The Art of War Research and Reaction

The Art of War Research and Reaction

Real-life conflicts are easy to manage thanks to “The Art of War.” This military text has played a significant role in different spheres of life, including sports and business. The corporate world is often faced with a lot of conflicts that prompts the CEO, s to make crucial decisions. In cases of ruthless competition, the advice of the book become handy. An excellent example is when Facebook got into the market that was initially dominated by Snapchat. The CEO of Snapchat decided to give all his team members a copy of the book. He did this because he believed that there are essential life lessons that can help in the business world. It was written by Sun Tzu, who had witnessed the Spring and Autumn period of the war. The book offers various critical life lessons that can help anyone willing to be successful in any field of life. Personal attributes of the sage commander are used to explain how a good leader can execute his plans in real life. Perfect timing, understanding a battle, uniqueness, and keeping a plan in disguise are some of the essential strategies applicable in the real world.

The author insists about perfect timing to destroy the enemy. According to him, one might have a strategic plan in mind but fail to achieve good results due to bad timing. The proponents of this thinking relied on the fact that the meaning of right timing is that one does not delay to execute when the right time comes, and also, should not rush into implementing a plan before the proper time unless the conditions favour the process (Cleary 27). In real life, it is vital to have a keen interest in market trends before responding to any changes or entering. It is necessary to consider that decisions can be made at the right time, but the execution process fails. Essential teaching, in this case, is that once an idea is agreed upon, it should be implemented immediately without any delay. China’s market structure offers an excellent example in this case. Speed of execution of a strategy matters a lot because of the “winner takes all” mentality. Therefore, the first strategy to succeed automatically dominates the market.

Besides, a clear understanding of a battle and opponents is very crucial for success. It is a wise move for one to withdraw from a competition when convinced there is lack of any competitive advantage. If there are other chances of competing, then bettering oneself first would be the best move. Life offers a lot of constraints in the process of trying to achieve individual goals. Like a child that admires becoming different personalities in a variety of professions, growing up exposes to the reality of life, and the resources constraints. This example brings the idea of knowing what an individual can achieve given the personal attributes and resources at hand. According to Sun Tzu, commanders should avoid spreading their forces extensively since that is a soft spot for enemies, and it can weaken the army (Howe 68). In real life, specialization is enhanced when one uses the skills over a limited area of profession. Also, the author advises about following with minimal or no resistance towards success.

Furthermore, uniqueness in planning is also a critical insight drawn from the book. The author suggests that a successful military wins a battle courtesy of proper preparation. The strength of a military group relied on the ability to guard differentiated tactics until the real-time of war came. Since everyone researched about the opponents, a successful military could rely on its highly specialized preparation, and training to win a war. The real life’s scenarios of sports and business depict the same characteristics (Smith 53). For instance, the level of preparation of a football club will determine if it’s going to win or not. When the opponent is equally strong, it is critical to have a unique method of preparation that surpasses the opponent. In the world of business, innovative means such as the incorporation of a unique and cost-effective technology helps in gaining a competitive advantage over other companies.

Another important lesson learned in the book is to always keep plans in disguise. There are very high chances of destroying a predictable army, according to the author. Besides ensuring the uniqueness of an idea, it should be guarded and held in disguise. An example where a general uses decoys to on the right to make an attack appear as if it is coming from the right yet the real soldiers are attacking from the left is a perfect description in this case. Another strategy used to deceive the enemies as described in the book is keeping constant motion. It makes the enemies believe that the opponent is full of ideas. In a real-life business scenario, Sun Tzu gave several examples and advice that are so helpful. First, he said that when one has the intention of starting a business in the same industry he is working for, he/she should try and convince colleagues about the full dependence on the job. Secondly, he advised that one should make former colleagues believe that the current business is struggling until a point of outperforming yours them comes.

