We publish A Great American Leader

Whether as a General in the Union Army or as the President of the United States, Ulysses S. Grant was a leader who took great strides to better life for all Americans. Though the U.S. Army has had many Generals, few can hold a candle to U.S. Grant and his accomplishments, characteristics, and abilities. U.S. Grant proved to be a great leader by exemplifying leader attributes and competencies, utilizing decisive action, outstanding moral courage, and impeccable conflict resolution skills.

According to Headquarters, Department of the Army (HQDA) (2012), character is adhering to the Army values, having empathy, and having discipline. U.S. Grant proved to have outstanding moral courage in the face of prominent racism and extreme opposition to his policies.

U.S. Grant believed all men were equal and deserved equal treatment by the government. By pushing for the implementation of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments, U.S. Grant showed empathy for the freedmen and all they endured.

According to HQDA (2012), presence is having military bearing, confidence, and resilience. According to Lardas (2012), Elihu Washburne, Congressman, Galena, IL, offered U.S. Grant a commission as a Captain to command a company of volunteers from Illinois. U.S. Grant turned down the commission because he wanted to command a regiment, which required a commission as a Colonel. U.S. Grant went to Springfield, IL, to seek out a commission as a Colonel. Although Richard Yates, Governor of Illinois, along with many others, initially denied U.S.

Grant’s request, he maintained his confidence and epitomized resilience by continuing to seek the commission.

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Yates eventually gave in and granted him a commission as a Colonel. When U.S. Grant arrived to take command of his regiment, he learned his new regiment lacked discipline and had many issues. U.S. Grant’s confidence and competence provided an example for the Soldiers to look up to. The men quickly changed their attitudes and became a formidable fighting force. According to HQDA (2012), intellect is having mental agility, sound judgment, innovation, and expertise.

According to Holton (2000), U.S. Grant’s mental agility and sound judgment enabled him to win battles others were incapable of winning. When U.S. Grant took over the Union Army, he transferred to Virginia to battle General Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia. Up to this point in the war, no commander was able to make any headway and General Lee’s forces maintained well-fortified positions. U.S. Grant used innovation and expertise garnered from other battles to create a battle plan which eventually overran General Lee’s forces forcing him to surrender. Because of U.S. Grant’s intellect, the Union Army was able to defeat the Confederate Army and essentially end the Civil War. According to HQDA (2012), leads is building trust, extending influence, leading by example, and communicating.

According to HQDA (2012), develops is fostering esprit de corps and developing others. According to Lardas (2012), U.S. Grant held high expectations of all the men under his command throughout the Civil War. U.S. Grant never allowed his men to steal or otherwise pillage any area they visited. When he needed supplies, U.S. Grant allowed his men to take only what they needed to survive. U.S. Grant knew the civilians in the area needed food and supplies to survive and maintained high hopes the North and South would one day reunite. Because of this impending reunification, U.S. Grant did not want anyone in the South to have ill feelings towards the North because of his actions. Through his compassion for the civilians, U.S. Grant fostered esprit de corps amongst his men and instilled integrity in all facets of the war. U.S. Grant’s higher command saw the way he conducted himself and the standards he imparted on his men and rewarded him with a promotion to Brigade Commander.

According to HQDA (2012), achieves is getting results. U.S. Grant exemplified decisive action throughout the Civil War and rose to the position of General of the Union Army. Treatment of Freed Men, Amendments, Reconstruction U.S. Grant showed impeccable conflict resolution skills by resolving conflicts many others failed to resolve. USS Alabama China and Japan U.S. Grant’s actions and the way he led his Soldiers has had a vital impact on my leadership style. His no nonsense approach to leadership is, I think, vital to a well-functioning unit. Soldiers appreciate when given purpose, direction, and motivation without all the extra guidance or constraints some leaders use. By giving his Soldiers large and complicated tasks and not intervening, U.S. Grant proved constantly watching your Soldiers to ensure they do not mess up does not need to happen.

Much of my leadership philosophy and conflict resolution abilities have stemmed from what I learned about U.S. Grant. U.S. Grant’s handling of major conflicts showed me you must obtain a general consensus in order for all parties to feel good about the outcome. U.S. Grant commanded forces spread out all over the Southeast U.S. As such, he had to delegate missions to his subordinates and trust they would meet his intent. I have always had trouble with delegation of duties. Reading and learning about U.S. Grant’s actions showed me you have to trust your subordinates and let them operate independently sometimes. I hope, through my growth and development, I will have a similar impact on my subordinates as U.S. Grant had on me.

If I can effect change in one Soldiers leadership philosophy in a positive way, I will be satisfied. The main aspects of my leadership philosophy I hope to impress upon my subordinates are the importance of conflict management, delegation of duties, mutual trust, and integrity. Conflicts are going to happen and knowing how to mediate is a vital skill for leaders. Leaders should never be afraid to delegate duties to their subordinates to free up time for them to accomplish their own tasks. Mutual trust should be the foundation of all relationships, to include professional relationships. Integrity helps build the foundation of trust because Soldiers know you will do right by them the same way the freedmen knew they could trust U.S. Grant.

As described above, U.S. Grant was an amazing man with outstanding moral fiber. No matter what obstacles he came up against, he fought to the bitter end for what he thought was right no matter what popular opinion was. U.S. Grant led by example by typifying leader attributes and competencies, utilizing decisive action, his outstanding moral courage, and his impeccable conflict resolution. By doing so, U.S. Grant provided a shining example for future leaders to look up to. U.S. Grant’s actions as General of the Union Army changed the course of the war and prevented America from continuing on with the Civil War for many more years. U.S. Grant’s actions during and after his presidency provided America with a much needed change in policies and focus.