In her most recent book, Leadership in Turbulent Times, Goodwin examines the careers of Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, and Lyndon Johnson, illustrating how their skills and strengths enabled them to lead the United States through periods of great upheaval. In this article she looks at Lincoln’s pivotal decision to issue the Emancipation Proclamation—which required the support of his cabinet, the army, and the American people. Possessed of a powerful emotional intelligence, he was able to mediate among factions and sustain the spirits of his countrymen. Among the powerful lessons Lincoln’s leadership embodied: Acknowledge when failed policies demand a change in direction. Anticipate contending viewpoints. Set an example. Refuse to let past resentments fester. Protect colleagues from blame. Establish trust.
“In a great convergence of the man and the times,” Goodwin writes, “Abraham Lincoln’s leadership imprinted a moral purpose and meaning on the protracted misery of the Civil War.”
Do the times make the leader, or does the leader shape the times? How can a leader infuse people’s lives with a sense of purpose and meaning?
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