The Zen of Abraham Lincolns Leadership Abilities

Zen teaches that the potential to achieve enlightenment is inherent in everyone but lies dormant because of ignorance. It is best awakened not by the study of scripture or the practice of good deeds, but by breaking through the boundaries of mundane logical thought. Lincoln's leadership abilities certainly break through these boundaries. This blog will explain why this is true.

Who is the leader you admire most? There would be many we like and studied. But our favorite would be Abraham Lincoln. He worked to achieve mastery in law and politics. He gave his toughest rivals power and autonomy. In fact, he surrounded himself with rivals who excelled in areas where he was not strong.

And despite his many failures, his life was an immense success. His motivational leadership style was rooted in two higher goals: freeing the slaves and keeping the nation intact. These were big motivators for most Americans, yes? In a scene from the Steven Spielberg movie Lincoln, Mary Todd Lincoln tells her husband:

“No one is loved as much as you by the people. Don’t waste that power.”

The movie is based on Doris Kearns Goodwin’s popular book, Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, a masterful telling of Lincoln’s story that follows the lives of each of his cabinet members.