President Lincoln replies

Dr. Gene Griessman

Reference date: February 12th




Dr. Gene Griessman is one of the foremost interpereters of the legacy of President Lincoln, and portrays him onstage all over the world. www.presidentlincoln.com

In addition, he is a motivational speaker in great demand. I've read, and been inspired by, many of his books, so I wrote him a note. Here was his reply:

Hello Chris,

How could I not respond to such a flattering letter?

Your letter actually caused me to do a bit of soul-searching.

No single success concept explains any success I may have had. However, I will share three with you.

One, interact with the very best people you can. C-grade lawyers will give you C-level advice. The same for acting coaches, teachers, etc. Look for ways to get to know world-class people. Years ago when Aristotle Onassis was just a multi-millionaire and hadn’t married a President’s widow, he gave a reporter a list of ideas for a young man. One was to buy a drink at the most expensive bar in town. There a young man might strike up a conversation with an older very wealthy man who might want a young man to execute some of his ideas. I suspect Onassis was autobiographical. The idea can be implemented in various ways. I use a very expensive lawyer. I joined Natl Speakers Association so I could be around the best people in the world who do professional speaking.You get my drift? John Huston told me that he positions himself for lucky breaks to occur.

Second, every day I try to learn a little more, know something that I didn’t the day before. I call it the power of incrementalism. A lot of actors are no better today than they were 10 years ago. Why? Because they have no plan to get better.

Three, look for opportunities to leverage what you already know, what you can do well. You may end up re-inventing yourself.

I went to your website and enjoyed it. All the best

Gene Griessman, Ph.D.

Programs on Leadership, Abraham Lincoln,
and Time Management
The Achievement Digest


I sent him a thank you the next day.