7 Leadership Lessons of the American Revolution: The Founding Fathers, Liberty, and the Struggle for Independence

by John F. Antal

This book is about leadership. It tells the dramatic story of seven defining leadership moments from the American Revolution.

On these pages you learn about real people facing historic challenges and overcoming what reasonable observers believed were insurmountable odds. More reasonable people might have surrendered or given up. Many reasonable people did. These leaders, thankfully, were unreasonable for the cause of Liberty.

The leadership skills told in these stories are timeless and telling. These leadership stories tell the story of the birth of the United States as well as providing case studies that can improve your leadership at home, business, in your community, in the military or in government. If you wish to improve your personal leadership skill, this book provides the role models for you to study.

Leadership is not about position, it is about influence. You can be a leader no matter what your rank or position. It is not about power, it is about selflessness. You cannot be a good leader unless you can also be a good follower. Good leaders don't shine, they reflect. Lessons like these are the core of this book. The stories in this book are about leaders who were challenged at all corners, adapted, improvised and overcame to win. Leaders like Samuel Adams, Patrick Henry, Henry Knox, Benjamin Franklin, and George Washington, to name a few, are stories you will want to know and tell. These leaders knew how to impel teams to succeed under the toughest conditions. These stories will come alive on the pages of this book to fuel your leadership fire and make you a better leader in any endeavor.

Leadership is always in demand, especially in today's troubled times. Leadership is something you can learn through study, reflection and practice. A good step on the road to improving your leadership is to read this book and inculcate the lessons learned from the Founding Fathers. Their struggles are our struggles and their challenges are our challenges. Learn how they secured our Liberty so you can transform today into a better tomorrow.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, American Revolution, Leadership, Business

240 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Naomi]

I must say that I really enjoyed this book. I enjoyed the format the author chose for writing it and I enjoyed the "lessons" of the book.

The author laid out the chapters with a famous leader from the American revolution, a famous act in their life and what leadership lessons were to be taken from it.

I could see this book not only being used in life, business and education, but for history buffs as well. It was clearly well researched and written in an engaging manner. I absolutely flew through this book because it flowed so well and captured my attention immediately.

[Lawrence]

This is a masterful telling of the moral, ethical, and principled leadership that founded the United States of America. An eminently readable history of real people applying practical leadership in the face of real challenges.

President Harry Truman believed that history was made by great men and women, not ‘greater-than-man” forces in the world. This work provides timeless lessons in leadership practiced by the diverse group of visionary leaders who laid the foundation for the United States of America.

[Frank Feldmann]

Really, a light history book more than a book on leadership, I cautiously recommend this book. There are some great nuggets in the latter chapters. (Keep in mind that the book is almost half appendices.) However, there is also a long sermon on the United States as an "exceptional nation" at the end. While I believe this is true and that we are exceptional (not ordained, but historically unique), it seems to be an attempt to make "limited government" a sacred idea.

As we move forward into the future, business goes from local to global. The internet brings the world to my door. Malicious individuals impact my family in ways that could not be conceived of just a century ago. I do not feel my personal resources are enough to fight all those arrayed against me. We need to look at how we define "limited government." While it is still the ideal, we do not live in an ideal world. The beauty of the Constitution, and therefore by derivation American law and society, is that we can re-examine our needs and make small adjustments. We can do this without losing individual rights and without losing the exceptional nature of our country.

[Lisa]

Adequate

I was disappointed in this book. I had the feeling through much of it that I was reading a college term paper that the author had been encouraged to expand and publish. The leadership points were fair, but seemed forced to fit the situation, not natural displays of leadership. I don't think that anyone who has read other works on leadership would find new information or interpretations here.

The conservative leanings in the conclusion were jarring and disconnected from the leadership characteristics shared earlier. They really hurt the scholarship of the book, which should have retained a neutral tone.

[John Yovanovitch]

An outstanding look at leadership during the birth of the United States of America. As noted in the end of the book, it was American Exceptionalism that the forefathers mentioned in this book impelled these thirteen fledgling colonies to come together as one in order to stand up for Liberty.

Though written using mostly military stories to share the lessons of leadership, this is applicable to all walks of life for it is leadership that can solve any problem that arises.

