Is greatness an attribute reserved for only a few special people? Abraham Lincoln didn’t think so. He believed we are each capable of greatness.
Most of the good of the world builds on the accumulated efforts of everyday people doing small things in a great way.
A story is told about Abraham Lincoln’s response to a sermon by his friend Reverend Phineas Gurley of the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church.
It is said that the president often slipped out of the White House on Wednesday evenings to listen to the sermons of Dr. Gurley. As he desired to come and go unobserved, he would enter through a side door in the church, take a seat in the minister’s study, and prop the door open wide enough to hear Dr. Gurley.
One evening on the walk home, the aide asked Mr. Lincoln his appraisal of that night’s sermon.
The president thoughtfully replied, “The content was excellent; he delivered with elegance; he obviously put work into the message.”
“Then you thought it was an excellent sermon?” questioned the aide.
“No,” Lincoln answered.
“But you said that the content was excellent. It was delivered with eloquence, and it showed how hard he worked,” the aide pressed.
“That’s true,” Lincoln said,
“But Dr. Gurley forgot the most important ingredient. He forgot to ask us to do something great.”
Greatness lies in the small everyday actions we take. If someone needs your attention, it is an act of greatness when you put what you are doing aside and listen with your full, undivided attention. The small things you do with care and attention are your platform for greatness.
A life should strive for greatness, as Mr. Lincoln seemed to know.
Greatness Does Not Mean Perfection
You don’t have to do something perfectly for it to be great. Focus on what is most important about your action and ensure you do that well; the other trappings are not as important.
Conversely, the pieces can be excellent, like the content and the delivery of Dr. Gurley’s sermon, but the effect can still fall short if what is essential is missing.
Six Secrets to Greatness
1. Be clear about what is essential: Connect with the higher purpose your action serves.
2. Know what greatness looks like: Have a clear sense of what an excellent job looks like. Start with the end in mind.
3. Bring a serving heart: Ensure your action provides value, and is not simply self-serving.
4. Give it your all: Make a full effort, with your full attention.
5. Learn as you go: Be willing to make mistakes; treat them as learning opportunities.
6. Persevere: Don’t settle for less than you are capable of. Stay focused on your vision. Lincoln lost 8 elections before being elected President of the United States.
Great points Jesse. Timeless and perennial advice that brings us to success. I especially like “learn as you go.” That’s been my motto and it increases perseverance.
Kate Nasser
A great motto. Learning as you go works well when you know where you want to go. Much thanks for sharing your wisdom, Kate.
Thanks, Jesse Lyn, for your thoughtful post. I’m not sure these are “secret” as much as I believe that most people don’t believe they are capable of being or doing something great. How do we go about convincing people that what you said is key, that small everyday actions can have a great impact on someone else or a situation? My mantra is “tell the truth, be kind and remember to say thank you.” It’s the little things that can make a big difference.
A great mantra – “tell the truth, be kind, say thank you.” Life is really not all that complicated.
How to help people understand that it is their everyday actions that make them great? I think it is through sharing examples like yours and through the stories we tell.
Such an awesome post/reminder, Jesse – TY! To deliver a good speech/sermon is one thing… to give people a clear action is another… so powerful.
Im wondering … where did you find the dialogue you quoted? Id like to read from that source. TY!
Misti Burmeister
So glad you appreciated it, Misti. One of Lincoln’s greatest strengths as a leader was his ability to reach across the divided political lines and collaborate with those whose views were quite different than his own. A model for our current political leaders and candidates. This particular story is from a transcript of Ken Blanchard’s morning messages he leaves for employees in his company. You can find it in our book, Full Steam Ahead! Unleash the Power of Vision.
Having the servant approach involved will always optimize outcomes!!!
Indeed! Thanks, John.
I really enjoyed this post Jesse. Sometimes we are afraid to make mistakes and I like your Learn as you go reminder.
Thanks for this.
Pam
Thanks, Pam. It helps to reframe mistakes as opportunities for learning, and to remember that the biggest critic when we make a mistake is our own internal critic.
Love the Abraham Lincoln story, Jesse and “bring a serving heart!” Beautiful~we certainly tend to feel better when the heart is full of compassion, caring, gratitude, appreciation and generosity! Thank you.
And not only do we feel better, according to H.H. Dalai Lama: “If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.” Thanks for deepening the conversation, Jasbindar.
Hi Jesse,
Thanks for sharing this post. Lincoln is a great leader and there’s lots to learn from him.
Indeed. There is much we can learn from Lincoln about leadership, especially during divided times such as these. Great to hear from you, Calvin.