Lincoln--The Making of a Leader briefly examines a history of the life and surroundings of Abraham Lincoln, incorporating viewpoints from two men who knew Mr. Lincoln intimately: William H. Herndon and Ward H. Lamon. Reading what these two gentlemen wrote regarding Lincoln from their personal and professional perspectives in the years immediately following Lincoln's assassination, helps us glean closer and hopefully more accurate understandings of Lincoln's unique contributions to American history--who he was as a person as well as the immense impact he had--and the experiences and life lessons that served to shape him. Even a brief examination of Lincoln must include a look at the character, experiences, education, environment, marriage and family life, business dealings, personality traits, and leadership of the man who became the country's sixteenth president.
Lincoln, the man, was complex. The reader is encouraged to delve into much more thorough research than what is able to be presented here, to discover what scholars have declared made Lincoln who he was and became. It's likely a never-ending quest for knowledge of not only what Lincoln did, but why he did it. What made Mr. Lincoln the leader he was shown to become throughout the varied stages of his life--both before and during his White House years?
The book asks, "What makes any person a leader?" "What can we learn from Lincoln's life and experience that may contribute to the people of our day who aspire to or assume leadership roles, to become leaders in their environments and organizations for the right reasons, best causes, producing meritorious results?"
Lincoln served our nation during the Civil War. One cannot really venture too far down the path of study and any examination of Lincoln without seeking to learn about that horrific, yet some would say necessary national conflict: its causes, catastrophic sacrifices, the lingering effects of brutal conflict, as well as some of the incidents within the war that shaped and continue to shape the nation--the Gettysburg campaign and the Gettysburg Address are two examples--but there are so many more, certainly including the 13th Amendment that abolished slavery, an Amendment to the Constitution which Lincoln desperately desired but did not live to see.
The making of a leader combines life experiences, formal learning, true-to-life applications, multiple environments, trial, error, successes, and failures. Ultimately leaders make choices about how to lead and how their desired achievements are to be won. Distractions can be many, but should not dissuade from a higher call if the call is worthy. Motives and methods remain vital considerations. The core of the person and his or her personality traits are factors, too. What drives any leader and why? How does a leader evaluate success or failure?
Perhaps you will discover solid truths that can help you become the kind of leader you truly want to be. Perhaps you will learn several factors that made Lincoln the man and leader he was shown to be, and how much impact his leadership had upon our country's history, and continues to have on our ongoing existence.
