One of the greatest leaders in the history of the United States commonly closed his correspondence with “Your obedient servant, A. Lincoln.” There is much we in higher education can learn from Abraham Lincoln, not the least of which is his approach to leadership. He led with courage, conviction and a vision of service that encompassed America. It is that vision of service that made his leadership stand out. Through years as a department head and administrative leader in higher education, I came to understand that, in my case, it was the knowledge, skills and strengths of the team that superseded my abilities alone. The success of the mission was not my success. It was the cumulative successes of the team that brought about our accomplishing the shared vision and mission. My role was to directly support the team. It was to create an environment and conditions that made their work and their collective vision possible.
