This morning I was reading the beginning of Leadership in Turbulent Times by Doris Kearns Goodwin, this week’s book of the week. It’s the story of four American Presidents who brought transformable leadership qualities to the stage of our history. Abraham Lincoln, of course, being one of those leaders. Leadership is made of many things. Some say leaders are born. Some say leaders are grown. I say both. In reading the first chapter on Abraham Lincoln, I wrote down the qualities told through years of research by the historian Doris Kearns Goodwin.
Abraham Lincoln
- Charisma
- Valued Story Telling
- A Profound Sense of Empathy
- Clear Understanding of Human Nature
- Strived for Clear and Concise Communication
- Valued Education, Continual Learner
- Resilience Through Failure
- Resolution to Succeed
- Led by Moral Courage
- Willing to Acknowledge Error
- Used Good Humor Against Direct Attacks
- Developed Sense of Timing
- Reverence for the Law (but also sought to change it where necessary)
Here are a few quotes about Lincoln that really stuck out with me.
“‘Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed, is more important than any other one thing.’ – Abraham Lincoln”¹
“…he feared the in the chaos of moblike behavior, men of the likes of ‘an Alexander, a Caesar, or a Napoleon’ would likely seek distinction by boldly setting themselves ‘to the task of pulling down.’ Such men of ‘towering’ egos, in whom ambition is divorced from the people’s best interests, were not men to lead a democracy; they were despots.”²
In school we memorize dates of history only touching briefly on the ‘whys’ of history. One of the greatest gifts we have as adults is to continually seek answers and find our ‘whys’. It is so easy to squander our time on the so called necessities of the day. However, it is the vision of those from our history that have afforded us the freedoms and luxuries of our present day. They’ve also given us the gift, not afforded to them, of past experience that we can all grow and learn from.
Sarah Jackson
Vigilant Poster Girl
Reference:
- Leadership in Turbulent Times by Doris Kearns Goodwin pg 15
- Leadership in Turbulent Times by Doris Kearns Goodwin pg 19
Influenced by songwriters like Lucinda Williams, Roseanne Cash, Bruce Springsteen, and Dar Williams, Sarah Popejoy’s songs blend storytelling with an Americana leaning groove. After living in Nashville for 10 years, Sarah moved back home to Tulsa, what Rolling Stone calls the next Austin, where she is producing her 3rd studio album called “The Oklahoma Storyteller”. Most of the album has been recorded at the newly renovated, world-class studio, The Church Studio, in Tulsa, Oklahoma which was previously owned by Leon Russell. All songs on the new album are written by Mrs. Popejoy, a previous award winner of the American Songwriter Magazine Lyric Contest and The Billboard Song Contest.
The intersections of I-40, The King of Trails (Highway 75), and the largest stretch of Route 66, Oklahoma figuratively and literally is the crossroads of the American Story. It was the end of the trail for many indigenous people during America's dark history of forced removal, birthplace of one of the biggest heroes of America's pastime, home to the struggles of those who lived and breathed the Dust Bowl, home of some of the biggest trendsetting influencers in modern American music, and the site of the worst domestic terrorist attack in U.S. history. This is why the first album in The Oklahoma Storyteller series, is called, "The Oklahoma Storyteller: Crossroads of the American Story", set to be released Summer of 2024.
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