[Larry E]

Leadership, past, present and future.

I've read many WW II books so this one was a stretch for me as I wasn't real familiar with the Revolutionary War. I liked the way he presented the leadership character of some of our Founding Fathers. I also liked learning more abut the Revolutionary War. I now want to read more about it.

[Larry Franklin]

Great Reminder

Besides the refresher on American history; the comparison of past leaders and the impact of leadership and it's resolves was a great reflection. It makes one long for the leadership of the past. To many of our leadership today is brought out by special interest groups.

[Alan Smith]

Great Stories From the Revolutionary War and its Leaders

I enjoyed this book. I appreciate each chapter providing a historical look at different Revolutionary War experiences and pulling out the leadership lessons. I also appreciate the original sources from these leaders at the end of the book.

[Sue]

History of the War for Independence and those who fought in any capacity against the British is inexhaustible. There are always new things to learn. The writing needed some editing. Thomas Paine's Common Sense and The Crisis, along with other appendices, are included in their entirety at the end of the book.

[Tina K]

As far as leadership books go it was okay. It was more interesting as a history book that highlighted the leadership qualities of key Patriots during the American Revolution. Recommended for history buffs.

[Alexandre Pedrosa]

Great !!! Awesome !!! Excellent !!! Freedom !!!

[John Flint]

Excellent stories that perfectly illustrated key leadership lessons. The incredible sacrifices made for our liberty were impactful and greatly appreciated.

[Sarah]

John Antal explains that "We owe the patriots of 1776 a great debt, the least of which is to know and understand their struggle and in so doing, to carry on the fight for Liberty" in his new book 7 Leadership Lessons of the American Revolution. I was able to receive an advance copy of this book to read and review. This book not only shares stories of the Revolution but also about what characteristics make up great leaders.

Antal takes 7 pivotal events from the Revolution and explains what each teaches us about the qualities of leadership. What does George Washington taking out his reading glasses to read his prepared thoughts before his men show us about leadership? What do the efforts of Ben, John and Tom illustrate for leaders of our day? What qualities did a bookworm shopkeeper have that could give the colonial army an advantage they sorely needed? I found the stories very interesting but even more importantly, as I read this book I was amazed at the men, placed at just the right time and circumstances, and with just the right skills or attributes that we needed to win a the American Revolution, an outcome that we americans should not have been able to accomplish.

I read this book with a notepad beside me. I jotted down quotes and made a list of traits that leaders exhibit. I learned things about these men, some I had only heard the name of but didn't know anything about them (yes my education is rather lacking!). I certainly learned a lot about what it takes to lead.


I think one of the most powerful events that Antal shares in this book is the famous "Give me Liberty or give me Death" speech given by Patrick Henry. What I really appreciated is that the entire text of his speech is included. Wow! what a powerful speaker he was. I had never read his entire words before and although the last phrase became so famous there is so much more in that text than just that one phrase and it made such a difference to the cause of liberty.

As you can tell I really loved the book! I do plan to buy a copy when it comes out. I had to read this one on my computer but I want have this book on my shelves and have my kids read it one day, when they are ready for it.

[Brian Jackson]

Seven very relevant short stories providing not only a treatise in leadership but also a limited history of the major points of the American Revolution. Many typos caused distraction but otherwise a quick, but good, read.

[Patrick]

This book has a series of descriptions of events/battles from the American Revolutionary War and for each highlights a leader who was involved and what lessons can be learned.

I enjoyed the historical aspect but I felt the leadership lessons were a bit generic. I also would have preferred if the author had left off the conservative-leaning commentary at the end of the book, which didn't add anything to the other content in the book.

[Cathy]

This was an interesting book, but read more like a history book than anything else. The appendix section was almost as long as the main book. I liked the way each chapter basically followed one person, then reviewed the leadership qualities brought out within the chapter. It was basically seven interesting historical articles put into a book.

[Chuck]

A great view of the incredible leadership seen during the American Revolution. Presented in an interesting and informative manner, Col Antal brings history to life with his unique perspectives. Recommend the book highly with great applications today in all aspects of our world

[Lynne Flake]

I loved reading this book because it was so clear on history and the traits of a good leader.