The Art of War, Sun – tzu
Master Sun said:
Managing many
Is the same as
Managing few;
It is a question of
Division.
The Art of War is not only a collection of advices how to win a war nor how to lead one. For Master Sun himself knew that the ultimate excellence lies not in winning one with disastrous repercussions, but in defeating your opponent without even marching for a battle. And all of those principles and tips about leading your men and how to truly inspire them do not only apply for wartimes or just for the generals and the heads of states. It might as well be used as a guidance for businessmen, lawyers or even someone who desperately wants to end the never ending quarrel with their mother-in-law.
The book may be called the Art of War, but it shows us so much more than that. It’s the art of deception, knowing oneself and waiting for the right moment. Moment to strike. It teaches us the importance of our surroundings and how we can use what is around us as an advantage. Which again is significant for many occupations these days as well.
It shows us the power of aggression, the right way to lead our troops (or the team of not so well behaved interns that have yet to learn how things work) and how to work in teams. What does a general that leads his men to a war and a supervisor have in common? They both have to know when their man (as in people) are tired, unsatisfied, unmotivated. They both have to inspire them to fight. Fight for what they believe in. To make them feel that they are not losing sleep for nothing.
Another important message is to know ourselves. Know our limits, aspirations, drive. How can we achieve what we are aiming for if we know neither our enemy nor ourselves? How can we conquer what seems undefeatable? The answer somehow always lies within us. Another lesson to be learned. If you know yourself, but not the thing you are fighting against, you are going to lose one battle for each you win. In other words, you are going to lose something for everything you have gained. However if you know both, yourself and the opponent, there is no litigation you could not win.
I find this book pretty useful because some of ideas might be easily implemented in TA. I feel like waging the war is somehow the very same as leading the team to its succes and all decisions matter. So let's make smart ones just like Master Sun did. Easy to say, I know right? Let's show the others what TA division is!
