Written in
the 6th BC as a military treatise the ‘Art of War’ has been hailed
as definitive in
winning wars fought in different frontiers-from the fields of
War of ancient China to ‘Desert Storm’ to fields as diverse as the business
boardroom to romantic relationships. The book is mainly about positioning in a
competitive field and the factors that affect the competition-the physical and
the abstract.
It gives a
pointer on identifying one’s strengths against the opponent. This is aptly
captured by ‘know thyself, know thy opponent and in a hundred battles win a
hundred victories’. It posits further that winning a competition
involves minimising one’s loses and of course the
Art of
deception where one disguises
their prospective goal. At the same time one must defend the
grounds already
gained until they are able to gain more grounds. In the gaining of more
leverage one must build momentum in their pursuit coupled by knowing the
opponents weaknesses.
A weighty
point which many business executives grapple with is responding to shifting
situations. Making spot on decisions that address
organisational challenges is
the hallmark of today’s executives as it was and will be for military
commanders in the battle field. Then of course there is the question of staying
on top of the game, simple-anticipate the move of your opponent. This of course
involves anticipating their resistance as well as the weapons one will need to
counteract such.
Then comes
the coup de grace; no war can be won without control of information. Be it the
use of spies as Sun Tzu advocates or the propaganda war machines every general
will agree on this one. The Art of War is without doubt one of the best
treatises ever written on the timeless theme in human history-competition.
More reviews about the The Art of War