Of Moral Leadership and Honest Abe

The question of moral leadership leads us to the example of American President Abraham Lincoln who struggled with the sufferings of a divided nation but rose above them and succeeded. But we’re not only considering him. We’re also considering a man or woman whom a corporate leader (or an aspiring public servant) can look to as an example moral leadership and honesty. These are qualities which today’s executives and managers ought to possess.

Let’s take a look at a few of Lincoln’s most famous quotes that corporate executives (and Christians in general) can live by:

“A house divided against itself cannot stand.”

This quote leads to the following questions: Do today’s corporate leaders promote unity and harmony within their organizations and build consensus, or do they put up cliques and factions within their own ranks? Do they fiercely guard their own “fortresses” or turfs, or are they liberal in sharing with others in the organization their expertise or know-how?

Do senior managers foster a sense of belonging among their employees or do they build walls and fences between them? Do they take the time to know their employees, take a personal interest in them, or teach them how a job is competently done? Or do they leave their employees to their own devices?

Managers need not work the room, so to speak, or exude charm, but do they even smile, nod their heads, or look at the faces of their employees when they cross paths down the hall?

“Malice toward none.”

Corporate leaders may well ask themselves: Do they give their employees the benefit of the doubt? Do they build trust in their places of work? Are they ready to discard their negative biases and prejudices against their colleagues and subordinates? Can they see talent in unexpected people? Are they willing to let go of their insecurities?

“Charity for all.”

Do today’s managers abide by the saying “when you have nothing nice to say about somebody, it’s better to say nothing at all”?  Are they averse to gossip or are they sources of unverified information that gets around through the grapevine?

Most of our corporate leaders are technologically savvy – and they can’t live or do their work without their laptops, iPads, iPhones, cellphones, and what have you. But do they observe cyberspace etiquette – namely, that what can’t be published in the papers or put on the airwaves can’t be sent via e-mail or posted on their social media accounts?

“…resolve to be honest at all events.”

There’s a story about Lincoln’s job as a storekeeper – he once took 6 ¼ cents too much from a customer.

According to the webpage “Abraham Lincoln Research Site”, when the store closed, Lincoln walked three miles to return the woman’s money. “Another time,” says the site, “a customer who asked for ½ pound of tea was mistakenly given only ¼ pound because Lincoln had absent-mindedly left a ¼ pound weight on the scales. Very early in the morning, when he discovered the mistake, he walked a long way to give the customer the right amount of tea.”

These stories may well apply to the modern workplace too. Do today’s employers, especially in the manufacturing and services sector, give their workers just wages? Do they keep their employees adequately and timely informed about what’s going on in their organizations? Are they transparent with their employees with respect to the inevitability of lay-offs and retrenchment? Are they sticklers for sound business practices or do they justify their machinations, even if they’re found dipping into the cookie jar (as in the case of the Legacy Group or Enron’s top brass)?

Honest Leadership

Admittedly, Lincoln is a tough act to follow. And probably, there will be no leader like him (not in our lifetime anyway). Today’s corporate leaders, however, are not to be expected to turn in grand, earth-shaking accomplishments like the abolition of slavery – which Lincoln found morally wrong – but they can start by putting people, not profit, first and being honest with them.

So who says moral and honest leadership is outmoded? Certainly, not “Honest Abe.”