The Art of War

Sun Tzu

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Description

Conflict is an inevitable part of life, according to the ancient Chinese classic of strategy, but everything necessary to deal with conflict wisely, honourably, victoriously, is already present within us. The Art of War is perhaps the most prestigious and influential book on strategy in the world.

Key words: Strategy

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My Notes

Strategy is everything. Defeat your opponent before doing battle. 

Strategic assessments 

Five conditions to be assessed before battle. Assess at headquarters. First assess yourself then assess your opponent. Then decide who is superior. 

1. The way – Belief - the belief in the vision - be of one mind. Treat people with humaneness, faithfulness and justice. The troops will be loyal because of this. 

2. The weather - Timing - means the seasons - don't go into another person’s territory at an unfavourable time. 

3. The terrain - Planning - is to be assessed in terms of distance, difficulty, ease of travel, dimension, distance and safety. Plan you route carefully. Then select the right resources appropriately.  

4. Leadership - matter of intelligence, trust, humaneness, courage and sternness. Win the hearts of the people.

   - Intelligence = ability to plan and know when to change effectively.

   - Trustworthiness = to make people sure of punishment or reward. 

   - Humaneness = love and compassion for people, being aware of their toils. 

   - Courage = seize opportunities to make certain of victory. 

   - Sternness = to establish discipline in the ranks by punishment. 

5. Discipline - Accountability - means chain of command and logistics. 

- Organisation means troops organised in a regulated manner. 

- Chain of command means that there must be officers to keep the troops together and lead them. 

- Logistics means overseeing supplies. 

5 ways to know who will be victorious:

1. Those who know when to fight and not to fight

2. Many or few troops

3. Those whose upper and lower ranks have the same desire

4. Favour the unprepared with preparation 

5. Generals not constrained by governments 

Knowing yourself and others

1. If you know yourself and know others you will win. Understand your opponents. 

2. If you know yourself but do not know others you will win one and lose one. 

3. If you don't know yourself or others you will lose every time. 

If you know yourself, you can protect yourself. Attack is the time for defence, defence is a strategy for attack. Make yourself invincible and then look for vulnerability in your opponents. 

Key points

• Structure depends on strategy; strategy is determined according to events. So, the structure of a business depends on the strategy of the business. 

• When walking out your door every day, be as if you were seeing an enemy. 

• Deception - A military operation involves deception. Even though you are component, appear to be incompetent. Though effective appear to be ineffective. 

• The important thing in battle is victory, not persistence. 

• Adapt your strategy. The entire leadership must be of the one mind. Strictness (accountability) and clarity drive the business like one being / man. So, the brave cannot advance by themselves and the timid cannot shy away. 

• Sort the skilled and not skilled, the brave, timid and the weak so you be of one. 

• Look upon your employees as beloved children, and they will die for you. 

• Be able to burn your boats, to show you have no intention of going back. 

“Victories of good warriors are not flukes, because they position themselves where they will surely win, prevailing over those who have already lost.”