With the war dragging on in Afghanistan and the UK gradually getting further involved in the uncertain situation in Libya I thought I would refresh my memory of “The Art of War” by Sun Tzu, possibly the first book ever written on military leadership skills. Written in the sixth century BC, the book can still offer useful advice to leaders whether fighting wars or operating in business.
Sun Tzu offers guidance to those involved in lengthy campaigns: “When you engage in actual fighting, if victory is long in coming, then men’s weapons will grow dull and their ardour will be damped. If you lay siege to a town, you will exhaust your strength.”
Sun Tzu is clearly not a fan of long-drawn out wars. In fast he offers further advice by declaring “The skillful leader subdues the enemy’s troops without any fighting; he captures their cities without laying siege to them; he overthrows their kingdom without lengthy operations in the field.”
I would interpret this advice, in modern business terms, as try and find a smarter way of making progress than fighting a slow painful battle. A head-on attack can hurt all participants. Hopefully a political solution can be found to our modern day problems in Libya and Afghanistan rather than more years of warfare.
Having a Marketing background I particularly like Sun Tzu’s strategic advice – assessing your own capabilities and gathering intelligence on the competition: “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”
Finally, Sun Tzu picks out potential flaws in leaders that need to be addressed: “There are five dangerous faults which may affect a general:
- Recklessness, which leads to destruction
- Cowardice, which leads to capture
- A hasty temper, which can be provoked by insults
- A delicacy of honour which is sensitive to shame
- Over-solicitude for his men, which exposes him to worry and trouble.”
Despite the book being written over 2,500 years ago it can still offer food for thought about our own leadership styles and how to improve. It’s definitely worth a read if you are interested in leadership development and strategy.
By Jon Davies | Righttrack’s Digital Marketing Manager
It’s truly unfortunate what’s happening in Libya today. I hope that Qaddafi steps down soon for everybody’s good.
It’s really sad that there is such upheavel in Libya now. I hope that Khaddafi steps down soon for everyone’s benefit.