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Abraham Lincoln Synthesis Essay

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Synthesis Essay - Abraham Lincoln
As a leader, do you feel as though you could unite subordinates, units, organizations, or even a nation? Abraham Lincoln faced the task of reunifying a nation, even during a time of civil war. He was a visionary leader through the war as his actions advocated intellectual stimulation through change management leading to decisions that shaped innovative efforts within the United States Air Force (USAF) today. Additionally, Lincoln was an ethical leader, not for the actions that history books recognize with the freedom of slavery, but more so for the decision to face ethical challenges altering his behaviors through critical thinking. We will look at an example of how he fostered an innovative …show more content…

Lincoln valued this idea and wanted Lowe to brief the War Department. However, the War Department was not receptive. In particular, General Winfield Scott could not understand how this idea would change strategy. General Scott believed it would hinder current operations and waste time. Jarrow (2010) alludes to Lincoln’s frustration and disappointment when Lowe returned with this information. Lincoln’s frustration stemmed from the lack of cognitive flexibility that General Scott was demonstrating. The Thomas N. Barnes Center for Enlisted Education [BCEE] (2017a) highlights that cognitive flexibility “involves incorporating different thinking strategies and mental frameworks into your planning, decision-making, and day-to-day activities” (pg. 4). Lincoln believed in Lowes idea; therefore, he took it upon himself to go to the War Department and address the matter. A few days later, hot air balloons were scanning the battlefields and relaying messages to ground commanders. Lincoln’s trust in this innovative idea and understanding of change altered the dynamics of war; now aerial reconnaissance guaranteed information to the Union Army concerning the battlefield. This was a small vision that transformed into an essential part of today’s USAF mission of ISR. Now that we have discussed the visionary leadership of Lincoln, let us change

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