I watched the movie Lincolnlast night. The portrayal of President Lincoln was very appealing, an interesting blend of folksy humor, intelligence, and cunning. Two scenes in the movie really resonated with me as a manager. They both illustrated the uncertainty that leaders (managers) often deal with no matter how many “best management practice” books are read.

The 1st scene showed Lincoln explaining to his cabinet his decision to issue the Emancipation Proclamation. He explained that he believed his war powers gave him the authority to issue the proclamation but at the same time he wasn’t completely sure it was legal. Ultimately he believed the voters would let him know if it were legal or not.

The 2nd scene had Lincoln discussing with a congressman the correct approach to getting the 13th Amendment banning slavery passed. The congressman was impatient and advocated leading the people with decisive action. Lincoln explained as a young man he had worked as a land surveyor. He pointed out that knowing “due North” did not account for what valleys, deserts, and swamps were in your path. What good, he asked, did it do if your “due North” course took you straight into a swamp?

As a manager, are you comfortable explaining your “uncertain” decisions to your supervisor and staff or do you fake 100% confidence? Do your great ideas end up in a “swamp” because you’re unwilling to compromise or too impatient to wait for the correct moment to act? Maybe Lincoln has something to teach all of us?