Lincoln's Leadership

[RJNorton]

I think this was a wonderful topic, Laurie, and we also thank you for starting it!

What I found striking is that we can cite all these examples of Lincoln's leadership, but he himself said very little about it. I checked Shaw's encyclopedia of Lincoln quotes, and the word "leadership" is not even a topic. Kerner's book on Lincoln quotations has only one on leadership: "Some single mind must be master, else there will be no agreement in anything." (From a Lincoln letter to William M. Fishback on February 17, 1864). Under the topic of "Leadership" Boritt's book has only one: "Such a man times have demanded, and such, in the Providence of God was given us. But he is gone. Let us strive...that, in future national emergencies, He will not fail to provide us the instruments of safety and security" (from Lincoln's eulogy on Henry Clay, July 6, 1852).