Category: Book Summaries

12 Lessons from Lincoln on Leadership

photo credit: josullivan.59 Lincoln Memorial #2 via photopin (license)

One week ago marked the 205th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth on February 12th.  On Monday, I was able to celebrate a day off for President’s Day.  So, it is fitting that we turn to Donald T. Phillips’ book, Lincoln on Leadership.  In the book, Phillips provides “executive strategies for tough times.”  It’s a quick read that really touches at the core of leadership and the man who exemplified the subject best, Abraham Lincoln.

Donald T. Phillips does a nice job of extracting the jewels of leadership wisdom by analyzing the historical events, including Lincoln’s writings and actions from his time in office.

The contents of the book are presented in four parts:  People; Character; Endeavor; and Communication.  Throughout the book, we see the extraordinary attributes of an American legend.  Abe’s honesty, integrity, and tenacity are all characteristics that should be mimicked by those of us who call ourselves students of leadership…who are shooting for the stars!

Click here to read more about the 12 lessons I gleaned from Lincoln on Leadership and how I’ve applied those lessons over the years.

Do Your Team Members Have a “Best Friend at Work”?

It’s February 8th…the day after “Send a Card to a Friend Day” and just 3 days before “Make a Friend Day”.  If you missed yesterday’s “Send a Card to a Friend Day”, it’s not too late to let a friend know that you appreciate him or her with a handwritten card—how rare are those in these days of e-mail, Facebook, and other social media?

Oh, and get ready now for “Make a Friend Day” on Tuesday, February 11.  So, what do these celebrations have to do with the workplace and “out of this world leadership”?

For years, the Gallup Organization’s research has shown that friendships at work are a critical component of employee engagement and a healthy work environment.  In their famous Q12 (the 12 employee engagement survey questions that differentiate high-performing organizations from the rest), one of the key questions is “I have a best friend at work.”  Their research shows that if you are among the 30% of employees who report having a best friend at work, you are “seven times as likely to be engaged in your job.”  Other findings from their research include:

  • People without a best friend at work have a 1 in 12 chance of being engaged in their job.
  • Closer friendships at work can increase satisfaction with your company by nearly 50%.
  • People with at least 3 close friends at work are 96% more likely to be extremely satisfied with their lives.

So, this Tuesday, I ask, “What better way to break out of the overworked and stressed out state of mind than to make a friend?”  Many of us are busy leading such hectic lives, we barely have time for ourselves…much less developing and maintaining friendships.  Make a Friend Day gives us the perfect opportunity to begin a new friendship…and I’d encourage you to make that new friend at work.

For advice, let’s look to John Maxwell’s Everyone Communicates…Few Connect.  Click here to learn more