THE ART OF WAR – SUN TZU

Entire book is in the form of numbered pointers which makes it easy to remember. This detailed literature relating to military, warfare strategy to have penned down from far-flung past is really admirable.

Learnings from the book:

Preparedness/planning : Preparedness has magnitude in life like in war. This is of relevance even to those following a defensive workflow. It is a guard against situations considering the competitiveness and adversaries prevailing in the world of today. And preparedness in turn calls for planning based on forward thinking and predictability.

Knowledge: Knowing the strength and weakness of oneself, allies and foes alike is believed to bring success in a hundred battles. Consider business of modern times… how much of time and effort goes into market study (in understanding customer preferences, likes and dislikes, needs, number of competitors in the market,  reforms and policies, availability of resources to carry out business viz. material, manpower and money, ability to adapt to changing circumstances and so on). All of which means that strategies explained in the book even has a daily applicability.

Resources : Gathering of resources, allocation of resources, reassessment of those at disposal, monetization of resources and its continuous supply is also dealt with.

Timing: Success is a resultant not always of head on battles but of tactfulness. Forming ties, confronting, withdrawing and reassessing a warrior determines success.