How is a President Like a REALTOR®? How Can a REALTOR® Be Like a President?
If there was one session I was looking forward to more than any other, it was Doris Kearns Goodwin's talk on Leadership Lessons From Abraham Lincoln. I wasn't disappointed. Goodwin is the author of a marvelous book, Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln.
Before embarking on this topic, though, Goodwin, a presidential historian, answered a question everyone might have forgotten to ask: Which president would have been the best REALTOR®?
Franklin D. Roosevelt lived in the widest range of homes, from a mansion in Hyde Park, N.Y. to a simple cottage in Warm Springs, Ga. There was probably no better expert in second homes than John F. Kennedy, whose father's prescience in purchasing seaside homes in Florida and Massachusetts created family gathering places for multiple generations. For sheer brilliance at salesmanship, Goodwin said, no one could beat Lyndon Johnson, an expert in fashioning his pitch to the specific member of Congress whose support he sought.
But Abraham Lincoln, perhaps more than any other president, displayed management skills that we can all use to succeed in business. Having won the 1860 Republican presidential nomination from a group of more experienced and better known rivals -- his political enemies -- Lincoln did a remarkable thing: he invited these men to join his Cabinet. The result, according to Goodwin, was the most unusual cabinet in U.S. history.
I can't possibly do justice to what Goodwin said about the brilliant, arrogant, ambitious, and bitterly jealous men who became his most trusted advisors. Read the book (it's available in the NAR library) and see for yourself how she makes history come alive.
On to ten leadership lessons from Lincoln that we can all use to succeed in business today.
1. Lincoln had the capacity to listen to different points of view. His advisors were free to argue and disagree with him without fear of reprisal. Lincoln heard them out, and then made use of the debate as he made his decisions.
2. Lincoln had a remarkable ability to learn on the job. He acknowledged his errors and profited from his mistakes as he moved on from them.
3. He was willing to share the credit for success. In fact, Lincoln was willing to cede credit to others for his own accomplishments, building a reservoir of good feeling that transcended any need to stay in the limelight.
4. Conversely, Lincoln was willing to take responsibility for the failure of his subordinates. It was Truman who said, "the buck stops here," but Lincoln understood that this was equally true in his administration. He was forgiving and understanding.
5. He was acutely aware of his weaknesses and compensated for them by assembling a brilliant team who had the talents he lacked.
6. When angry, Lincoln could exert extraordinary control over his emotions. And he promptly followed angry acts with kind gestures.
7. He knew how to relax to replenish his energies and reduce his anxieties so he could return to his duties refreshed.
8. At times of crisis, he would go into the field rather than retreating to the safety of the White House. This form of "management by walking around" enabled him to bolster morale, connect with soldiers and the public, and get a sense of the mood of the country. He never lost sight of the people he represented, said Goodwin.
9. Lincoln displayed a steadfast resolution to stick to his long-term goals in the face of short-term difficulties and current challenges.
10. Finally, Lincoln had a remarkable ability to communicate through stories, everyday metaphors, and beautiful language.
Can you think of any of these traits that wouldn't help you in your business today?
