Sun Tzu

The Art of War for Managers; 50 Strategic Rules

Sun-tzu, Gerald A Michaelson

• Publisher: Adams Media
• Year: 2001
• Print ISBN: 9781580624596
• eBook ISBN: 9781440501913
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Business General
• Index: Business

Learn the strategic rules of Sun Tzu and how to incorporate them into your management style.
In this translation of The Art of War readers will benefit from the interpretations from other translators and strategist, as well as the 50 strategic rules, including:

• How to look for strategic turns to meet the competition
• How to attain strategic superiority and crush the competition
• How to plan surprise and stay ahead of the game
• And more timeless wisdom that will allow you to compete and win in the dynamic business environment!

Business managers around the world have tapped into this ancient wisdom; it is time to master The Art of War for Managers for the existence and growth of your business!

Outline of Key Concepts

Chapter One: Laying Plans

Throughly Assesstion

Compare Attributes

• Which side is managed by those who have established meaningful objectives (with a high moral value)?
• Which people have the most ability?
• Which side can take the best advantage of current conditions?
• Which side has better discipline?
• Which side is stronger?
• Which side is better trained?
• Which side is better motivated?

Look for Strategic Turns

• Go beyond ordinary rules.
• Search for advantages.
• Find favorable strategic conditions.
• Examine the situation thoroughly.
• Do the unexpected.
• Build your own strengths.
• Continuously analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the opposition.

Chapter Two: Waging War

Marshal Adequate Resources

When resources are depleted and cannot be replenished, the organization goes bankrupt.

Make Time Your Ally

• Victory is the main objective.
• “While we have heard of stupid haste, we have not yet seen a clever operation that was prolonged.”
• When the operation takes too long:
• Resources may be depleted.
• Weapons are blunted.
• Morale is depressed.
• Your opponents will take advantage of your distress.
• “What is valued is a quick victory, not prolonged operations.”
• Those who do not understand the dangers do not understand how to make advantageous use of resources.
• Those who are adept do not require additional resources.

Everyone Must Profit from Victories

• When others go out of business, profit by acquiring their physical and human resources.
• Win by acquiring competitors and making good use of their people in the new organization structure. This is called “winning and becoming stronger.”

Know Your Craft

The objective is winning, not spending time. The leaders who truly understand their business control the battle and achieve victory.

Chapter Three: Attack by Stratagem

Win Without Fighting

• Consider making opponents into allies.
• The best victories are those that can be won without conflict:
• First, attack strategy. This is the best approach.
• Next, disrupt alliances.
• If these do not work, consider fighting, but do not attack strengths.

Strength Against Weakness — Always

• The greater your strength compared to your opponent, the greater the chances for winning.
• If resources are equally matched, fight only if you have special abilities.
• The small cannot defeat the large, nor the weak the strong, nor the few the many.

Beware of “High-Level Dumb”

• Those who are not at the scene of action and do not know what is going on should not give orders.
• Each business should be managed by those with extensive experience in that business.
• Rules established at corporate headquarters should not necessarily apply to every distant operation.

Obey Fundamental Principles

• Know when you can be on the offensive and when you must take the defensive.
• Where you have superiority, use one strategy; where you are inferior, use another.
• Seek those actions that have high unity of purpose.
• Be prepared for contingencies.
• Headquarters should be careful of interfering.

Chapter Four: Disposition of Military Strength

Be Invincible

• What you do determines whether you are defeated.
• What your opponent does determines whether you can win.
• Because you know how to win does not mean that you will win.
• Secure your defenses; however, you must take the offensive to win.
• When you have insufficient strength, you must defend.
• When you have an overabundance of strength, attack.
• Tactics used in the defense are different from those used in the attack.

Attain Strategic Superiority

• The best strategy is to win without fighting. This often requires looking beyond the obvious to find the unusual.
• Achieving victory while avoiding conflict requires skillful insight and forethought in planning.
• Your strategy must be so good that:
• You cannot possibly be defeated.
• It takes advantage of every opportunity.
• The side that wins will be the side for which victory was certain before the battle began.
• Those destined to defeat fight in the hope of winning.
• The...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Timeless Wisdom for the New Millennium
• Worldwide Praise for Sun Tzu: The Art at War for Managers
• Contents
• Acknowledgments
• The Lesson of the Concubines
• Introduction
• New Translation of The Art of War with Manager's Commentary
• Laying Plans
• Waging War
• Attack by Stratagem
• Disposition of Military Strength
• Use of Energy
• Weakness and Strength
• Maneuvering
• Variation of Tactics
• On the March
• Terrain
• The Nine Varieties of Ground
• Attack by Fire
• Employment of Secret Agents
• Applying Sun Tzu's Wisdom
• Practical Applications
• Outline of Key Concepts
• Notes
• Bibliography
• Translators Bibliography
• About the Author