Sage commanders are trained to be good leaders by circumstance. According to chapter five of the book, Sun Tzu says that the nature of tree and rocks is that they are modified to do what one wants them to accomplish. Being a sage commander requires one to first by working on himself. Having unique traits and being oneself is the first prerequisite. Confidence, contentment, and appreciation of oneself help in avoiding comparisons with other people (Cleary 77). One has no room to pretend to be another and instantly turns his words into action. When a sage commander acts from his ground of strength, he becomes genuine and appreciates the sense of allowing things to work the way they are, instead of insisting on other methods. Besides, he must show compassion to his troops and be loyal to them to receive loyalty back. He is tasked by loving his troops like his children and leading them to war. Leadership in the SEEM industry today requires one to exercise the qualities of a sage commander such as contentment, confidence, and appreciation of oneself to compete with other companies in the market.

Indeed, everyone is a leader in their sphere. Education at the University has given me enough knowledge on how to become a leader In the SEEM industry. I am mindful of the fact that discovering oneself is the prerequisite to greatness. The industry is saturated with a lot of companies that offer a high level of competition. However, being a sage commander demands one to concentrate on his actions and developing unique skills regardless of the opponent. Besides, a leader is obliged to oversee the activities of his entire troop and align it towards the achievement of organizational goals. Having learned about various case studies in the world of sports, entertainment, and events, there are vital lessons about marketing, partnerships, competitive advantage, and sponsorship that I hold on to. Understanding the nature of markets and internalization of business together with leadership qualities expected of a sage commander will surely help me to assume leadership roles in the SEEM industry.

There are several examples of a thoughtful understanding and application of the text “The Art of War.” One such example is handling chaos. The book suggests that the battleground is always full of chaos, and indeed, all spheres of life display chaos. Things that seem okay and well-structured often fall apart unexpectedly. Therefore, a general must first ensure that he is in a position to handle by first being composed (Zhang 28). If he too is chaotic, the situation gets out of hand. Besides, victory is an example of a contemplative approach to the book. It is traced back to the preparation stages. A sage commander must first prepare a ground of no defeat to ensure that he wins. It is a leader’s aggression that propels him to victory.

Trusting the world and shaping it are considerably different. Leaders have the obligation of developing the world through their actions. Succeeding in shaping the world requires a leader not to trust the actions of people who are not within his influence. Nevertheless, it is not possible to achieve progress as a leader before getting loyalty from the subjects. Therefore, to win their trust, you must first trust them. In the book “The Art of War,” the sage commander believed in his troops. He equipped them with unique skills and trusted them unconditionally. He shaped his troops by entrusting them with the battles that were facing them. Beyond one’s immediate environment, the world is harsh, full of opponents that would want to bring anyone down to succeed. This difference between shaping and trusting the world helps me to understand that one must focus on building his brand and strengthening it as time goes by instead of focusing on the action of others. For one can succeed in shaping the immediate world around him, he must be ready to counteract the movement of his opponents.

Chaos is typical in the SEEM industry and reviewing them depends on the negotiation skills and the willingness of the parties involved. An excellent example is the imitation of brands like in the case of Reebok. Other familiar chaos includes breaching of contracts, ruthless competition, challenges in activation of sponsorship, and many more. Some of the leadership and negotiations strategies that are being applied in resolving these issues include trying out a bold new approach. For instance, creating awareness of brand protection is necessary to avoid cases of imitations. Besides, negotiations can be carried out by working on multiple fronts. Here, different issues are harmonized by seeking comparative advantage. The negotiator invests in convincing the parties involved to concentrate on what they are best at to avoid ruthless competition. In rare cases, negotiations help in resolving chaos, but mostly every party focuses on its interests.

Works Cited

Cleary, Thomas. “The art of war: Sun Tzu.” Boston: Shambhala (1988).

Howe, LTC Ong Cher. “A Study of Sun Tzu’s Art of War and Clausewitz’s On War.” Editorial Board (2015): 68.

Smith, Rupert. The utility of force: the art of war in the modern world. Penguin UK, 2012.

Zhang, Man, et al. “Institutional effect on born global firms in China: The role of Sun Tzu’s The Art of War strategies.” Journal of Asia Business Studies (2016).