Abraham Lincoln: Harnessing DiversITY

Professor Timothy J. Lynch, University of Melbourne

Abraham Lincoln (1809-65) remains one of the greatest and most controversial presidents in American history. To his opponents, he was a tyrant; to his supporters, he was the man who saved the Union. Famous for leading the United States in its civil war with the confederacy (1861-65), Lincoln redefined the nature and scope of executive power, providing a platform for the ‘imperial presidencies’ that were to follow nearly a century after his death. He did this not by ruthlessness – though he was capable of it – but by debate, selecting a diverse cabinet that would challenge his assumptions and encouraging its members to do so. This interactive seminar will assess Lincoln as a leader, study his speeches, debate his decisions and ask how far his strategy might be adapted to address the challenges facing management today

Professor timothy J. Lynch, University of Melbourne

Timothy Lynch is Professor of American Politics at the University of Melbourne. His latest book, In the Shadow of the Cold War: American Foreign Policy from George Bush Sr. to Donald Trump (Cambridge, 2020), has been described by prominent commentator on American foreign policy, Michael Mandelbaum, as ‘a cogent, graceful, provocative account’ of its subject. Tim’s other books include Turf War: the Clinton Administration and Northern Ireland (Ashgate, 2004) and US Foreign Policy and Democracy Promotion (Routledge, 2013). His co-authored book After Bush: the Case for Continuity in American Foreign Policy (Cambridge, 2008), won the Richard Neustadt Book Prize and became a best-selling international security text.

Tim is editor of the two-volume Oxford Encyclopedia of American Military and Diplomatic History (2013). His many op-eds have had over one million hits. He is a regular contributor to The Australian newspaper.

At the University of Melbourne, Tim led the team that created the Master of Marketing Communications – the fastest growing degree in the Faculty of Arts’ history. He was co-creator and convenor of the sell-out ‘10 Great Books’ Melbourne Masterclass.

Twice a Fulbright scholar, Tim holds a PhD in political science from Boston College, USA. Born in Warwickshire and raised in Leicestershire, Tim is a citizen of Australia and Great Britain. He lives in rural Victoria. 

Hear Professor Lynch speak about this H21 lecture below:

You may also be interested in Professor Lynch’s talk about Adaptive Change: How American Presidents Responded to Major Events.

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