Lincoln's Team of Rivals were more rival than team (Opinion)

LA Times - Lincoln and the myth of 'Team of Rivals'

This is admittedly an opinion piece by a Lincoln historian, but it describes that when Lincoln build his cabinet of rivals, there were many problems. First off, he didn't build it with friends, who were slighted by being passed over. He was continually being undermined by the various members of his cabinet, bickering with each other and vying for the next Republican nomination. Of the 4 front-runners in the 1860 primaries, 3 left Lincoln's cabinet within his first term. Eventually, Lincoln discovered that he needed to essentially rule his cabinet with an iron fist. Perhaps Lincoln's experience should be considered a more cautionary tale.