Example:  In 1863 a large delegation from Missouri made a much publicized trip to Washington to complain about the administration of their state.   They wanted Lincoln to side with their faction against other groups and fire the general whom he had appointed. 

Careful notes were made of the long, sometimes hostile meeting in the White House by Lincoln’s secretaries John Hay and William O. Stoddard.  Lincoln listened carefully to the leader of the group, and then replied:  “It is not…to be expected that I shall reply hurriedly to your address….It would not be consistent either with a proper respect for you, or a fair consideration of the subject involved to give you a hasty answer.

“There are some matters which you have discussed upon which my impressions are somewhat decided, in regard to which I will say a few words, reserving the privilege of changing my opinion even upon these, upon sufficient evidence….

Extensive notes of the meeting then follow, after which Stoddard makes this observation: “He is a man whom only facts of the toughest kind can move…”
Source:  Walter B. Stevens, edited by Michael Burlingame, A Reporter’s Lincoln.  Lincoln, Nebraska:  University of Nebraska Press, 1998

QUOTABLE QUOTES
 ***Confusion 
“It has been said that one bad general is better than two good ones; and the saying is true, if taken to mean no more than that an army is better directed by a single mind, though inferior, than by two superior ones, at variance, and cross purposes with each other.”  --Abraham Lincoln,  Annual Message to Congress, December 3, 1861

***Diligence
“There were no great mysteries attached to our success.   We were meticulous in all our preparations, and we even practiced how to practice.”  --Paul Brown, former Cleveland Browns Head Coach  (from an anthology of insights from famous coaches:  The Ultimate Coaches’ Clinic by Pat Williams)

***Communication
“The world will little note nor long remember what you say here, and yet it may.   For words, once you release them, take on a life of their own, and often find lodging in places and hearts you may never know.   But after many days those words may return to haunt you, or bless you.  Take care before you let them go.”  –Gene Griessman, “Lincoln’s Wisdom.”

***Time Management
”Rushed work is never polished work. Polish takes time.”  --Gene Griessman, “One Task Too Many”

***The Frustrations of Deep Knowledge
“This is the worst pain a man can suffer: to have insight into much and power over nothing.”  --Herodotus

***Why We Behave The Way We Do
“Two things control man’s nature: instinct and experience.   –Blaise Pascal

***Forgiveness
“Always forgive your enemies—nothing annoys them so much.”  --Oscar Wilde

Leadership
Do Your Listeners Get It? 
When you’re finished speaking, how do you know if your listeners really “got it”? 
Here’s a proven technique to ensure that your message is getting across:  ASK BETTER QUESTIONS.
After covering a new concept, rather than asking questions like "Are there any questions?" ask questions like, "Who can provide an example of how this might work for you?" or "How do you think you can apply this?" or "Where have you seen examples of this in your life?"

--David Greenberg’s “Communication Strategies.”   David Greenberg is an internationally recognized communication coach and trainer.  His website is www.davidgreenberg.com 

Dress For Success
A shift toward traditional business attire is occurring.   “I see a return to more traditional business wear.   People dress up more in times of financial uncertainty and intense competition.  It helps their sense of stability.” 
“The male executive uniform continues to be a suit with white or blue shirt and a patterned (often loud) tie.  Suits are an easy code to decipher.” 
“If you’re meeting clients, business attire is recommended—the invitation may even say so.”  Source: observations from corporate leaders in a recent article in The New York Times, “Redefining Business Casual”;Oct. 23, 2007, p. C6 

Time Management: One Task Too Many    
One of my all-time favorite movies is entitled “A Bridge Too Far,” a WWII drama based on a tragic mistake that Allied forces made during the invasion of Germany when they attempted to do too much too soon.

This is a mistake many leaders make.  They attempt one task too many.  The result is stress, missed deadlines, sloppy work, frayed relationships, and unclaimed opportunities.

Stress.  Even if you live a charmed life and always manage to walk in to your appointments at the very last second, you’re not likely to be centered when the meeting begins.  Your mind needs time to catch up with your body. And your luck may change if you try to squeeze in just one more task or appointment before you leave for the airport. All the traffics lights may turn red just as you approach, or, heaven help you, an accident may block the highway. 

Missed deadlines If you push everything to the last possible moment, there’s always the chance that something will go wrong.  Remember Murphy’s Law?  If something can go wrong, it probably will at the worst possible moment.

Sloppy work.  When you rush, you give up the possibility of double-checking and triple-checking your work.  If it’s a written report or proposal, you short-cut the possibility of allowing your unconscious mind to provide you with better ways of expressing yourself.   Rushed work is never polished work. Polishing takes time.  If you make it a habit to do sloppy work, your habit will become your reputation.   

Frayed relationships.  Your friends and associates don’t like it if you keep them waiting, no matter how busy or pleasant you are.  When people have to wait for you, do you know what kind of thoughts begin to run through their minds?  Unflattering thoughts about you. 

People really do notice when you sneak a peek at your watch when they’re talking to you, and they resent it if you’re always rushing them so that you can get on to the next task, the next person that you’ll rush.  

If you absolutely do need to look at your watch, look at it when you’re talking, not when the other person is talking. 

Unclaimed opportunities.   Sales coach and radio personality Austin McGonigle (www.businessradioatlanta.com) advises salespeople, whenever possible, to allocate twice the amount of time that they think might be necessary for a key sales call.  The customer might want to go into some of the minute details of a proposal.  Or he or she might get excited about the proposal and want to call in a key associate to take a look at it, too.  By allocating more time than you might need, you will often find yourself with downtime to make use of.  But it’s better to have to deal with downtime than to rush an important meeting just as it’s beginning to unfold.  When determining how much extra time to allow, take into consideration past experience as well the exigencies of the current and the upcoming sales call. 
For more on this topic, see Time Tactics of Very Successful People, pp. 212, 213; To order this book:  www.achievementdigest.com/timetacticsofverysuccessfulpeople.html

LINCOLN’S LOG
Truth Can Really Be Stranger Than Fiction
Just a short time before Lincoln was assassinated in 1865, Edwin Booth, the famous actor and elder brother of John Wilkes Booth, was involved in one of the most bizarre coincidences in American history.  While standing on a crowded railway platform in Jersey City waiting for a train to Philadelphia, Edwin Booth watched in horror as a young man was accidentally shoved onto the tracks just as the train’s wheels began to turn.

The writer Eleanor Ruggles describes what happened next:  “Booth dropped his valise, stuck his ticket between his teeth, and striding forward, caught the helpless man by the coat collar and hauled him back up.  The young stranger, who recognized the actor…panted gratefully, ‘That was a narrow escape, Mr. Booth.’”

The young man whom Edwin Booth saved? 

Robert Lincoln, the son of the President.
   
Source: Eleanor Ruggles, Prince of Players: Edwin Booth.  NY: W.W. Norton, 1953

 THE EXECUTIVE COACH
I get all sorts of questions from participants in my executive coaching program.  From time to time, I’ll share some of my recommended.  If you’d like to submit a question, call us or send an email.

“My company has experienced some serious financial reverses recently.  In order to keep the company viable, I need to terminate a highly paid employee who’s been with us for years and who has lots of friends in the company.  What can I do to minimize the damage?”  (Question from a CEO of a mid-size company)

One.  I recommend that you meet with the individual personally, and explain the difficult spot you are in.  State that it’s never pleasant to terminate someone who’s worked at the company for years, but you must do it.  Hopefully you will come across as a caring person, but don’t be surprised if the individual reacts emotionally. 

Two.  Don’t get into a discussion of the specifics of why you had to make this decision.  The less said the better.

Three.  Give the employee the option of resigning voluntarily, and offer incentives in order to make the option attractive. 

Four.  Ask for a decision within 24 hours.  Don’t push for a decision on the spot.   Even if the individual has been expecting the news, the event itself can be a shock and he/she probably will want to discuss the option with family members. 

