President's Message

Welcome to this month’s edition of News and Notes!  This month I’d like you to think about how often you actively seek out perspectives and ideas that are different from your own. Do you do what Lincoln did when creating his cabinet and surround yourself with those who come at things from different vantage points?

This very same question was recently the subject of a study conducted by SmartBrief (www.smartbrief.com). They asked readers “How do you interact with a co-worker who is the opposite of you in terms of style, perspective and approach to work?”  Results show hat 45.55% of respondents “actively seek” other perspectives because “they help me find things I tend to miss”, 25.82% incorporate others’ thoughts and ideas when they are offered, 24.36% of respondents “listen occasionally but mostly do their own thing”, and 4.27% avoid other perspectives “at all cost”.

I find this study heartening—almost half of those responding follow Lincoln’s tact of seeking opposite perspectives and surrounding himself with people who not only hold different opinions but who were also former opponents for the Republican nomination in 1860. By creating a “team of rivals” of Stanton, Seward, Chase and Bates, Lincoln was able to better approach the colossal decisions he had to make during his administration. Doris Kerns Goodwin offers an in-depth examination of this subject in her acclaimed book “Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln”. Check it out to learn more!

This month’s edition welcomes new faculty member Michael Pimental, hightlights some of the upcoming events commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Civil War and shares some message that readers submitted on our electronic birthday card for President Lincoln. Read on to learn more!

Steven B. Wiley, president & founder
The Lincoln Leadership Institute at Gettysburg

www.gettysburgleadership.com

Gettysburg’s 150th Civil War Anniversary Kickoff
Event Scheduled

The official kickoff event for the 150th Anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg takes place April 29-30. This launch event will feature the advancement of Union and Confederate troops into Gettysburg, followed by living history encampments at various locations throughout the town, reenactment skirmishes and a formal evening program.

The firing of 150 cannon shots saluting the brave men and women who fought in the American Civil War is the highlight of this event.

The schedule is as follows (subject to change):

For more information about these events and future anniversary events, visit http://www.gettysburg.travel/150.

Pimental Joins LLI Faculty

The Lincoln Leadership Institute at Gettysburg welcomes Michael Pimental to its esteemed faculty. Pimental is president of Fairlead Coaching, an LLC dedicated to assisting companies develop sales teams, managers and presentations. He has provided dynamic top tier management coaching, sales call coaching, presentation coaching and professional image coaching to individuals, corporate sales teams and executives.

His experiences include 25 years as a sales representative for a Fortune 500 company. He served as sales trainer, mentor and sales coach for much of his career. His sales career was distinguished by numerous district, regional, divisional and national awards, and his contributions included creative and impactful presentations that were adopted throughout the national sales force.

Pimental has a B.S. in psychology from the University of Massachusetts. He has served his community through leadership positions on multiple boards and commissions. He currently serves as a court appointed special advocate, where he advocates on behalf of children declared dependent upon the court. He is a father and a grandfather and an avid boating enthusiast.

Closing Thought

“Every man is said to have his peculiar ambition. Whether it be true or not, I can say for one that I have no other so great as that of being truly esteemed of my fellow men, by rendering myself worthy of their esteem.” —Abraham Lincoln