How to Lead Like Abraham Lincoln: The Magic of an Influencer, #1

By Christopher Coopersmith

Craving inspiration from the greats? Discover the key wisdom Lincoln brought to the people as he led the US into the future.

 

Looking to raise yourself to new heights? Are you keen to win admiration from your team? Do you want to leave a memorable legacy? MBA, Corporate Business Operations Manager, and dedicated student of formative history Christopher S. Coopersmith uses his considerable knowledge to motivate others. Now he's here to share how the unique decision-making process of America's sixteenth president can help elevate your own skills.

 

How to Lead Like Abraham Lincoln: Leading in a Way That Drives History is an in-depth study of how this extraordinary statesman left his mark on multiple generations. From Honest Abe's humble beginnings through moments of courage and majesty, Coopersmith draws out the essential ingredients this important leader brought to bear. And by steeping yourself in rousing life lessons on decisive actions both small and large, you'll soon be standing tall and ready to pave the path forward.

 

In How to Lead Like Abraham Lincoln, you'll discover:

- A thorough understanding of how this giant came to power and changed the world

- Ways you can learn from his experience to become more assertive

- Methods for simply outworking your rivals and adversaries to stay one step ahead of the game

- Strategies for making rapid choices, even under pressure, with confidence

- Techniques for moving past pain, balancing work and family, and much, much more!

 

How to Lead Like Abraham Lincoln is a wonderful insight into a time of turmoil and is part of The Magic of an Influencer series. If you like real-world examples, inspirational stories, and fascinating eras, then you'll love Christopher S. Coopersmith's practical application of a well-known figure.

 

Buy How to Lead Like Abraham Lincoln to go down in history today!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christopher Coopersmith
• Release date: Dec 16, 2021
• ISBN: 9781955922012

Book preview

Introduction

History tells us many stories of Abraham Lincoln—the poor, underprivileged boy who turned out to be the sixteenth President of the United States. There was little in his childhood that would indicate such a rise to power and purpose. He lived a threadbare and ordinary life of poverty, as did many children in his time. But he found a way to weave his ordinary threads of existence into an extraordinary outcome. He took it upon himself to cleanse the greatest stain on the fabric of American consciousness via his battle against slavery, and led the North to victory during the Civil War. But ending slavery and winning the war were only half the battle. He knew that he must also win peace. Only a great man of character could produce the leadership necessary to bring a divided nation together and ensure the survival of the United States.

He suffered many failures, and started off his life at a severe deficit. With no formal education after sixteen years old, he became a role model for autodidacticism. He was a self-taught lawyer, business owner, public speaker, and statesman. He is considered by historians to be one the finest presidents in all of American history, standing shoulder to shoulder with greats like George Washington and Franklin D. Roosevelt.

From humble beginnings, he grew into a titan, and would etch a permanent name for himself in the annals of time. He earned his accolades through sweat, tears, and blood. He gave his all for his country. He gave his life.

When we study a historical person of such great renown, we see an opportunity to learn from an extraordinary teacher and leader who changed the course of history. The powerful lessons he taught remain viable and profitable for us today.

You are invited to explore the principles, values, and philosophies that made this great man so effective, and apply them to your own life. As Lincoln said, Always bear in mind that your own resolution to success is more important than any other thing.

Chapter One

Be a Lifelong Learner

My best friend is a person who will give me a book I have not read.

The smell of burning logs and the crackle of a fire greeted a young man as he entered his one-room log-cabin home on Sinking Spring Farm in the south of Kentucky. Just a boy, he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders. His family was losing their home in a nasty battle for the family farm. When his family eventually lost the farm, they moved to Indiana, and there were no schools available in their area. Lincoln was homeschooled by his stepmother, who had only a sixth-grade education. In no time, he surpassed her knowledge. He was just seven years old, but he had a secret weapon: his love of knowledge. He would retreat into books and escape his difficult life—a practice he would continue for the rest of his life. Even though he had a meager education, like all children living on farms in his town, Lincoln supplemented his own education.

Abraham Lincoln’s strong thirst for knowledge might have been the single most important factor in his success. Although his formal education ended at sixteen, he was far from done with learning. In fact, he called his time in school defective. So he turned to self-education. If there was a book to be had within a fifty-mile radius, he would borrow it, devour it, memorize most of it, and return it with a desire for more. He is known as a self-educated man despite some formal education in his childhood.

While other children spent their limited free time in the fields or tossing a ball, Lincoln spent his next to the glow of a fire with a book in his hands. He was voracious, reading everything he could get his hands on including historical books, fables, the Bible, hymnbooks, newspapers, and any educational book he could find.

Once he learned a local farmer had a book he had not yet read, so he set off on the miles-long trek to ask the farmer if he could borrow it. He read the book while walking back home and continued to read the book in the firelight once it became dark.

Lincoln worked for three days on the man’s farm in exchange for the book, The Life of George Washington by David Ramsay, which he would read and reread many times. Perhaps the story of the son of a carpenter who formed the nation gave Abraham the inspiration to save the nation himself.

You may know that Abraham Lincoln was allowed to work as a lawyer by the US Circuit Court, although he never spent a day in law school. True to form, he was self-taught in law. He tried or worked on more than 5,000 cases over his career, and even argued before the Supreme Court.

It was not just books Lincoln loved. He was also a fan of great speeches, and he could often be heard rehearsing speeches for hours and hours. Neighbors said that he was lazy and wanted to avoid farm work by walking through the field reciting speeches, but Lincoln was developing control over his voice, his ability to wield words, and an orator’s style. By the age of twenty-one, he was an amazing speaker. He even joined a debate club to further refine his skills. When he entered political life, Abraham Lincoln wrote his own speeches, including the Gettysburg Address.

The Gettysburg Address is believed to be one the greatest speeches in world history, even though the entire speech was over in two minutes:

"The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us