General Ulysses S. Grant’s victory at Vicksburg was a major turning-point in the Union’s war against the Confederacy. It is clear that Grant’s successful operational leadership was the main reason the Union forces were victorious at Vicksburg. Therefore, an examination of General Grant’s operations and leadership during the Vicksburg campaign, focusing on three key tenets — the “Leadership Triad,” which I developed — will identify key lessons learned for today’s operational leaders.The Leadership Triad is composed of the following three core leadership tenets: Ingenuity, Teamwork, and Decisive Decision Making. These components will be defined in detail, showing how they apply to today’s operational leaders. General Grant’s use of these timeless concepts will also be clearly demonstrated during an illustrative historical case study of the Vicksburg Campaign. After analyzing the impact of these elements of operational leadership on Grant’s operations, the conclusion will be that General Grant’s effective use of the Leadership Triad’s tenets was the decisive factor in his success at Vicksburg. Finally, this paper clearly demonstrates that after examining the Vicksburg historical case, and its corresponding lessons learned, today’s operational leaders must have the ability to think creatively, work as a team, and make decisive decisions. Today’s leaders can ensure success if they follow the Leadership Triad.