What do you think?
Rate this book
Learning from Lincoln: Leadership Practices for School Success
What can 21st century educators learn from the example of a 19th century president? In this intriguing and insightful book, Harvey Alvy and Pam Robbins show how the legacy of Abraham Lincoln can guide today's education leaders--principals, teachers, superintendents, and others--as they tackle large-scale challenges, such as closing the achievement gap, and everyday issues, such as communicating with constituents. The authors identify 10 qualities, attributes, and skills that help to explain Lincoln's effectiveness, despite seemingly insurmountable
1. Implementing and sustaining a mission and vision with focused and profound clarity
2. Communicating ideas effectively with precise and straightforward language
3. Building a diverse and competent team to successfully address the mission
4. Engendering trust, loyalty, and respect through humility, humor, and personal example
5. Leading and serving with emotional intelligence and empathy
6. Exercising situational competence and responding appropriately to implement effective change
7. Rising beyond personal and professional trials through tenacity, persistence, resilience, and courage
8. Exercising purposeful visibility
9. Demonstrating personal growth and enhanced competence as a lifetime learner, willing to reflect on and expand ideas
10. Believing that hope can become a reality
Chapters devoted to each element explore the historical record of Lincoln's life and actions, then discuss the implications for modern educators. End-of-chapter exercises provide a structure for reflection, analysis of current behaviors, and guidance for future work, so that readers can create their own path to success--inspired by the example of one of the greatest leaders of all time.
1. Implementing and sustaining a mission and vision with focused and profound clarity
2. Communicating ideas effectively with precise and straightforward language
3. Building a diverse and competent team to successfully address the mission
4. Engendering trust, loyalty, and respect through humility, humor, and personal example
5. Leading and serving with emotional intelligence and empathy
6. Exercising situational competence and responding appropriately to implement effective change
7. Rising beyond personal and professional trials through tenacity, persistence, resilience, and courage
8. Exercising purposeful visibility
9. Demonstrating personal growth and enhanced competence as a lifetime learner, willing to reflect on and expand ideas
10. Believing that hope can become a reality
Chapters devoted to each element explore the historical record of Lincoln's life and actions, then discuss the implications for modern educators. End-of-chapter exercises provide a structure for reflection, analysis of current behaviors, and guidance for future work, so that readers can create their own path to success--inspired by the example of one of the greatest leaders of all time.
240 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 22, 2010
20 people are currently reading
81 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
July 27, 2014
As a Director of Humanities in a school district, this book is useful due to its historical context as well as it's lessons on leadership. I loved the weaving of Lincoln's speeches into the narrative, as he was an incredible (thoughtful, and deliberate) writer from whom we can all learn.
February 22, 2020
Well written and thorough examination of Lincoln's leadership style. The parallels between him as president and school leaders with and without titles are powerful and practical.
May 20, 2013
This book is designed to be a reflective tool for educators to use in building their leadership skills, based upon the example set by Abraham Lincoln. The authors divide the book into ten chapters, each one of which addresses a skill or quality that Lincoln possessed that educators could use in their own leadership roles. Lincoln was remarkable humble, open to criticism and advice, was able to overcome personal troubles, was a lifelong learner, and a great communicator who stayed true to his vision throughout his presidency.
For me, the greatest takeaway from this book were the numerous personal examples given about Lincoln's wise actions. I was particularly impressed by his refusal to allow personal slights against him affect his decisions regarding who was the best person for a particular job. Lincoln "did not let petty differences serve as obstacles to the greater good" (p.41). The example of William Seward, who Lincoln appointed Secretary of War was particularly remarkable, as Seward had referred to Lincoln before this as "that giraffe" and "that creature from Illinois," yet Lincoln "never carried a grudge, he said later, because it didn't pay" (p.41).
Additionally, I found the book's point regarding speed of learning in today's world very relevant. The authors argue that "in our contemporary world, intelligence is often equated with speed of thought," yet Lincoln once wrote, "I am slow to learn, and slow to forget that which I have learned. My mind is like a piece of steel - very hard to scratch anything on it, and almost impossible thereafter to rub it out" (p.139-140) I found this particularly relevant in relation to today's world, where technology and the Internet had allowed instant gratification to become the world and speed to be rewarded or favored. Yet not every one learns in this manner, and slowness is not an indication of lack of intelligence.