Five. Be prepared to negotiate the incentive package.
  
In this situation, resignation seems to be a better alternative than termination—for the individual and for you.  If the individual accepts the resignation option, you have the opportunity to be gracious.  The company (or units in the company) can host farewell events and make generous gestures.  And it can be face-saving for the person who’s terminated. Much of the pain that’s associated with being terminated is the embarrassment of being fired.  A resignation permits you to make gestures that are gracious and classy.
 
Six.  If the individual refuses to resign, and you have no option but to terminate, you can be sure that there will be some bruised feelings and resentment among the friends left behind.  So, if you have to terminate, the sooner the deed is done and the person is gone, the quicker the healing can begin. If you’d like to know more about my executive coaching philosophy, or perhaps do a trial session, here’s the link: http://www.theamericans.us/Executive%20Coaching.html

FEEDBACK
*** “Thanks for a fantastic job!  Even our AV people said you are the best they have ever heard!    Karen Hines, executive director, Association of College and University Auditors  (ACUA)

*** “I have never experienced such an inspiring event as you as Abe Lincoln. You stirred my soul and excited my spirit—What a blessing!  --Steve Davis, Board of Directors, Blue Ridge Conference on Leadership

***”Today exceeded my highest expectations.   I want to let you know that we had all positive comments on our evaluations.   The only complaints were that the room was too cold and the session was not long enough.”  Sara Williams, Graul’s Market

*** WOW!  Well, I must say......based on just the evaluations..........they LOVED you!!  I have an entire batch here and will send them on.  Many indicated interest in your programs.  –Marcia Snow, Blue Feather Management

THIS ISSUE’S PROMOTION—TAD Readers Can Save $39.95!
Our new audio book “Lincoln’s Wisdom” is a two-disc learning system that contains two-and-a-half hours of information and inspiration.  It contains all the life lessons from the live performance of “Lincoln Live” plus many more.  It also includes the Gettysburg Address and the soldier boy story that’s a great favorite of the live audiences.

This learning system usually retails for $39.95, but for the next 30 days, we’ll ship two audio-books for the price of one.  Just go to our website and order.  It’s an unadvertised special so the two-for-one special won’t show up on your shopping cart.  Not to worry.   Our people know to ship two for every one ordered.  This offer is just in time for gifts for the holiday season, and don’t forget to make a gift of the audio book to your favorite school’s library.   Here’s the link: www.achievementdigest.com/ProductOrderForm.html

If you’d like to order this audio book in quantity for your organization, give me a call at 404-256-5927 and I’ll work with you.
 
TRAVEL NOTES FROM A ROAD WARRIOR
Rooms With A View
The Restaurant at the Getty Center  The Getty Museum in LA—despite its fame and immense budget—does not have the best art collection in LA.  That’s at the Los Angeles County Museum (LACMA).  But the Getty Museum does have arguably one of the most dramatic museum buildings in the world, and unarguably the best view.  

It’s worth a visit just to ride up the mountain on the museum tram, and take in the view of the buildings, gardens, the valley beneath, and the ocean beyond.  But the museum restaurant is well worth a visit too.   Many museum eateries are, alas, more or less an afterthought, often just a cut above a college cafeteria.  But not at the Getty.  Executive chef Helene Kenan and Chef d’ Cuisine Terri Buzzard take their work seriously, and it shows.   I particularly liked their autumn squash soup and the horseradish- crusted Alaskan halibut.   I probably should not mention dessert, but their brown sugar pear and walnut cake, served warm with maple ice cream and brandy caramel sauce deserves at least one taste.

Sunset Terrace, Grove Park Inn, Asheville, NC  I’m always pleasantly surprised when I return to Asheville, NC, the town made famous by Thomas Wolfe.  Recently when I did my Lincoln presentation at the annual Blue Ridge Leadership Conference, I was able to have dinner one evening at the wonderful Grove Park Inn.  The Grove Park Inn is a huge stone edifice, built years and years ago by a man who made a fortune selling patent medicine. 

