What type of sales manager would Abraham Lincoln be?
Thanksgiving in the United States was enacted by President Lincoln in 1863, so now is as good a time as any to reflect on our 16th President. I recently read a couple of books on Abraham Lincoln-Son of the founder by Richard Brookhiser and A. Lincoln by Ronald White.
Lincoln was one of the people least likely to become president. He had no management experience, attended no more than a year of education, and handled his paperwork by stuffing important papers into his top hat.
Yet it occurred to me that Lincoln possessed an overabundance of qualities that all great salespeople have: ambition, empathy, and people skills. Without a doubt, today you would have been an excellent candidate for an entry-level sales position. And certainly, due to his leadership skills, he would have risen to sales management.
So that begs the question: what kind of sales manager would Abe Lincoln be? You are the judge …
Lincoln understood the importance of listening and thinking deeply.
As a child, when his parents had guests in the house, Abe was silent, attentive, an observer of the conversation. He would never speak until the guests had left. Then he would write down what he had learned and repeat it over and over until he fully understood it.
Analysis was another of Lincoln’s strengths. Long before he had presidential aspirations, he was a rural lawyer. And Lincoln’s strength was said to be his ability to focus on the case, to master the details and principles involved. “He not only went to the root of the issue,” said his legal partner, “but he dug up the root.”
Lincoln was a great coach. He drew on his knowledge and skills, then asked interesting questions to help people discover their own answers.
During the early years of the Civil War, Lincoln’s generals mostly failed. He followed the decisions and actions of his generals very carefully and communicated with them frequently. But he was careful to express his ideas and suggestions as advice formulated through questions, rather than direct commands to “do this, don’t do that.”
Lincoln supported his best performers even if they ruffled a few feathers in the organization.
Lincoln’s most successful general was Ulysses S. Grant. As Grant gained victory after victory, his popularity increased. And at times, that popularity was seen as a threat by others. One day a congressional delegation went to the White House to urge Lincoln to fire Grant because he reportedly drank too much. Lincoln then told the congressmen that it would be helpful if they could tell him what kind of whiskey Grant preferred because he would like to buy something for his other generals.
Lincoln took the time to understand what his customers were thinking.
In the 1860s, anyone could cold-call the White House and have a better chance than walking in to see the president. Lincoln took the time to meet people who stopped by the White House without appointments to say hello. Why? Because he wanted to meet with ordinary citizens to better understand what his client, the American people, was thinking. There were no pollsters in the 19th century.
Lincoln maintained his sense of humor, even in times of stress.
The morning after Lincoln was first elected to the presidency, just as the country was on the verge of splitting, he greeted some newspaper reporters who had been following him throughout the campaign. “Well guys, your problems are over. Mine are just beginning.”
Lincoln managed his anger.
After the Union forces won at Gettysburg in 1863, Lincoln’s commander, George Meade, had not pursued the surviving Confederates, who withdrew to Virginia. So the battle, while it was a major turning point in favor of the Union, was not final as Lincoln had hoped it would be. Lincoln was distracted. He wrote a searing letter to General Meade criticizing the missed opportunity. After Lincoln’s assassination in 1865, the letter to Meade was found on Lincoln’s desk, never signed or sent. Lincoln managed his emotions and knew that getting angry couldn’t change what had already happened.
He never stopped learning, so he never stopped becoming a better and better leader.
Perhaps the most important attribute Lincoln possessed was his ability to learn. He was passionate about self-improvement. As a child, he was very inspired when he read the biography of George Washington. And he didn’t stop learning when he moved into the White House. During the early years of the Civil War, from 1861 to May 1863, the Union army lost most of the battles it fought. Frustrated by this lack of success, Lincoln borrowed a book from the Library of Congress titled “Elements of Military Art and Science” and studied it deeply.
Lincoln went to work every day with the attitude of a trainee and the result was that he continued to improve his leadership skills. The times demanded that he be good and he became great.
So what kind of sales manager would Abraham Lincoln be, if he were alive today? He would certainly make a great sales manager. Fortunately for us, he had a different calling.
During this Thanksgiving season, perhaps we could better say “Thank you, Abe” by striving to emulate his leadership qualities.
