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Leadership Lessons from Lincoln

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Biographical Background At 7:22 am on the morning of April 15, 1865 the sixteenth president of the United States of America took his last breath after being assassinated by John Wilkes Booth. Being the first president successfully assassinated in the United States of America would be enough to put Abraham Lincoln’s name in the history books, however his life is equally remarkable. Lincoln’s reputation as a strong leader has stood the test of time from his career as a politician and lawyer to the president who preserved the union during a crucial turning point in our nation’s history. Lincoln’s unquenchable thirst for education and self-improvement formed the foundation for the leader he later became (Austell, 2006). Lincoln’s stepmother, Sarah Bush Johnston, was the first person in his life that understood the importance of education and encouraged Lincoln in his educational efforts (Herndon & Weik, 1888). Lincoln’s quest for knowledge was a lifelong journey that continued throughout his career as a lawyer and a politician, and helped him to earn the trust and admiration of colleagues and friends (Alvy & Robbins, 2010). Lincoln’s first office for the federal government was as postmaster at New Salem followed by multiple terms in the Illinois state legislature. Over time Lincoln’s influence within the Illinois legislature grew, in large part due to his ability to draft bills and laws (Burlingame, 2008). It was during his first term in the Illinois legislature that Lincoln was first encouraged to study law by John Todd Stuart, a colleague in the state legislature (Zall, 1999). In 1836 Lincoln received his law license and went into a partnership with Stuart the following year (Burlingame, 2008).
Lincoln next partnered with Stephen Logan who helped Lincoln to develop a professional demeanor (Dirck, 2009). Lincoln entered into partnership with William Herndon

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