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What makes a leader worth remembering
John Drysdale
July 03, 2026 • Estimated Reading Time: 2 minutes
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As America approaches its 250th anniversary, I found myself wondering:
What makes a leader worth remembering?
When historians rank America's presidents, one name consistently appears near the top.
Abraham Lincoln.
Why?
"In the hearts of the people for whom he saved the Union..."
Those words are carved into the wall of the Lincoln Memorial.
They made me stop and think.
Lincoln is remembered not because everyone agreed with him.
Quite the opposite.
He led at a time when disagreement ran so deep that it threatened to tear a nation apart.
Most of us will never face divisions on that scale.
But every leader I meet encounters disagreement.
Around boardroom tables.
Within leadership teams.
Between colleagues.
With customers.
Sometimes even with people they respect and like.
The question is not whether disagreement will arise.
It is how we respond when it does.
Like many people, I assumed Lincoln's reputation rested on his courage, his convictions or his extraordinary ability to communicate.
All of those mattered.
But were they the result of something even deeper?
The boy who listened
I thought the answer was about a President. Instead it began with a boy. Growing up on the American frontier. His father lost three farms because of disputed land titles. Around that table, the conversations were rarely trivial. They were about land. Money. Harvests. Debt. And how to begin again. |  |
As people came and went, young Abraham would sit quietly while the adults talked.
His stepmother later recalled that after the visitors had left, he would ask question after question until he understood not just what had been said, but why people thought as they did.
The Leader
We often remember leaders for the decisions they make.
But perhaps memorable leadership begins with the habits we choose to practise every day.
One of those habits may simply be learning to listen before we judge.
Of course, Lincoln is remembered for far more than his curiosity.
He preserved the Union through America's greatest constitutional crisis.
His presidency changed the course of American history and contributed to the eventual abolition of slavery.
Whilst those achievements rightly define his place in history, I found myself focusing on the habits that made those decisions possible.
Lincoln listened not because he lacked conviction.
He listened because he wanted to understand before deciding.
I wonder how many of today's leadership challenges would look different if we spent a little longer seeking to understand before deciding ?
Today
Historians rightly remember Abraham Lincoln for preserving the Union and leading a nation through one of its darkest periods.
My own reflection is slightly different.
I find myself thinking less about the President...
...and more about the boy who learned to listen.
Not because listening is enough.
But because the quality of our decisions is often shaped by the quality of our understanding.
And understanding almost always begins with curiosity.
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I will leave you with one question
Who do you need to understand better before making your next important decision?
If this reflection resonated with you, I'd be grateful if you shared it with a colleague, client or friend who might enjoy it too.
And if you're navigating similar leadership challenges in your own organisation, I'd be delighted to continue the conversation.
‘Til next time.
John