Lincoln's Leadership

Strategist, America expert

1,5 hour

NL, EN

Crisis Management,
Leadership,
Strategy,
National history

Inspire,
Personal effectiveness,
Inform

Strategic decision-making under pressure

Once upon a time ... there was a time when many Americans viewed their president as a dictator. However, Abraham Lincoln is now regarded by many as the greatest president in American history, but in his own time he was just as often regarded as a dangerous, almost dictatorial leader. How can one president be so loved and so reviled at the same time?

Lincoln faced a task that was almost inhuman: a country that had already effectively fallen apart, a political culture bogged down in distrust, and a society dangling on the brink of civil war. In those circumstances, he had to make decisions that are still debated, criticized and admired today.

In that work, Lincoln was at once accessible and people-oriented-Managing By Walking Around was right up his alley. He accepted uncertainty and still dared to act, even with incomplete information. His reputation as "Honest Abe" was not merely image but a form of character fortitude that provided direction in chaos. And he used language not as decoration but as a strategic tool: communication WAS leadership.

This lecture explores how Lincoln thought, how he decided, and what his way of thinking teaches us about strategic decision-making under extreme pressure-without romanticizing him and without imposing parallels. The audience gets to lay those out for themselves.

Joost Kramer analyzes American politics and elections with a focus on the impact for organizations. In his book Midterm Mania (Spring 2026), he deciphers the dynamics behind the 2026 Midterms and the consequences for the Netherlands and Europe.
He speaks for companies, financial institutions and government partners, and is known for his accessible style: no jargon, but insight.
This lecture on Leadership brings together his two greatest passions: the American Civil War (1861-1865) and the American presidency.

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