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Review
It was exciting to look back into our history at someone who many revere as our greatest leader. Many people today, believe that Abraham Lincoln was and is the greatest President the United States has ever seen. Donald Phillips shares his agreement with this sentiment in his well written book, "Lincoln On Leadership."

The book itself was thoroughly enjoyable. It was a very easy read and shared much of President Lincoln's leadership through the eyes and stories of others of that day. This book is a great history lesson of the period of the Civil War and Lincoln's legacy. Through numerous stories, Donald Phillips shares example after example of Lincoln's style of leadership.

According to Phillips, "In order to comprehend modern leadership theory and be successful in the future, leaders must look to the past - to President Abraham Lincoln, for example - who routinely practiced nearly all of the 'revolutionary thinking' techniques that have been preached to American industry in the last ten to fifteen years. Lincoln can be looked to as the ideal model for desirable, effective leadership." We would agree for the most part with his assessment of Abraham Lincoln as a leader.

This book highlights a number of wonderful leadership characteristics and skills. The one characteristic that seemed to come to the front the most was Lincoln's ability to be a "Servant Leader." Through Lincoln's own writings and words, plus the writings and words of many others it seems clear that he was a man that understood the critical need to engage people in relationships while balancing the need to accomplish goals.

"Lincoln On Leadership" is a great read for anyone desiring to learn how to be a better leader. If businesses and organizations today were successful in effectively implementing Lincoln's leadership style, we would see a tremendous turn around in our country today. We would see far more productivity with unrivaled relationships and employee contentment.

We recommend this book for all to read. Not just to read though, but to take the time to put his principles into practice.

Summary of Main Points
Lincoln On Leadership describes the leadership style and qualities of the man who many say was the greatest leader in American history. Author, Donald Phillips shares numerous historical references to demonstrate some of the critical leadership skills that Lincoln utilized in his political career.

Although Phillips describes numerous leadership qualities, there are a few that form the center of Lincoln's leadership style. Lincoln was a man of great integrity and honesty. He was referred to as 'Honest Abe', and still is. His honesty combined with his ability to be direct and compassionate at the same time, certainly sets him apart from many other leaders. Lincoln had tremendous compassion for his staff. He seemed to be ever willing to give them opportunities to grow and develop. He offered tremendous support for them to develop into the types of leaders he needed. At the same time he was willing to make tough decisions. Throughout his Presidency, Lincoln relieved many of the most powerful leaders in the country of their duties. But not until he tried everything he could to help them to succeed.

Another critical leadership quality that set Lincoln apart was his undying desire to learn and be prepared for everything he faced. Donald Phillips recites example after example of speeches and meetings that made Lincoln so famous. All of these examples exemplify his strength in preparation. Lincoln was also very talented at speaking extemporaneously, to the degree that some of his most well received speeches were not prepared beforehand. Interestingly, however, it is noted that his ability to be extemporaneous was based on his great commitment to preparation.

Call To Action
After reading this book, the following five points are a must do for leaders in the 21st century:

* Leaders need to leave their offices and interact with their teams, in their team's work environment.

* Leaders need to be honest and forthright with information.

* Leaders need to provide coaching and feedback for their staff and allow opportunities for growth. However, balance this with the ability to transition staff that are not able to get in alignment with the vision.

* Leaders need to show compassion and understanding for their employee, both personally and professionally.

* Finally, leaders need to be prepared and be able to think on their feet.