So Heroes Die But How Do They Live?

I’ve previously referred to 2020 as the gift that comes badly wrapped. For some of us it is a terrible time, for most of us it’s a present albeit in disguise. I say this because these ‘interesting’ times provide the impetus for us to reflect as well embolden us anew, so ultimately we are doing more than we would usually do. If that’s the case, what are the key lessons we should learn? What are the lessons of history?

In my writing I’ve recently traipsed from transformational change/leadership to wicked problems to humble leadership. In my mind they are interrelated but to take a closer look at exceptional leadership (which I believe in the vast majority of cases is the humble kind), what are the attributes? How do exceptional leaders live?

Courage and Character

I’ll start at the beginning. No one can accomplish much without firstly courage and then to use that to build and continue to develop greater qualities, a greater character. Ultimately for those who have come through testing times it is their history that writes that message best of all. Take, for example, my hero, Abraham Lincoln. We know that he was an ambitious man but not for his own regard. This humility made people trust him. Even as he became President the people of that time felt they knew this backward wood splitter who had less than one years’ formal schooling. Yet history tells us quite plainly that as much as they felt they knew him, hardly any of them knew him.  They underestimated both his courage and his character. He had spent decades preparing.

Having a purpose, an end goal, knowing the weight of things and pacing towards it

Lincoln knew he faced “a task before me greater than that which rest upon (George) Washington”. He knew his test was to keep the United States the united states. Lincoln knew this had to be his first purpose and his second was to achieve a more perfect union, a more just society.

Lincoln would often be the target of taunts – he was viewed as uneducated, from very humble means, tall and gangly with odd features, and worse, he was not an insider.

People would mock him and over time Lincoln became famous for not often reacting and for not holding grudges. He valued moving the people with him. Famously at the beginning of what became the Civil War arose the question of resupplying Fort Sumter, which was in the south. Lincoln was under pressure to give up the fort but that went against his oath of office “to preserve, protect and defend” the Constitution and therefore the union. Others advised that he send an armed resupply but he didn’t want to be the one to start the war. However something had to be done as civilians as well as military were inside the fort and stocks were getting low. Lincoln took advice, weighed it and waited. The new President was not reacting.  Only a month after Lincoln became President a New York Times editorial titled “WANTED – A POLICY” charged the new administration with “a blindness and a stolidity without parallel in the history of intelligent statesmanship” coupled with commentary for Lincoln personally that “He must go up to a higher level than he has yet reached, before he can see and realise the high duties to which he has been called.” To solve the issue and appease the south Lincoln sought to supply the fort with provisions only, no arms. In reply the South demanded immediate surrender. Lincoln waited. Finally, 39 days after Lincolns’ inauguration the South became impatient and they fired upon the fort in strength. The fort couldn’t hold out, they surrendered and were allowed to be ferried back to the North with what is known as the (tattered) Fort Sumter flag. But they had given Lincoln the high moral ground, so he could take the initiative now and not be seen as a war monger.

But having that purpose, knowing its weight also came at a cost. Lincoln needed the people to support keeping the union, there were many unsettled about the slavery issue in the border states as well as in the North. Early in the war the northern General Hunter had issued an order that the slaves under his jurisdiction be freed. Lincoln issued a proclamation cancelling this as he needed to win the war first and he could also prepare the people during this time and only then be ultimately sure to win the emancipation of slaves. Hence he cancelled their freedom. He would prove to have enormous patience.

Have at least mostly the right people in the right roles, be alert to your weaknesses and develop a thick skin

I’ll use this illustration to highlight a few points – it mocks Lincoln as a hairy ape taunting McClellan, the show puppy, who became his rival for the White House, the white mouse.

If there is a fault with which people can chastise Lincoln it is that he stuck by underperformers for too long. This brought a terrible cost in lives and extended the war. Most famously of all is McClellan. McClellan was referred to as “Young Napoleon”, he became the first military hero in a war where the people desperately sought heroes to believe in. In fairness it started from the beginning in the war when Lincoln was a new President, unversed in military strategy and equally unfamiliar with his officer corps. And yes, he did give too many pardons to solders who ran from battle to such an extent that it did cause morale problems in the army. Part of me understands that, but McClellan! Ultimately Lincoln had had enough, he travelled to the site of McClellans’ final disgrace to see for himself what was going on. Lincoln commandeered a boat, selected the landing sites for the Norths’ troops and won back the initiative. Two days later Lincoln demoted (not fired) McClellan. An expensive lesson in the importance of knowing our weaknesses.

This was also a great lesson in the importance of ensuring that at least in the majority of cases you have the right people in the right roles.

Build a team and set a standard

There is an old saying that if you want to go fast, go alone, but if you want to go far, go together. Lincoln understood this. Famously he had the judgement and the emotional maturity to form ‘a team of rivals’ as his cabinet was called. Unlike Lincoln, all of those he selected had leadership experience and three were his main rivals from the Republican party. They were all of the view that they were superior to this new uneducated man who became President. First amongst them was perhaps Secretary of State Seward who had been a rival candidate for the Republican party nomination and who had become the unofficial head of the party. Ultimately Sewards’ view of Lincoln changed so significantly that he would remark of the hillbilly that “the President is the best of us”.

