--- title: "Book of the Month: Team of Rivals" description: "Book of the Month: Team of Rivals" --- [Book of the Month](https://blog.keyser.com/topic/book-of-the-month) # Book of the Month: Team of Rivals [By Jonathan Keyser](https://blog.keyser.com/author/jonathan-keyser) May 05, 2014 - [** ](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url={url}&text={title}) - [** ](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url={url}&title={title}) - [** ](https://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u={url}) ![imgTeam of Rivals- The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln4](https://static.hsstatic.net/BlogImporterAssetsUI/ex/missing-image.png) ***[Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln](http://www.amazon.com/Team-Rivals-Political-Abraham-Lincoln/dp/0743270754) *by Doris Kearns Goodwin** This book has altered my understanding of true leadership. Most Americans know various facts and tidbits in regards to the life of Abraham Lincoln, from his Gettysburg Address to his assassination. For many, he is regarded as one of the greatest American presidents. However, most of the stories told about Abraham Lincoln don’t capture the historical context, setting, and inner-workings of the men and women surrounding him at this time. *Team of Rivals: The political Genius of Abraham Lincoln* sheds light onto the true leadership of Abraham Lincoln by uncovering the varying nature (friend and foe) of those he was responsible to lead. Many leaders surround themselves with “yes-men” who are too afraid to challenge the leader; this fear of feedback has caused the downfall of great organizations. Abraham Lincoln knew that in order to keep the Union together that he would have to select cabinet members that not only politically disagreed with him on some issues, but that were also at times openly hostile to the president. This book shows how the Union could have crumbled if it wasn’t for President Lincoln’s leadership of those who were the toughest to lead. Is this book only important to those who are interested in American History? Absolutely not. This book is as influential and applicable as any best-selling business book. It embodies the 12th Keyser Principle, and the leadership from this book, when lived, will powerfully impact the direction of any company. “We are 100% coachable. We do not resist feedback, we are never defensive, and we look deep within ourselves to identify where criticism could be even partially true. We find great value in the perspective of others and are fully committed to the consensus of the team.” [All posts](https://blog.keyser.com) [Jonathan Keyser](https://blog.keyser.com/author/jonathan-keyser) Jonathan Keyser is the Founder and Managing Partner of Keyser Commercial Real Estate, which has become the largest commercial real estate firm of its kind in Arizona. Jonathan is also a Founding Partner of Exis Global, which today has over 580 people worldwide exclusively representing occupiers of commercial real estate. He is also the founder of a small investment fund that invests in emerging technology companies within Arizona, supporting and helping to grow the state's startup ecosystem. Jonathan was named “The Commercial Real Estate Disruptor” by USA Today. He is a #1 Wall Street Journal Best Selling Author, for his book, “You Don’t Have to be Ruthless to Win”. Jonathan is a highly sought-after keynote speaker, is widely recognized as a thought leader, has been featured in hundreds of articles, publications, and podcasts, and has been named a “Top 20 Virtual Keynote Speaker” nationally. As an entrepreneur, Jonathan has built Keyser into an eight-figure firm, which was named one of the Top 50 Most Trustworthy Companies in America by The Silicon Review. Jonathan is also one of the most connected business leaders in Arizona. He is an active member of Greater Phoenix Leadership, Young Presidents Organization (YPO), Chief Executive Organization (ceo), and the Million Dollar Speaking Group (MDSG) within the National Speakers Association (NSA). With almost 30 years of experience in the Commercial Real Estate Industry, Jonathan’s firm represents occupiers of space exclusively, both domestically and internationally across a broad range of industries. Jonathan is sought out by companies worldwide for his expertise in real estate and business acumen. He is particularly skilled at identifying creative strategies to align real estate with business requirements, designing and implementing unique solutions to complex real estate challenges, and resolving landlord-tenant conflicts where negotiations have deteriorated due to rising hostilities. Jonathan is happily married to his wife, Susanna, and has six children. His mission is to change the business community through selfless service, and his entire firm is built upon this philosophy. Jonathan is known throughout the business community as someone who loves to help others and who goes out of his way to be of service to people across the community. [** ](https://jonathankeyser.com/) [** ](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathankeyser/) ##### You might also like ![Book of the Month: The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive](https://blog.keyser.com/hubfs/Stock%20images/blonde%20with%20short%20hairstyle%20%20and%20glasses%2c%20%20business%20woman%20on%20meeting%2c%20people%20group%20in%20background%20at%20modern%20bright%20office%20indoors.jpeg) [Book of the Month: The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive](https://blog.keyser.com/book-of-the-month-the-four-obsessions-of-an-extraordinary-executive) May 05, 2014 [Infographic: Best Leadership Books For 2015](https://blog.keyser.com/best-leadership-books-for-2015) May 05, 2014 [Book Of The Month: Getting Naked](https://blog.keyser.com/book-of-the-month-getting-naked) May 05, 2014 [![](https://keyser.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/cropped-LogoBug-RGB.png)](https://keyser.com/) **Designated Broker **Jonathan Keyser **License Number **KEYSER, LLC LC646225000 [**Privacy Policy**](https://keyser.com/commercial-real-estate/privacy-policy/) SERVICES [**Commercial Real Estate**](https://keyser.com/commercial-real-estate/) [**Business Advisory Services**](https://keyser.com/business-advisory-services/) ABOUT US [**Our Team**](https://keyser.com/our-team/) [**Our Culture**](https://keyser.com/selfless-service-culture/) [**Join The Team**](https://keyser.com/join-the-movement/) RESOURCE CENTER [**Blog**](https://blog.keyser.com/) [**Featured In**](https://keyser.com/featured-in/) LOCATIONS **Keyser World Headquarters **6400 E. McDowell Rd, Ste. 100, Scottsdale, AZ 85257 CONTACT **Business Inquiries **(602) 953.9737 [info@keyser.com](mailto:info@keyser.com) **Press + Media Inquiries **Olivia Garrett [ogarrett@keyser.com](mailto:ogarrett@keyser.com) ###### ![JK-book_300_-1](https://blog.keyser.com/hs-fs/hubfs/JK-book_300_-1.png?width=126&height=126&name=JK-book_300_-1.png) JONATHAN KEYSER [**Book a Speaking Engagement or Purchase the Book**](https://jonathankeyser.com/ruthless-book/) --- ###### Copyright © 2023 Keyser, LLC. All Rights Reserved.