What can 21st century educators learn from the example of a 19th century president? In this intriguing and insightful book, Harvey Alvy and Pam Robbins show how the legacy of Abraham Lincoln can guide today's education leaders—principals, teachers, superintendents, and others—as they tackle large-scale challenges, such as closing the achievement gap, and everyday issues, such as communicating with constituents. The authors identify 10 qualities, attributes, and skills that help to explain Lincoln's effectiveness, despite seemingly insurmountable odds. In this interview, Alvy and Robbins share some of the poignant and powerful anecdotes from Lincoln's life that resonate with today's school leaders.

This interview was conducted by Educational Leadership assistant editor Lucy Robertson.