Lincoln's Leadership in a Time of Crisis

Humility, loyalty, rhetorical mastery — these were the leadership traits of President Abraham Lincoln, says historian John Stauffer. When Lincoln entered office in 1861, the situation in America was dire. States were seceding and America was on the brink of war. How did he utilize his strengths in the face of great crisis? Should today’s leaders, who are challenged by the cataclysm of the coronavirus pandemic, look to Lincoln’s leadership? Stauffer, a professor at Harvard, speaks with Colleen Shogan, director of the David Rubenstein Center for White House History at the White House Historical Association. The views and opinions of the speakers in the podcast do not necessarily reflect those of the Aspen Institute.

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