120 Abraham Lincoln Quotes On Leadership

Abraham Lincoln was one of the greatest leaders in American history. As the 16th President of the United States, he led the country through its greatest internal crisis – the Civil War – while upholding the principles of equality and democracy. As an inspiring leader, Lincoln left behind rich words of wisdom that are as relevant today as they were in his time.

This article presents 120 impactful quotes by Abraham Lincoln on various aspects of leadership and governance. As a self-educated lawyer with immense political acumen, Lincoln had a gift for communication. He knew that words could move individuals as well as influence entire nations. Again and again in his speeches and private writings, Lincoln articulated profound truths about leadership responsibility, human character and the healing powers of empathy, honesty and justice.

The article has sorted the quotes into various headings such as ‘On Leadership’, ‘On Personal Growth and Character’, ‘On Democracy and Government’ to help the reader easily find insights relevant to their needs. Whether you are a student, an entrepreneur or a corporate executive, Lincoln’s visionary ideas on what it takes to lead with integrity in difficult times will leave you feeling both inspired and enlightened.

Leadership through patience and humility

“Don’t worry when you are not recognized, but strive to be worthy of recognition.” – Abraham Lincoln
“I don’t know who my grandfather was; I’m much more concerned to know what his grandson will be.” – Abraham Lincoln
“I destroy my enemies when I make them my friends.” – Abraham Lincoln
“I am nothing, but truth is everything.” – Abraham Lincoln
“My concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God’s side, for God is always right.” – Abraham Lincoln
“Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other.” – Abraham Lincoln
“Whatever you are, be a good one.” – Abraham Lincoln
“If I were to try to read, much less answer, all the attacks made on me, this shop might as well be closed for any other business. I do the very best I know how – the very best I can; and I mean to keep doing so until the end.” – Abraham Lincoln
“He has a right to criticize, who has a heart to help.” – Abraham Lincoln
“We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection.” – Abraham Lincoln
“Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.” – Abraham Lincoln
“Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.” – Abraham Lincoln
“I will study and get ready, and perhaps my chance will come.” – Abraham Lincoln
“Silence is sometimes the severest criticism.” – Abraham Lincoln
“Let us have faith that right makes might, and in that faith, let us, to the end, dare to do our duty as we understand it.” – Abraham Lincoln
“When I do good, I feel good; when I do bad, I feel bad, and that is my religion.” – Abraham Lincoln
“The probability that we may fail in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just.” – Abraham Lincoln
“I am a slow walker, but I never walk back.” – Abraham Lincoln
“It has been my experience that folks who have no vices have very few virtues.” – Abraham Lincoln
“I will prepare and some day my chance will come.” – Abraham Lincoln

Guiding with honesty and integrity

“America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.” – Abraham Lincoln
“The man who reads nothing at all is better educated than the man who reads nothing but newspapers.” – Abraham Lincoln
“Let me not be understood as saying that there are no bad laws, nor that grievances may not arise for the redress of which no legal provisions have been made. I mean to say no such thing.” – Abraham Lincoln
“My father taught me to work; he did not teach me to love it.” – Abraham Lincoln
“This country, with its institutions, belongs to the people who inhabit it. Whenever they shall grow weary of the existing government, they can exercise their constitutional right of amending it or their revolutionary right to dismember or overthrow it.” – Abraham Lincoln
“Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves.” – Abraham Lincoln
“We must disenthrall ourselves, and then we shall save our country.” – Abraham Lincoln
“Fellow citizens, we cannot escape history. We of this Congress and this administration will be remembered in spite of ourselves. No personal significance or insignificance can spare one or another of us. The fiery trial through which we pass will light us down in honor or dishonor to the latest generation.” – Abraham Lincoln
“I am a slow walker, but I never walk back.” – Abraham Lincoln
“He has a right to criticize, who has a heart to help.” – Abraham Lincoln
“Let the people know the facts and the country will be safe.” – Abraham Lincoln
“Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.” – Abraham Lincoln
“Truth is generally the best vindication against slander.” – Abraham Lincoln
“Election, electioneering, all belong to the rough and tumble of politics, as does the making of unintended mistakes. My main wish is that the people should see that I have done for the right, what I believed to be right.” – Abraham Lincoln
“I do not think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday.” – Abraham Lincoln
“I claim not to have controlled events, but confess plainly that events have controlled me.” – Abraham Lincoln
“The ballot is stronger than the bullet.” – Abraham Lincoln
“Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?” – Abraham Lincoln
“A house divided against itself cannot stand.” – Abraham Lincoln
“When I do good, I feel good. When I do bad, I feel bad. That’s my religion.” – Abraham Lincoln

