October Read/1

Title: The Art of War for Executives

Author: Krause, Donald G.

Subjects: management; leadership; success in business; Sun-tzu

Call Number: 658.4 K91A 2005

Number of pages: 136

ISBN: 9780399531507

Book Description: “Master Your Own Destiny”—Success is an art form that few can master. Armed with this ancient manual, you can join the ranks of business professionals who have looked to Sun Tzu as their mentor and gained a competitive advantage from his classic wisdom. His ancient principles of war, reinterpreted for the modern businessperson, offer the skills to gain an advantage and achieve success in the workplace…and the strategies to win at work when battles arise.

Learn to compete—but never lose emotional control

Do it right—proper planning leads to success

Know the facts—whenever possible, rely on firsthand knowledge

Expect the worst—and have the resources to counter any setback

Seize the day—speed and innovation are the keys to staying ahead

Do it better—innovation is the one weapon that makes you invincible

(quoted from the back cover of the book)

My Read: There are many valuable points explored, explained, and detailed in this small book. As I finished the book and pondered over the words, terms, and phrases in the book with my eyes closed the first impression about the author and the book was the keen observation Sun Tzu has on the nature. Nature world is full of continuous variation and cycles of change. For instance he observed how the water flowed and made connection with his strategies: how to avoid the enemy’s strength, find his weakness then focus one’s resources on the weak points to win. This reminds me of Sherlock Holmes’s famous methods: observation, deduction, and analysis.

            Next, I found the importance of leadership on success. In the book it stated: Effective leadership is everything! Authority must reside in the hands of those who can lead (p48). The goal of leadership is to make the soldiers think and fight as one team (p108). In my notebook I underscored the last two words: ONE team. I truly believe only when everyone is committed to the agreed goals would success become a constant reality. One can not make a person do things s/he has no passion or heart on. Commitment comes from the will (passion) and drive (enthusiasm) of people to make things happen, great things.      

            You might ask: what’s the benefit or reward for me in meeting goals or making commitment to my team? Asked why he didn't take any credit or accept rewards, Sherlock Holmes said: solving a mystery itself is the best reward I got from the case.

Sense of achievement comes from sweating and hard working. It’s teamwork of your body system: your gray matter is the team leader who organizes and plots the plans. Your torso and limbs are soldiers who communicate with the head, follow the order, and fight for the team. When one part is lazy or doesn't work as hard as the others, the body is crippled. The system might still be working but the effectiveness and efficiency are compromised and others might get hurt or damaged due to the missing due effort from that one part. 

It doesn't matter if it’s for a war or competition a team is still a team: it composes of people, equipment,  resources, and strategies. The last three elements are made of either materials or ideas. In general they are substances; therefore, they don’t breathe, move, or think. It’s the people who are alive, active, and living. They think, act, and make things happen.

The book stated: Only people can make success happen (p111). We have people and success. So what’s missing? Do you think YOU can fill in something to make the connection? I know the answer. But do you?