The Abe Lincoln of 2008

I am often asked which candidate running for president would be the best leader and why. After meticulously sifting through hundreds of articles and personal accounts as well as biographies, I'll share my conclusion after describing my criteria.

Most presidential scholars and leadership aficionados agree that Abraham Lincoln was the country's best president ever. Lincoln possessed a unique mix of strong intelligence, such as the ability to solve problems, as well as core personal character. Presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin chronicled Lincoln's personal character well in her book Team of Rivals, including his understanding of himself and others, ability to take responsibility for mistakes and learn from them, judgment, and faculty to remain hopeful through setbacks.

Unfortunately, campaign commentators rarely glean these nuances in candidates' character, concentrating instead on media-driven narratives. The result can be tragic. In 2000, for example, the media establishment focused on George Bush's self-description as a moderate, compassionate conservative. That appealing narrative ignored a number of personal flaws that would ultimately most impact his presidency, such as his inability to acknowledge his mistakes or learn from them.

During this election cycle, many of the same herd-like, media-driven narrative patterns are repeating. Candidates try to position or sell themselves as the strongest or most experienced, using a variety of relevant or irrelevant narratives from their past. With experience, however, the most critical question is why some people learn from their experience while others do not. That answer is directly linked to a leader's personal character, not the experience itself.

When Lincoln arrived in Washington, he was an outsider, a one-term Congressman with extremely limited government experience, and mostly known as a prairie lawyer. Yet, he understood his weaknesses and, with no close allies, was confident enough to surround himself with a remarkable cabinet. His advisers had vastly different viewpoints and a number wanted to be president themselves. Aside from his intelligence, it was Lincoln's character -- his judgment, self-knowledge and trustworthiness, and ability to understand others' motives and learn from his mistakes - that allowed him to manage the cabinet and lead the country with the strength that he did.

In assessing the 2008 presidential field, several veteran observers have effectively delved beneath the superficial narratives to examine these key qualities of presidential leadership. David Brooks wrote the most insightful piece I have encountered in his New York Times Op-Ed on December 18, 2007 entitled, "The Obama-Clinton Issue" in which he argues that, "[Barack] Obama is an inner-directed man in a profession filled with insecure outer-directed ones," and notes:

Presidents are buffeted by sycophancy, criticism, and betrayal. They must improvise amid a thousand fluid crises. They're isolated and also exposed, puffed up on the outside and hollowed out within. With the presidency, character and self-knowledge matter more than even experience.

Compared to other candidates, Barack Obama stands out in a singular way for having a unique combination of political leadership abilities like Lincoln had. Like Bill and Hillary Clinton or Mitt Romney, Obama has strong intellectual aptitude, which he has demonstrated dating back to when he was president of the Harvard Law Review. More uniquely, though, Obama appears to possess remarkable personal character. He understands who he is, exemplified by the comfort he has in his own skin, his past judgments stand up well against the test of time, and he displays strong consistency grounded in a steady adherence to his guiding principles.

At a time when the country deserves and perhaps needs an exceptional president, a Lincolnesque leader may be in our midst.

Peter Sims is coauthor of the nationally best-selling book on leadership "True North" with author Bill George and can be reached at [e-mail].

Follow Peter Sims on Twitter: www.twitter.com/petersims

Comments

[Tankan]

Abe Lincoln, JFK, MLK, great men, dead, gone and returning no more!

We'll never see their like again.

Those we have today must stand on their own two feet based on what we know of them, they can only be compared to the leaders of the past by history, not by premature wishful speculation!

[OtayPanky]

I'm not going to way in on your conclusion - ie that Obama is truly a Lincolnesque figure.

But you're absolutely asking the right question.

What America needs - and by extension what the WORLD needs - is a person who exhibits BOTH the character and the competence that Lincoln did.

This is why Hillary - and the whole Clinton machine - is so obviously the WRONG choice for the dems, and the country.

This is not a couple whose legacy is built upon character - and make no mistake, it is a two for one deal as Bill first asserted back in the '92 election.

Perhaps Obama, perhaps Edwards, perhaps one or more of the other "second tier" dem candidates might indeed rise to this high standard.

Hopefully, the dems will be willing to "role the dice" (as Bill put it to Charley Rose) so we have (at least) a chance of fixing the many woes we're facing now.

[RPaulH]

Thanks Peter - for setting the criteria, and picking a first-class and approachable leader, who has re-instilled a sense of pride in each of us.

I will also share what I wrote back in March:

Remember the good ole' days when:

Truth was a virtue, not a liability? When seeking it was desired, not avoided. And when telling it got you an ice cream cone, and not a bar of soap in the mouth?

Integrity was cultivated, and not trashed. That people cared about their Reputation like a precious family heirloom - and did not count on a "second chance" to say "sorry if you were offended" or check into "alcohol rehab" for their bad judgment and behavior.

Authenticity was looked up to, and not manufactured. That you said what you believed, and you believed what you said. And that sound bytes were possibly crafted (think JFK), but part of an overall philosophy of life - and how it could be even better.

Well, welcome to Obama-land! From his genuine beginnings as a child of blended-ethnicity marriage in the 1950s no less, to his Harvard Law School's leadership of the Law Review as editor.

Barack Obama is just so easy to watch, soothing to our hearts, challenging to our brains, accommodating of different perspectives, without feeling like he's catering to what "he thinks we want". Barack Obama is his own man, husband, father, citizen and senator.

I am personally inspired by someone who seeks out Truth, who lives with high Integrity and is an Authentic person - warts and all. Obama has made mistakes, owned up to them, and continually strives to be a better person - and a great leader.

Hope you will learn more about Barack Obama, his values and his viewpoints on the world and how to solve the many, deep-rooted problems we face - and solving them collaboratively, openly, transparently - and with a vision towards a more balanced, equitable and truthful future for us, our familiies and descendants, and our 6+ billion neighbors worldwide.

Restore faith in America and humanity - support Barack Obama (in 2008 and beyond)!

[tenzindorje]

Yes! Who does Senator Obama remind me of? John and Bobby Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Abe Lincoln. Who does Senator Clinton remind me of? Nixon.

[musetta]

Lincoln was a hard worker. Obama is not as evidenced by his missed votes and present votes and part time work history.

Lincoln had a sense of humor and wit and related well to people. Obama does not. Obama with his preppy education and aloofness doesn't relate to average working people.

[Jane]

I think you are really talking about Bill Richardson.

[alkamm]

Edwards, of course, has all of these characteristics as well. We will be well-served in nominating either of these men. They will carry a passion for change and reform that we need to preserve our freedoms and protect our country from the sorts of mistakes Bush and Company made.
Edwards has learned from his mistakes, as have many of us. Standing with the President on the Iraq resolution was an exercise in credulity, but many people felt we should stand together against the routinely bellicose Iraqi dictator who was aiming anti-aircraft at our peace-keeping planes and financing terror operations in Israel. Hoping that Sadaam would capitulate from our resolution, leaders like Edwards did not expect the Bush Republicans to use the full force of the military and deny Sadaam the option of leaving the country as has been reported.
Obama was able to articulate a clear position against war because he was out of government at the time. When he had the opportunity,as has been noted recently, he was overly careful, and often merely present.
Despite their real world blemishes, either Obama or Edwards will make a fine President.

[Pdubya]

Lincoln had an American voting record.

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

Good analysis. Wrong punch line.

Bloomberg in '08.

[MsLiz]

I would love to see Obama on the Supreme Court. He can be president first, like Taft did.