| Harry Truman stated, "The only new thing in the world | | | | is, Lincoln realizes, what did the other person hear?" |
| is the history that you don't know." | | | | |
| | | | Lincoln is generally thought of as a politician, which he |
| Truman spent many years studying the history of | | | | was, but his vocation was the law. He served about |
| those who preceded him. His study paid off. Truman | | | | 1500 days as President and 23 years as a lawyer. |
| today is regarded as one of America's greatest | | | | During that time he tried approximately 5000 cases, an |
| Presidents. | | | | average of about 200 a year. In the huge Eight Judicial |
| | | | Circuit of Central Illinois, Lincoln had the largest single |
| The reason history is important is because we live in a | | | | caseload. During his career, Lincoln was involved in 15 |
| cause-and-effect universe. Similar choices produce | | | | murder cases. Of those, four men were found not |
| similar results at the individual (micro) level and at the | | | | guilty (one by reason of insanity), two were indicted but |
| national (macro) level. History is the story of choices | | | | not prosecuted, one escaped during trial, six were |
| made, and the results of those choices. | | | | convicted on the lesser charge of manslaughter, and |
| | | | only two were found guilty and sentenced to hang. |
| LESSON ONE: Look For What Worked And What | | | | (Lincoln Legal Briefs, July-September 1996, No. 39)A |
| Didn't Work, And Why | | | | quaint note has survived from one of Lincoln's civil |
| | | | cases in the 1850s. "If you settle I will charge nothing |
| You can use history like a case study in business | | | | for what I have done, and thank you to boot. By |
| school. Example: Mark Twain became a partner in a | | | | settling you will likely get your money sooner, and with |
| publishing company, Webster & Co., which published | | | | much less trouble and expense." (Journal of the |
| the " Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant." Twain also | | | | Abraham Lincoln Assn., Vol 16, No. 2, pp. 4, 5) |
| obtained the rights to Pope Leo III's authorized | | | | |
| biography. The first book became a best seller. The | | | | Lincoln understood that compromise is necessary in |
| second sold poorly. | | | | everyday life. "Persuade your neighbors to |
| | | | compromise whenever you can," he wrote in a lecture |
| Both publications seemed like good ideas. Twain | | | | for lawyers. "Point out to them how the nominal winner |
| assumed that purchasing the Pope's biography would | | | | is often a real loser--in fees, and expenses, and waste |
| be required reading for American Catholics. It wasn't. | | | | of time." |
| At that time many working-class Irish and German | | | | |
| Catholics couldn't read and those who could had little | | | | Learn about how Lincoln communicated from the |
| discretionary income for purchasing books. | | | | recently released DVD "Lincoln On Communication." It |
| | | | is widely used as an instructional manual in leadership |
| Grant's memoirs became a literary and financial | | | | and communication programs, but it also is valuable for |
| triumph because it was written by a popular President | | | | self-study. It comes with an instructor's guide. For |
| who had just died, it provided an insider's account of | | | | information about obtaining this valuable resource, go to |
| the Civil War, which was a fascinating topic for millions, | | | | |
| and it was beautifully written. (See Fred Kaplan, "The | | | | |
| Singular Mark Twain." NY: 2003, Doubleday, pp. 422, | | | | Another Lincoln resource is the book "The Words |
| 423) | | | | Lincoln Lived By." For information go to |
| | | | |
| LESSON TWO: There Is Magic In Thinking Big | | | | The book is available as a spoken-word |
| | | | audiocassette. For information, to Quantity prices are |
| Ted Turner is the biggest-thinking individual I have ever | | | | available. One of our readers ordered 200 copies to |
| known personally. He literally changed the world with | | | | give to customers and prospects. |
| CNN. Changing the world is exactly what he intended | | | | |
| to do. I was an on-air host and producer at TBS when | | | | |
| CNN was being planned. But I had no idea how big | | | | |
| Ted was thinking. | | | | This article is excerpts from The Achievement Digest |
| | | | a complimentary subscription, go to and follow the |
| And where did Ted Turner get his inspiration? From | | | | prompts.) |
| history. One of Turner's favorite characters as a youth | | | | |
| was Alexander the Great, who is reported to have | | | | |
| wept because there were no more worlds left for him | | | | |
| to conquer. | | | | Gene Griessman, Ph.D. Editor and Publisher |
| | | | |
| An in-depth study of history can raise your aspirations. | | | | |
| | | | |
| When you discover what others have been able to | | | | Gene Griessman, Ph.D. is editor-in-chief of The |
| accomplish under adverse conditions and often with | | | | Achievement Digest-- is an executive coach and a |
| few advantages, you may hear a voice inside that | | | | much-sought after public speaker for conventions, |
| says to you, "I can do something significant too." | | | | conferences, and retreats. He has interviewed some |
| | | | of the most famous people in the world asking the |
| "Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men's | | | | question: "What makes people great?"His list includes |
| blood." The quote is from Daniel H. Burnham. Here's a | | | | Ronald Reagan, Ray Charles, David Rockefeller, |
| thumbnail sketch of the man behind the quote. | | | | Sandra Day O'Connor, Jack Nicklaus, Hank Aaron, Ted |
| | | | Turner, Julie Andrews, Aaron Copland, Jack Lemmon, |
| Burnham, who's the subject of Erik Larson's beautifully | | | | Billy Joel, and Tennessee Williams and many |
| written new book "The Devil In The White City," was | | | | others.Griessman often appears on television and |
| the man who made the Chicago World's Fair happen. | | | | radio, and his award-winning programs have aired on |
| He was Director of Works, World's Columbian | | | | WCNN and TBS. For years he was host of "Up |
| Exposition, 1893. Burnham and his partner John | | | | Close" on TBS, the SuperStation founded by Ted |
| Wellborn Root designed some of Chicago's earliest | | | | Turner.He has written and co-authored seven books, |
| skyscrapers. His plan for Chicago was used for many | | | | plus a one-man play on Abraham Lincoln. He has |
| years, and is considered a classic example of city | | | | performed twice at historic Ford's Theatre and at the |
| planning. | | | | Lincoln Memorial.His book "Time Tactics of Very |
| | | | Successful People" was featured in Reader's Digest |
| The book "Time Tactics of Very Successful People" | | | | and is now in its 24th printing. He is also author of "The |
| contains an entire section on how high achievers make | | | | Words Lincoln Lived By" and "The Inspirational Words |
| plans. For information about obtaining this book, go to | | | | of Abraham Lincoln." His latest CD is entitled "99 Ways |
| | | | to Get More Out Of Every Day" and his latest DVD is |
| LINCOLN'S LOG | | | | "Abraham Lincoln on Communication."He has taught at |
| | | | the College of William and Mary, North Carolina State |
| Lincoln still influences decisions. Christie Hefner, | | | | University, Auburn University, and Georgia Tech. He |
| chairman and chief executive, Playboy Enterprises, | | | | has served as a Fulbright professor at the national |
| recently told a New York Times writer that she had | | | | graduate university of Pakistan and as a visiting |
| learned an invaluable leadership lesson from Lincoln. | | | | researcher at the National Agrarian University of Peru |
| | | | and the University of New South Wales in |
| Here is a quote from that interview: "In leadership, it isn't | | | | Australia.He's a voting member of the Television |
| about what you say; it's about what the other person | | | | Academy. For years he has been listed in Who's Who |
| hears. If you articulate well, like Lincoln, you have a | | | | in America and Who's Who in the World. |
| tendency to think: 'I've made myself clear.' But the point | | | | |