The Art of War by Sun Tzu is the oldest military classic known in Chinese literature, Sun Tzu’s Art of War is in fact a very short book. It contains less than 6200 characters of classical Chinese literary writing. The book has only 13 chapters with each chapter barely a page long. The fact that the original work of Sun Tzu was in literary writing has created many problems for scholars in capturing the full meanings and implications of his thoughts. This is largely attributed to the complexity of the Chinese Language. Prof. Wee of the National University of Singapore in his book, has provided the closest meanings in English for the terms used in Sun Tzu’s original writings.
The idea of an analogy between the world of business and that of the battlefield is not a novel one. One would hear of car wars, cola wars and such economic wars almost daily. Various studies relating to the application of military strategies to business practices have been published. For example Marketing Warfare by Rie’s and Trout (1986) has been based on the works of the German General Karl Von Clausewitz, which were written in 1832. The word strategy comes from the Greek word strategos. Originally referring to a general, the word came to refer to “The art of the general” or “What the general does”. Today, strategy refers to the art and science of directing resources to optimise the chances of victory and reduce the effects of tactical defects.
The business world is like the battlefield. In fact businesses have collapsed through poor planning, resulting in the loss of capital and employment. This is no different from war, where poor planning can lead to the loss of men, equipment and the battle itself; in the case of Companies in the business world, the impact of losses can at times be felt throughout many other sectors of the economy, just as losses in war can literally tear a nation apart. Thus the challenges facing a Military Head of State and the CEO of a Company is comparable. Please refer Table 1.
Comparison between a Military Head of State and a CEO of a Company
Military
1. To consolidate his present government within a defined territory and to protect it from external aggression
2. To expand his present territory either by conquering neighbour states
Or
3. By embarking on more ambitious expeditions to far away lands and territories.
Business
1. Protect the Market Share of business.
2. Finding new markets whose needs might be met by the current products.
3. Exploring and developing new products for existing markets.
4. Developing new businesses with new products in new markets.
Source : Human Talents Management
The Art of War
By Sun Tzu
Translated by Lionel Giles
I. Laying Plans
1. Sun Tzu said: The art of war is of vital importance to the State.
2. It is a matter of life and death, a road either to safety or to
ruin. Hence it is a subject of inquiry which can on no account be
neglected.
3. The art of war, then, is governed by five constant factors, to
be taken into account in one's deliberations, when seeking to determine
the conditions obtaining in the field.
4. These are: (1) The Moral Law; (2) Heaven; (3) Earth; (4) The Commander;
(5) Method and discipline.
5,6. The Moral Law causes the people to be in complete accord with
their ruler, so that they will follow him regardless of their lives,
undismayed by any danger.
7. Heaven signifies night and day, cold and heat, times and seasons
I am placing a full downloadable copy of The Art of War for your viewing.
Cheers
Prof.Lakshman
From Sri Lanka, Kolonnawa
32The idea of an analogy between the world of business and that of the battlefield is not a novel one. One would hear of car wars, cola wars and such economic wars almost daily. Various studies relating to the application of military strategies to business practices have been published. For example Marketing Warfare by Rie’s and Trout (1986) has been based on the works of the German General Karl Von Clausewitz, which were written in 1832. The word strategy comes from the Greek word strategos. Originally referring to a general, the word came to refer to “The art of the general” or “What the general does”. Today, strategy refers to the art and science of directing resources to optimise the chances of victory and reduce the effects of tactical defects.
The business world is like the battlefield. In fact businesses have collapsed through poor planning, resulting in the loss of capital and employment. This is no different from war, where poor planning can lead to the loss of men, equipment and the battle itself; in the case of Companies in the business world, the impact of losses can at times be felt throughout many other sectors of the economy, just as losses in war can literally tear a nation apart. Thus the challenges facing a Military Head of State and the CEO of a Company is comparable. Please refer Table 1.
Comparison between a Military Head of State and a CEO of a Company
Military
1. To consolidate his present government within a defined territory and to protect it from external aggression
2. To expand his present territory either by conquering neighbour states
Or
3. By embarking on more ambitious expeditions to far away lands and territories.
Business
1. Protect the Market Share of business.
2. Finding new markets whose needs might be met by the current products.
3. Exploring and developing new products for existing markets.
4. Developing new businesses with new products in new markets.
Source : Human Talents Management
The Art of War
By Sun Tzu
Translated by Lionel Giles
I. Laying Plans
1. Sun Tzu said: The art of war is of vital importance to the State.
2. It is a matter of life and death, a road either to safety or to
ruin. Hence it is a subject of inquiry which can on no account be
neglected.
3. The art of war, then, is governed by five constant factors, to
be taken into account in one's deliberations, when seeking to determine
the conditions obtaining in the field.
4. These are: (1) The Moral Law; (2) Heaven; (3) Earth; (4) The Commander;
(5) Method and discipline.
5,6. The Moral Law causes the people to be in complete accord with
their ruler, so that they will follow him regardless of their lives,
undismayed by any danger.
7. Heaven signifies night and day, cold and heat, times and seasons
I am placing a full downloadable copy of The Art of War for your viewing.
Cheers
Prof.Lakshman
From Sri Lanka, Kolonnawa
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