A bad leader will not promote a person who could replace him, while a good leader will be happy to promote. A great leader makes his subordinates legends.
The Civil War was over when Abraham Lincoln, the greatest political leader in American history, made Ulysses S. Grant commander of all the Union Armies. The Civil War was over quickly when Lincoln revived the rank of lieutenant-general and gave that title to Grant. The last person to hold that job? George Washington.
Only Lincoln would have had the nerve to make a younger, ambitious, and popular man a second George Washington. Lincoln knew he was making Grant a rival in the Republican Party, but he gave Grant the job in any case, because Lincoln wanted to win the war, free the slaves, save the Union, and do it quickly.
Grant did the job, crushed old Bobby Lee, captured Richmond, and with Sherman ended the War. Lincoln made US Grant the most important man in America. At the time of his death, most considered Lincoln a lesser man to the great general. Lincoln picked Grant finally, after many false starts, and Grant won the war. It is US Grant that is buried in New York City in a massive mausoleum after two full terms as President of the United States.
There was an old song that in a more innocent time summed up the courage of Lincoln: Abraham the Great and General Grant His Mate.
Abraham the Great and Genl. Grant His Mate.
Oh the Politician crew,
They don’t know what to do:
Since freedom in the South is plainly dawning,
They fear that this short night,
Of a little blood and fight,
Will bring us all out right in the morning.Chorus:
Then let us work away,
And care not what they say, for freedom in the South is plainly dawning:
With Abraham the Great, and Gen’ral Grant his mate,
They’ll bring us all out right in the morning.
Lincoln was running for a second term against the Napoleon of the West, George B. McClellan. This Union General despised Lincoln and was the darling of the army he created as the most powerful in the world: the Army of the Potomac. McClellan had been given command by Lincoln a second time, before Antietam, because George B. McClellan was the master at creating an army, even if he could not use it well. Abraham Lincoln would save the Union working with people who despised him, who would run against him, and who never understood him. Why? They could get the job done together and getting the job done is what mattered.
That is the decision of a good leader, but what came next made President Lincoln, Abraham the Great. McClellan was good, but Lincoln was better . . . obviously better. Grant was a different story. In his quiet, cigar chomping way, Grant was a star. He won fights and winning fights in a war is power.
Lincoln made Grant a new Washington.
God help you if you are a Christian leader who would not call on McClellan at need. That is bad, but this is worse: refusing to make Grant a legend, because you fear for your own unmatched reputation. Abraham Lincoln was the Union cause to many in the North. We are coming Father Abraham, three hundred thousand strong . . . said an earlier song. Picking Grant meant that Abraham Lincoln was willing to share the glory, the credit, and the rewards for victory. Lincoln cared about saving the Union, not (on the whole) for the man who got the credit.
If you face a hard job (as I do!), then say this: Then let us work away, and care not what they say, if our goal in the job is clearly dawning . . .
Abraham Lincoln became the Great when he was willing to have a mate: US Grant.
God help me to do likewise.
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In