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Abraham Lincoln a True Leader

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Submitted By gc2033010
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Abraham Lincoln Servant Leadership
Case Study and Collaborative Research #4

G. Diaz
ADM 553
April 16, 2015

Introduction
Abraham Lincoln is one of the most known and beloved presidents of our history. He was the 16th president of the United States and is known for achieving such feats as keeping the Union together and the emancipation of slavery. Having many followers as well as resistance during the American Civil War, Abraham Lincoln showed fortitude and never gave up on his vision and goals. Hence, after fighting for many years, he was able to give freedom and support to those who were chained by weights of racism and prejudice. Therefore, aside from having a vision and many followers, what made Lincoln such a great leader? What type of leadership style did Abraham Lincoln mostly use and why was it so successful?
To begin with, Lincoln seems to fit the bill of what a great leader is supposed to entail. He was very charismatic, intelligent, determined, self-confident, and showed integrity to his followers and goals. All of these traits as described by Northouse (2013) are characteristics that leaders should aim to develop if they want to be effective commandants. Although leadership does not have one exclusive definition, since we all have our own ideas of what it means to be a good leader, Northouse does provide standard definition for the term. Northouse (2013) defines leadership as “a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal” (p. 5). Lincoln was seen by many to be a great leader. He was able to deliver powerful and influential speeches without elongation. He was also able to convey important messages in a few words and relate to his followers since he had humble beginnings just like many of the common folk who shared his views and goals. One of his most prevalent speeches which has been

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