The 1860 Republican presidential race was contentious. The frontrunner was William H. Seward, Senator and former Governor from New York. Close behind

Build a Team of Rivals

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2021-06-10 15:00:09

The 1860 Republican presidential race was contentious. The frontrunner was William H. Seward, Senator and former Governor from New York. Close behind were Salmon P. Chase, Governor of Ohio, and Missouri Attorney General Edward Bates. There was also the former Representative from Illinois, Abraham Lincoln.

Lincoln clinched the nomination, and ultimately the presidency. Then he did the unimaginable. He built his cabinet with his three fiercest rivals. Seward became Secretary of State, Bates became Attorney General, and Chase became Secretary of the Treasury.

Things didn't always go smoothly. Heated cabinet decisions such as how to handle the first state that seceded shortly after Lincoln's election and the drafting of the Emancipation Proclamation divided the cabinet. Seward schemed, unsuccessfully, against Lincoln from within the cabinet, desiring to run as the Republican nominee in 1864.

How did Lincoln unite his team of rivals? Empathy, compassion, kindness, honesty all played a role. Lincoln accepted responsibility when things when wrong and shared credit when things went well. He acknowledged his mistakes immediately. He spent time building relationships with every cabinet member.