Today the Grove Park Inn is a destination.   My recommendation is to dine at the Sunset Terrace, which overlooks the Blue Ridge Mountains.  It’s is a classic steak house.  Generally I won’t spend a lot of money for a steak because I believe I can do just as well or better with a good sauce at home, and for a lot less money.  But not at the Sunset Terrace.  Their steaks seem better than any I can buy—prime and aged almost a month—and served exactly right.   The side dishes are excellent, and the prices are reasonable. 

A couple of comments about the service.  My party was kept waiting almost 30 minutes beyond our reservation time.  I was surprised that the front desk was staffed by young, very junior looking people.   This is a mistake for a serious restaurant.  But this shortcoming was overcome by the flawless service provided by our waitress, who told us she had worked at the Sunset Terrace for 9 years, and loved her work. 

An example of exceptional customer service.  I did not try to eat every bite of the steak that I ordered, and asked the waitress to prepare a take-out package, explaining that I would turn the steak into a sandwich the next day.   She heard that I said “sandwich.”   When I later opened the package, inside was not just the steak, but a small freshly baked loaf of bread—and two small glass containers, one of mayonnaise and the other of mustard.  Do you think I will go back to the Sunset Lodge the next time I’m in the area?  

A final note.  A big plate filled with selected appetizers was brought to our table, compliments of the restaurant, as an apology for making our party wait. 800-438-5800.www.groveparkinn.com

IF YOU ARE INVOLVED IN PLANNING AN UPCOMING MEETING, SALES CONFERENCE, CUSTOMER-APPRECIATION EVENT OR SEMINAR, PLEASE TYPE "YES" BESIDE THE ITEM/S BELOW AND RETURN THIS EMAIL IN ORDER TO RECEIVE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING PROGRAMS:
___Lincoln-Leadership
___Personal Productivity-Time Management
___Macroforces and Trends in American Society
___Keynote Presentation LESSONS FROM LEGENDS (Powerful stories from interview with famous high achievers)
___Executive Coaching   (For a description of the program, click here.  http://www.theamericans.us/Executive%20Coaching.html
 
YOU MAY ALSO CONTACT US BY CALLING 800-749-4625 OR CLICKING HERE: www.theamericans.us/ContactGene.html
Click here to watch excerpts from the Lincoln presentation in streaming video.
www.presidentlincoln.com/1.html  

VALUABLE RESOURCES 
***THE WORDS LINCOLN LIVED BY www.achievementdigest.com/thewordslincolnlivedby.html
 
***TIME TACTICS OF VERY SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE www.achievementdigest.com/timetacticsofverysuccessfulpeople.html
  
***99 WAYS TO GET MORE OUT OF EVERY DAY: www.achievementdigest.com/99waystogetmorecd.html
 
***"AN EVENING WITH ABRAHAM LINCOLN" VIDEO www.achievementdigest.com/aneveningwithabraham.html
 
***"LESSONS FROM LEGENDS" CD AUDIOBOOK www.achievementdigest.com/ProductOrderForm.html
 
***"LINCOLN ON COMMUNICATION" DVD-CD  www.achievementdigest.com/lincoln%20on%20communication.html

 “Lessons From Legends”  recently was name “Best Educational Album” in the 2006 JPF Music Awards.   It is a recording before a live audience of several thousand people in which I tell stories from my exclusive interviews with celebrities.  If you’d like to obtain multiple copies of this CD, contact us directly for a quantity price.  The best way to obtain a single copy of the CD is from CD Baby.  You can hear an excerpt on-line before ordering. http://cdbaby.com/found?artist=griessman&soundlike=&album=lessons+from+legends&style=

If you want to unsubscribe, click "Reply" and type "unsubscribe." Be sure to tell us what email address TAD comes to.  We will miss you, but we will honor your request. GG
 
 

THE ACHIEVEMENT DIGEST--TAD, March 2005--A Unique Newsletter For Leaders