ABRAHAM LINCOLN: A Transformational Leader Throughout history, there have been leaders considered admirable because of their positive influences on other individuals. For example, in my opinion, Abraham Lincoln was able to influence the masses because he chose to think and behave differently than other leaders before him. When a person is considered a leader, there are several responsibilities and qualities that will attract others to follow the teachings that are demonstrated to him. Leadership can be described as the process of “guiding individuals, groups, and entire organizations in setting goals and advocating action in support of the goals (Shockley-Zalabak, 2015, p. 220). Additionally, each leader will usually have a distinctive approach. With this particular style, leaders are known to have a hands-off approach when leading others and usually do not provide the support that may be needed. Additionally, laissez-fair leaders allow individuals to make their own decisions without much interference or feedback. In addition to the laissez-fair leader, there is also the transformational method of leadership. A transformational leader can be described as a person who “persuades his subordinates to take on the organizational revolution as their own” (Rana, Malik, & Hussain, 2007, p. 163). Additionally, transformational leaders also formulate challenging goals to pave the way for others. For example, although Abraham Lincoln was the president of the United States, he volunteered in the Blackhawk War, which shows how caring and selfless he was. He was able to sympathize and relate to others, even though he may have been considered politically incorrect. The last leadership style we discussed is known as transactional. With the transactional method of leading others, there is a “mutual exchange” (Rana, Malik, & Hussain, 2007, p. 164) that exists between a leader and subordinates. Focusing on the desired outcome is the main goal of transactional leaders instead of focusing on individuals. Authentic leadership “emphasizes a leader who imprints his or her personality of honesty and integrity on an organization” (Hegarty & Cusack, 2016, p. 68). This is a leader who focuses on building relationships through honesty and the contributions of others. After authentic leadership, there are others who prefer to use servant leadership theory. Abraham Lincoln is an example of a servant leader. During the time of his presidency, he helped preserve the Union and also freed the slaves, which shows his willingness to strive for the greater good of the people (The People's Forum, 2016). Servant theory “explores how a leader enables his or her followers to be more effective by showing concern for their well-being” (Hegarty & Cusack, 2016, p. 68), which is what Abraham Lincoln stood for. After servant leadership theory, there is what is known as leader-member exchange (LMX). Leader-member exchange theory “suggests that leaders have limited time and resources and share their personal and positional resources differently with their employees” (Shockley-Zalabak, 2015, p.153). Furthermore, LMX theory focuses on the leader and subordinates independently and typically the interaction is different with each