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The movie “Lincoln” is a powerful portrayal of a US President. While the world class acting is entertaining, it is the subtle leadership messages that makes the movie an invaluable tool for teaching and learning.

The business case for abolishing slavery is simple: we are born to be free, period. This is not up for discussion. The reality of slavery having deep roots had to be addressed. The strategic step of passing an amendment to the constitution was only the first step, but it was on the critical path. Watch the movie to understand how to get things done in the real world with courage and creativity.

You may not face problems as monumental as abolishing slavery in your workplace. But it behooves you to see business problems in proper perspective. Big problems will take time to solve. Identify the levers you need to pull before you throw yourself into the journey. Understand how to move the chess pieces in your workplace and set yourself up for success. Patiently educate your stakeholders out of their biases.

Sometimes, only history will tell whether you are right or not. But history has shown time and again, those who fight for their convictions and for principles that are self-evident, will always come out ahead, even if they pay for it with their lives. Your work experience will fortunately be not that dramatic, but the lessons are still valid.