Ulysses S. Grant on Leadership: Executive Lessons from the Front Lines [Hardcover]

John A. Barnes (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 26, 2001 | Series: On Leadership

American History is replete with rags-to-riches tales, but it is hard to think of one that compares with that of Ulysses S. Grant. In the spring of 1861, Grant was a modest clerk in his father's leather goods store. Within three years, he would become commander of all armies of the United States and go on to win the Civil War. Within eight, he would be elected president. His remarkable story is truly an inspiration to leaders from all walks of life.





"Fascinating, Grant's wisdom and courage are finally depicted as a model for the ages."
— Robert Novak, syndicated columnist






In Ulysses S. Grant on Leadership, John Barnes reveals the leadership secrets of the man to whom Abraham Lincoln entrusted the very survival of the Union. You will meet a man of extraordinary personal courage who overcame failures early in life that would have crushed lesser men. You will discover how this tenacious general inspired a dispirited army to achieve victory on the battlefield. Most important, you will learn how to apply to your own life the characteristics that elevated Grant from obscurity to greatness.


Ulysses S. Grant was a common man with uncommon leadership abilities. He succeeded brilliantly where others had failed. Guided by his magnificent example, so can you.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Grant's rise from store clerk to army chief to U.S. president delights historians. His attributes gracious acceptance of responsibilities, curiosity and perseverance while so many of his soldiers were killed certainly enlighten. However, Barnes, a corporate communications manager at Pfizer, doesn't apply Grant's accomplishments directly to modern business, undermining its usefulness as a management book.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

In this curious hybrid work, Barnes (communications manager, Pfizer, Inc.) strives to relate the qualities of former U.S. President and Union general Ulysses S Grant to the "battles" faced by today's harried business executives. Some of the principles highlighted from Grant's life include knowing what is wanted and how to get it, thinking first and then acting, picking a winning team and remembering who is boss, and dealing decisively with difficult people and awkward situations. The preponderance of the evidence rightly comes from Grant's war years, although there is an effort to link learning from what is historically regarded as Grant's "failed" presidency. While historians would likely agree that Grant possessed superb military skills and emotional stamina, they also generally agree that Grant's battlefield success did not transfer to success after his war years. Thankfully, Barnes delves deeply into the factual evidence from the war and presidential years, but the effort to correlate Grant's leadership principles with the reality of running a business today is, well, a stretch. Look instead to William S. McFeely's classic Grant: A Biography or Grant's own lucid remembrances (Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant) for more relevant substance on the life of Grant. Recommended for public libraries only on demand. Dale Farris, Groves, TX
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Prima Lifestyles (April 26, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0761526625
• ISBN-13: 978-0761526629
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,108,523 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #84 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > People, A-Z > ( G ) > Grant, Ulysses S.

More About the Author

I am assistant director for Leadership and Colleague Communications at Pfizer Inc. That's my day job. I'm a native New Yorker, born in the Bronx and raised in Brooklyn.

I graduated New York University in 1982 with a B.A. in journalism, but left NYC almost immediately to work for the Washington Times as a metro reorter. I thus began the gypsy life of a journalist, moving, in succession, from Washington, Boston, Detroit and Norfolk, Virginia before returning to NYC in 1995. In addition to the Washignton Times, I worked as a reporter and editorial writer for the Boston Herald, the Detroit News, the New York Post and columnists Rowland Evans and Robert Novak. My freelance articles have appeared in the Reader's Digest, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Monthly, America's Civil War and many other publications.

Along the way, I acquired a master's degree in Finance and Economics from Walsh College in Troy, Michigan. I joined Pfizer in 1999.

John F. Kennedy on Leadership, published in May 2005, is my third book. My previous ones were Ulysses S. Grant on Leadership, published in May 2001, and Irish-American Landmarks: A Traveler's Guide, published by Visible Ink Press in 1995. I have also contributed to two other books, the Encyclopedia of the Irish in America and Presidential Administration Profile for Students.

I live in Manhattan with my wife Mary, our daughter, Mary Elisabeth, and our son, John Paul

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must have for leaders and teachers, July 9, 2002

By 

Bernhard H. Klinder (Cleveland, Ohio USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ulysses S. Grant on Leadership: Executive Lessons from the Front Lines (Hardcover)

I usually approach these "on Leadership" series and most business biographies with a bit of skepticism, but I was really blown away by this book. Although I'm not a civil war buff, the author's narrative and vivid descriptions of Grant's triumphs and hardships kept me riveted and I couldn't put this book down once I started. The personal accounts of the challenges facing Grant and his tenacious ability to overcome them, are simply amazing. The author's contrasts of Grant vs. McClellan (the incompetent General which Grant replaced) lay the foundation for learning what not to do as well. Each chapter feels as if your grandfather is telling you these stories from firsthand experience, making them lessons you won't soon forget as you manage and lead in your business or organization. And in case you need a refresher, the author summarizes the leadership lessons at the end of each chapter. This is also a great book for teenagers who need a leadership training. It's easy to identify with Grant, and the way the author draws you into our history makes it even more valuable.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A few more comments, June 21, 2001

By 

magellan (Santa Clara, CA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Ulysses S. Grant on Leadership: Executive Lessons from the Front Lines (Hardcover)

I had a few more comments on this book.

I think the author may be onto something here, something even more important than the idea of using Grant's life as a way to help business managers, perhaps.

I like history and have read my share of it, but I'd never been able to really get into the history of the Civil War, or even early American history in general, despite having had childhood friends who were into Civil War history, and even Civil war reenactments. The author's using an important figure of the time as a sympathetic character, a focus around which to build an interesting account of his contributions, also meant that he needed to present much of the historical context and discuss a lot of the actual history of the period. In the process he really wrote a mini-history of the events during this time that was much more engaging and absorbing than your typical history that I have read. As a result, I learned much more than I ever had before about this important phase of our history.

I think this approach would be equally applicable to other important figures and times. It might seem that this is just re-inventing the idea of a biography, but again, I've read my share of biographies too and this book was much more interesting the way Barnes did it. Much of that is because the author makes you feel like you are right in the center of the action with Grant during this critical time as he makes many of these difficult, life-and-death decisions. So if we are to call it biography at all, Barnes's approach is a much more interesting way to do it.

I hope the author may do other books like this as I would be very interested in reading them, too.