpace Cowboys," Martha Stewart ("I cannot be destroyed"), Ted Turner ("Gone with the Wind") and Oprah Winfrey ("Oprah Inc."). And she has broken ground with insightful pieces on career management issues such as ego ("Get Over Yourself!"), and "Charisma: Do You Need It? Can You Get It?" Pattie chairs the annual Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit, the preeminent gathering of women leaders in business, philanthropy, government, academia, and the arts. And she has helped oversee Fortune's "Most Powerful Women in Business" cover package since its launch in 1998. She started at Fortune in 1984, covering the big consumer brand companies.
Obama is no Lincoln.
I have been in this country for 7 years. I cannot believe that a candidate who went to Pastor’s Wright’s hate filled church for 20 years and whose wife said that for the first time she is proud of America (because Obama was elected) is still in contention for presidency.