I’ve been reading Sun Tzu’s The Art of War – the legendary War For Dummies guide, written in 500 B.C., now worshipped by aspiring business types of the kind who go on The Apprentice and say things like, ‘No guts, no glory’ and ‘I’m a natural closer’.
Not that I’m after a job in middle management. Just curious.
Sun Tzu was clearly a very wise man who’d given much thought to the nature of conflict/competition and how best to succeed. Sun Tzu says… well he says a lot and most of it in slighty Yoda-esque backwards speak, but in a nutshell…
- Plan like buggery. Come up with a watertight strategy… and a couple of other watertight strategies in case the first develops holes.
- Research. Know your market, know your enemy, know yourself.
- Make the most of your resources, by focusing your strengths against opponents weaknesses.
- The best way to win a war is without fighting. Outsmarting your opponent is painless.
- Only fight battles you can win. When you’re dead, you’re dead.
Makes sense. So there you go, 2500 years worth of tried and testest strategic wisdom reduced to five bullet points. Now you too are ready to be a business samurai. Show me the money. Lunch is for whimps. Etc, etc.
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