Things to Think About

“Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other one thing.” Abraham Lincoln

As the 16th president of the United States, Lincoln's leadership was tested through some of the most challenging times in American history. According to many historians, he led the country through its bloodiest war and its greatest constitutional and political crisis. Few have ever known the failures and setbacks that he experienced in his journey to greatness. Few would be better qualified to address the value of resilience and resolution in reaching one's goal. Sometimes, when discussing different successful leaders and their characteristics, we often forget that as humans they, too, experience self-doubt, as Lincoln did, and, as humans, they also experience days when nothing seems to go right. Many times, we fall victim to the misapprehension that they are fundamentally different from us—smarter, more talented, but, as Lincoln reminds us, they are not. The key difference is that they are resolved—resolved to learn, to grow, to be the best they can be and…they never give up. That is what resolution looks like in the life of a successful leader.

Good luck on your journey!