Various rankings of U.S. Presidents by presidential historians vary, of course, but the most recent ones now include #45, Donald Trump. Here is the latest ranking of the 15 best in the results of a survey conducted by C-SPAN:

Let the disagreements begin!

15. J. Adams
14. McKinley
13. Wilson
12. Hayes
11. Monroe

10. Obama
9. Reagan
8. Kennedy
7. Jefferson
6. Truman

5. Eisenhower
4. T. Roosevelt
3. FD Roosevelt
2. Washington

And now, first and best:

1. ABRAHAM LINCOLN

Here is a direct link to the complete article.

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In Forged in Crisis: The Power of Courageous Leadership in Uncertain Times (Scribner/An imprint of Simon & Schuster, October 2017), Nancy Koehn consulted a wide range of sources (see Pages 459-496) and eventually selected five on whom to focus: Ernest Shackleton, Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and Rachel Carson. However different they may have been in most respects, all of them were “forged in crisis.” Warren Bennis and Robert Thomas characterize the process as a “crucible.”

What makes their achievements – and the beneficial impact of their achievements – so remarkable is the fact that, as Koehn explains so eloquently, each was also an ordinary person in so many ways, trying to cope each day with challenges with which all of her readers can identify.

Once they saw what they had to do, “they brought all their strength and self knowledge to bear on the work at hand.” Moreover, like everyone else, these legendary leaders were overwhelmed at times. They grew depressed. They knew great joy. They struggled, at moments, in their intimate relationships, and they also drew vital support from friends, family, and the kindness of strangers.”

Near the conclusion of her brilliant book, Koehn suggests a number of lessons that can be learned from these courageous leaders. They understood and appreciated the importance of

o Forbearance (i.e. management of emotions, including one’s own).
o Patience (i.e. taking sufficient time to make the right decisions).
o Total commitment to a goal (especially when threatened).
o Resilience (Jack Dempsey said, “Champions get up when they can’t.”)
o Seeing the Big Picture (and small ones within that larger context).
o Picking the right spot (time and place) to take the best shot.
o Keeping on going on amidst “the problems and poetry of everyday life.”

Each of the fifteen presidents on the list headed by Lincoln understood and appreciated, indeed personified, these characteristics. Keep them in mind when examining the list of the 25 worst presidents.