The main concept of 'The Art of War' is the leadership and its significance in control and managing. Leader must discipline and direct. In the war according to Sun Tzu the leader only could win or loose the battle. And the power and the number of the army didn't make a difference to him. It becomes obvious from his book that he was a strict and demanding leader, whom army had to obey and follow his commands without questioning. In the war Sun Tzu was the authority. However, Sun Tzu did allow himself to be understanding and supportive to his army. The dignity and wisdom were a different side of his leadership style. At the same time he said that the devoted and loving leader is a loss for the army, as people follow him in disasters.
Sun Tzu was a wise leader and he emphasized the need to be always prepared, but yet try escaping battles if possible. His main idea was to plan and make strategies to limit the number of possible losses. As a wise leader and a human being he valued the human life. He obviously realized that in every battle soldiers will die, therefore he avoided battles if possible. Sun Tzu believed that the physical strength and numerical advantage did not make a difference in a battle. The army with the strong leader, even if the enemy is greater in quantity, can always win the battle if the right strategies are applied. His idea and philosophical view was that anything can be achieved and anything can be possible in the war if the right leader is in command and if the right strategies are implemented. The most important thing he brought up is the correct use of the resources and the correct combination of them. In 'The Art of War' the golden mean is trying to be achieved in everything- in the number of troops, in the warrior's abilities, in the leader's attitude and behavior. And only the necessity of having a wise leader was unconditional and absolutely a must.
Sun Tzu managed to organize all the principles and the rules of the war, but as it appears, they could be used not only in the actual war itself but in the corporate war as well. The strategy techniques and the necessity of its implementation are widely used in business world today. |