Lincoln continued to manage the ego’s in his cabinet over a very difficult time. Nearly two years into his Presidency a situation arose between two cabinet members. Turns out that Chase was jealous of Seward’s influence with Lincoln. He complained of this to some Republican Senators who took the bait that Seward was inept and having too much influence on a weak President. They formed a delegation and descended upon Lincoln beseeching him to dismiss Seward and reorganise the cabinet (to Chase’s advantage). Lincoln was suspicious as to who may have been behind it and asked them to return the following night so that he could take the time to think on it. Seward heard of the plot and submitted his resignation which Lincoln didn’t act upon. Lincoln suspected that Chase was behind the forment so the next morning he called his cabinet together except for Seward and told them of what had transpired. Lincoln requested they meet for a special session that evening. Neither the cabinet nor the delegation of Senators knew the other would be there. Slowly Lincoln paced the meeting through the discussion. It became very plain that Lincoln had in fact been consulting with the cabinet on every important decision, that the apparently weak President had led them and that they were generally in agreement. Chase couldn’t say otherwise as his fellow cabinet members would call him out for lying. It became very clear that Seward had acted properly in his role. Lincoln appeared to have been almost na?ve to what was going on behind the scenes and from a weakened position had won the day. Chase was humiliated, the Senators left with their tails between their legs and again the President and his cabinet were in the rightful positions of running the country. The next day Lincoln accepted Chases’ resignation and shored up his position as president in the process.

Lincoln backed his team. Famously he would claim when his generals lost a battle that the fault was his and when they won, he congratulated them. Perhaps two of his more famous cases was his support of the aggressive General Grant so that he would continue with this style of attack after the dithering of McClellan, and also his support of General Sherman when he committed the ‘cardinal sin’ of splitting his forces in attacking the enemy and so weakening his position. Lincoln sent his congratulations on the attack so that he would know the President would support him still if such risk didn’t succeed in future.

Be curious, be informed, stay open

Even before his inauguration Lincoln made a near fatal error. It surprises me that it’s not analysed more. At that time elections were in early November, but the inauguration wasn’t until March. Lincoln came from Springfield, Illinois. He had roots in the south, particularly Kentucky, a border state. But he failed to appreciate that Kentucky didn’t reflect the strength of opinion in the south. Over the decades all had become accustomed to the enmity between the North and the South. But he was explicitly warned by people he knew and trusted that this time was different. He didn’t listen, he felt he knew the border lands. His misreading was such that he was “rather glad of this military preparation in the South. It will enable the people the more easily to suppress any uprisings there”. Words that now read as an alarming na?ve misreading of the South! For those arms wouldn’t be used to suppress an uprising, rather they became the basis of the Souths’ armed forces! But we have the benefit of hindsight, Lincoln did not. He learned an early lesson that he had forgotten to listen. He also learnt that he had wasted his greatest weapon. He stayed silent during much of these long months before his inauguration when his greatest opportunity was to use this time to influence others.

We may now call it management by walking around but back then Lincoln was known for it. He ensured the troops knew he cared (he was well known for his hospital visits and talking with all), he took command (he studied warfare and had learnt much) and he remains the only sitting US President to have come under fire, he lead, he lifted morale. He knew his people and they knew him.

The weight of words and reflection

Lincoln knew better than most the weight of words. A very special book, “Lincoln’s Sword”, is dedicated to just that. It’s a wonderful review of how Lincoln considered his thoughts, weighed them, weighed them anew, would make notes to himself at any time (and famously kept them in the sweat band of his hat), and would write and rewrite passages. Then for the important matters, such as the emancipation proclamation, he would seek the input of a selected few and weigh their thoughts. 

Perhaps the most famous of these examples is in the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation where he listened to the change suggested by his erstwhile rival who became his friend and admirer Secretary of State Seward. The change, above,  that “… the executive government of the United States ... will during the continuance in office of the present incumbent, recognise <and maintain the freedom of> such persons…” Forever dispelling any risk that the emancipation would only pertain to President Lincolns’ period in office as well as any risk that the freedom might be won but not be maintained into the future. The weight of words.

Know when to take a break, renew and refresh

It must be very difficult when you are leading a war for your country’s very existence, but Lincoln knew he also needed to take breaks. He took few breaks, but he was a lover of the theatre (yes, we know how that ended), he enjoyed entertaining in the White House and was famous for telling stories, often at his own expense.

Be you, be approachable

And ultimately, Lincoln was Lincoln. He was the first ‘ordinary folk’ in high office and he exceeded them all. He remained open to all. Everyday people would go and visit the President at the White House, unknown and unannounced until they darkened the door. Most times he made time to see them. Famously Frederick Douglass, a former slave, arrived one day unannounced and was received. Lincoln was the President for all. Lincoln was Lincoln.

I will be taking a break until next month. It’s been an unexpected year, take care. I trust you’ll enjoy the break and come back refreshed for a new future that we’re perhaps now better prepared for. All best, Paula