Inspiring hope during difficult times

“The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew and act anew.” – Abraham Lincoln
“That in due time the weights should be lifted from the shoulders of all men, and that all should have an equal chance.” – Abraham Lincoln
“Upon the subject of education, not presuming to dictate any plan or system respecting it, I can only say that I view it as the most important subject which we as a people can be engaged in.” – Abraham Lincoln
“It is said an Eastern monarch once charged his wise men to invent him a sentence, to be ever in view, and which should be true and appropriate in all times and situations. They presented him the words: “And this, too, shall pass away.” How much it expresses! How chastening in the hour of pride! – how consoling in the depths of affliction!” – Abraham Lincoln
“We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory will swell when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.” – Abraham Lincoln
“Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.” – Abraham Lincoln
“When I do good, I feel good; when I do bad, I feel bad, and that is my religion.” – Abraham Lincoln
“We must disenthrall ourselves, and then we shall save our country.” – Abraham Lincoln
“I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. The great point is to bring them the real facts.” – Abraham Lincoln
“This country, with its institutions, belongs to the people who inhabit it. Whenever they shall grow weary of the existing government, they can exercise their constitutional right of amending it, or their revolutionary right to dismember it or overthrow it.” – Abraham Lincoln
“I will prepare and some day my chance will come.” – Abraham Lincoln
“Leave nothing for tomorrow which can be done today.” – Abraham Lincoln
“You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.” – Abraham Lincoln
“With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation’s wounds.” – Abraham Lincoln
“The dogs bark, but the caravan moves on.” – Abraham Lincoln
“In this sad world of ours, sorrow comes to all; and, to the young, it comes with bitterest agony, because it takes them unawares…I have been very happy in my young days and I really don’t think I would want them back.” – Abraham Lincoln
“Whenever I hear anyone arguing for slavery, I feel a strong impulse to see it tried on him personally.” – Abraham Lincoln
“A house divided against itself cannot stand.” – Abraham Lincoln
“Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle.” – Abraham Lincoln
“Upon the subject of education, not presuming to dictate any plan or system respecting it, I can only say that I view it as the most important subject which we as a people can be engaged.” – Abraham Lincoln

Overcoming challenges with perseverance

“Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle.” – Abraham Lincoln
“My great concern is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with your failure.” – Abraham Lincoln
“It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt.” – Abraham Lincoln
“Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other.” – Abraham Lincoln
“I am a slow walker, but I never walk backwards.” – Abraham Lincoln
“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” – Abraham Lincoln
“He has a right to criticize, who has a heart to help.” – Abraham Lincoln
“The best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time.” – Abraham Lincoln
“Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle.” – Abraham Lincoln
“I will prepare and some day my chance will come.” – Abraham Lincoln
“Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” – Abraham Lincoln
“You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.” – Abraham Lincoln
“It’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.” – Abraham Lincoln
“My great concern is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with your failure.” – Abraham Lincoln
“When I do good, I feel good. When I do bad, I feel bad. That’s my religion.” – Abraham Lincoln
“I destroy my enemies when I make them my friends.” – Abraham Lincoln
“Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.” – Abraham Lincoln
“He has a right to criticize, who has a heart to help.” – Abraham Lincoln
“Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other.” – Abraham Lincoln
“To ease another’s heartache is to forget one’s own.” – Abraham Lincoln