Although it is without question that Lincoln was a remarkable leader who others would be wise to emulate, I did not like his this book offered him up as a paragon that should be followed exactly. Only a cursory sentence is given that suggests that Lincoln was not perfect in every way. Additionally, as I am not a teacher or a principal, the concluding pages of each chapter, which relates the chapter's discussion to school practices, weren't entirely relevant to me in an administrative role at a community college. Additionally, each chapter concluded with reflective questions and a place for the reader to jot notes or ideas. I did like that these provoked thought and discussion, but the questions seemed repetitive to me.
There is much to learn from Lincoln. If only more individuals could be as humble, as open to criticism, as willing to admit when they were wrong, as deliberate in their words and actions as Lincoln was. While clearly Lincoln lived in a different time and place, many of his values and leadership skills can be adapted to today's world, as this book so clearly illustrates.
For me, the greatest takeaway from this book were the numerous personal examples given about Lincoln's wise actions. I was particularly impressed by his refusal to allow personal slights against him affect his decisions regarding who was the best person for a particular job. Lincoln "did not let petty differences serve as obstacles to the greater good" (p.41). The example of William Seward, who Lincoln appointed Secretary of War was particularly remarkable, as Seward had referred to Lincoln before this as "that giraffe" and "that creature from Illinois," yet Lincoln "never carried a grudge, he said later, because it didn't pay" (p.41).
Additionally, I found the book's point regarding speed of learning in today's world very relevant. The authors argue that "in our contemporary world, intelligence is often equated with speed of thought," yet Lincoln once wrote, "I am slow to learn, and slow to forget that which I have learned. My mind is like a piece of steel - very hard to scratch anything on it, and almost impossible thereafter to rub it out" (p.139-140) I found this particularly relevant in relation to today's world, where technology and the Internet had allowed instant gratification to become the world and speed to be rewarded or favored. Yet not every one learns in this manner, and slowness is not an indication of lack of intelligence.
Although it is without question that Lincoln was a remarkable leader who others would be wise to emulate, I did not like his this book offered him up as a paragon that should be followed exactly. Only a cursory sentence is given that suggests that Lincoln was not perfect in every way. Additionally, as I am not a teacher or a principal, the concluding pages of each chapter, which relates the chapter's discussion to school practices, weren't entirely relevant to me in an administrative role at a community college. Additionally, each chapter concluded with reflective questions and a place for the reader to jot notes or ideas. I did like that these provoked thought and discussion, but the questions seemed repetitive to me.
There is much to learn from Lincoln. If only more individuals could be as humble, as open to criticism, as willing to admit when they were wrong, as deliberate in their words and actions as Lincoln was. While clearly Lincoln lived in a different time and place, many of his values and leadership skills can be adapted to today's world, as this book so clearly illustrates.
December 27, 2012
Not really motivational or inspiring but insightful and applicable to this high school principal and student of both Lincoln and Leadership. It is a great concept for a book. It does get better and clearer and more connected as you read. Ultimately quite good.
April 30, 2014
One of the best books I've read on instructional leadership. I highly recommend it for anyone in a school leadership position, either at the school or district level. Lincoln's leadership practices serve as a model for current practices and as a lesson to today's leaders.
July 11, 2014
A solid book that takes examples of Lincoln demonstrating/developing leadership and then applying the principles from those examples to educational leadership today. It was a quick read, but it inspired me to engage the book through notes and questions in the margins.
February 28, 2016
The was a good book. I felt however, that Lincoln was portrayed as close to perfect. I was a little put off by that. While I acknowledge that Lincoln was a great man and a great President who stood up to the south, he is portrayed in this book as almost god-like.
September 21, 2013
Very inspirational. I'm not a huge nonfiction reader, but this helped in my college class.
March 19, 2014
Great application of Abraham Lincoln's beliefs and practices to modern leadership, particularly his willingness to add an adversary to his cabinet for divergent thinking.
April 1, 2016
A bit boring and lots of asides. However, there were parts that were insightful n
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews