During the early part of the Civil War, the Union was facing great difficulty in the Eastern Theater. Robert E. Lee was routinely trouncing on the U.S. Army from early 1862 through mid-1863. Lincoln tried out four or five Union commanders, all of whom were fired.

As I reflect on my entrepreneurial voyage, I have some appreciation for how hard it must have been for Lincoln to fire all of these generals, who we have to remember were at the very top of the military command system. Of course, Lincoln eventually landed on Ulysses S. Grant and put him in charge, which I believe turned the war to the Union’s favor.

There are three attributes of Lincoln that would make him a good entrepreneur today.