Uniting people toward common goals

“Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.” – Abraham Lincoln
“United with each other, and devoted altogether to the cause of union, liberty and justice, we will lift our country from the ashes of war, to a new and better existence.” – Abraham Lincoln
“With public sentiment, nothing can fail; without it nothing can succeed.” – Abraham Lincoln
“I don’t like that man. I must get to know him better.” – Abraham Lincoln
“America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.” – Abraham Lincoln
“It is not ‘can any of us imagine better?’ but, ‘can we all do better?'” – Abraham Lincoln
“A house divided against itself cannot stand.” – Abraham Lincoln
” Whatever you are, be a good one.” – Abraham Lincoln
“We must disenthrall ourselves, and then we shall save our country.” – Abraham Lincoln
“A united North is worth more to us than a divided South with a lot of slaves still in chains.” – Abraham Lincoln
“The shepherd drives the wolf from the sheep for which the sheep thanks the shepherd as his liberator, while the wolf denounces him for the same act as the destroyer of liberty.” – Abraham Lincoln
“I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true. I am not bound to succeed, but I am bound to live up to what light I have.” – Abraham Lincoln
“A universal feeling, whether well or ill-founded, can not be safely disregarded.” – Abraham Lincoln
“With the faithful and brave around me, I shall not be a poor help to you.” – Abraham Lincoln
“We all declare for liberty; but in using the same word we do not all mean the same thing.” – Abraham Lincoln
“When I do good, I feel good; when I do bad, I feel bad, and that is my religion.” – Abraham Lincoln
“America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.” – Abraham Lincoln
“Fellow citizens, we cannot escape history.” – Abraham Lincoln
“If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide.” – Abraham Lincoln
“In times like the present, men should utter nothing for which they would not willingly be responsible through time and eternity.” – Abraham Lincoln

The heart of a true public servant

“What kills a skunk is the publicity it gives itself.” – Abraham Lincoln
“Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.” – Abraham Lincoln
“Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.” – Abraham Lincoln
“You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.” – Abraham Lincoln
“When I do good, I feel good. When I do bad, I feel bad. That’s my religion.” – Abraham Lincoln
“I don’t know who my grandfather was; I’m much more concerned to know what his grandson will be.” – Abraham Lincoln
“America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.” – Abraham Lincoln
“In this sad world of ours, sorrow comes to all… Perfect relief is not possible, except with time. You cannot now realize that you will ever feel better… And yet this is a mistake. You are sure to be happy again.” – Abraham Lincoln
“Character is like a tree and reputation like its shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.” – Abraham Lincoln
“I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. The great point is to bring them the real facts.” – Abraham Lincoln
“That some achieve great success, is proof to all that others can achieve it as well.” – Abraham Lincoln
“If I were two-faced, would I be wearing this one?” – Abraham Lincoln
“I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true. I am not bound to succeed, but I am bound to live up to what light I have.” – Abraham Lincoln
“A man is about as big as the things that make him angry.” – Abraham Lincoln
“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” – Abraham Lincoln
“I don’t know who my grandfather was; I’m much more concerned to know what his grandson will be.” – Abraham Lincoln
“Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” – Abraham Lincoln
“The people will save their government, if the government itself will do its part, honestly, and well, and furnish them the means and the occasion.” – Abraham Lincoln
“Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.” – Abraham Lincoln
“You have to do your own growing, no matter how tall your grandfather was.” – Abraham Lincoln
“I am a slow walker, but I never walk back.” – Abraham Lincoln

Conclusion

In conclusion, the quotes from Abraham Lincoln covered here provide invaluable wisdom and insight into leadership. As the 16th president during one of America’s most tumultuous times, Lincoln’s words were guided by his unparalleled leadership during the Civil War and efforts to abolish slavery. Reading through these quotes allows us to peer into the mind of one of history’s most inspiring figures. I encourage taking time to reflect on Lincoln’s lessons and applying them to your own work and relationships. His words continue tochallenge and motivate leaders today to unite rather than divide and pursue the moral high road, even in the face of great adversity.

120 Abraham Lincoln Quotes On Leadership