A Memorable Honor: Shakespeare, Lincoln and the Art of Leadership
By Frank P. Prager (ChemEngr, Engl'84)
(Henriad Press; 192 pages; 2026)
William Shakespeare and Abraham Lincoln walk into a meeting...
But what happens next is no joke. By following the wisdom and example of these two visionaries, any leader can embody the honor, persuasion and high-stakes art of leadership.
In A Memorable Honor, veteran business executive Frank P. Prager examines how Shakespeare’s over-four-hundred-year-old texts hold the key to making twenty-first-century leaders stronger, more compassionate and more successful in their organizations. Using Abraham Lincoln—a lifelong lover of the Bard—as a prime case study, Prager offers an in-depth analysis of how themes found in Shakespeare’s plays shaped Lincoln’s leadership and response to the overwhelming pressures of the Civil War. Prager examines how characters in comedies and tragedies alike demonstrate the following essential tools for today’s leaders:
- Honor
- Poetry
- Wit
- Courage
- Competence
- Wisdom
- Fragility
- Memory
A Memorable Honor is a fascinating deep dive, an intellectual love letter, and an inspiration for how to meet leadership challenges with understanding, perfect for anyone seeking to become a more effective, just and inspirational leader.