Who does not know the evils of war cannot appreciate its benefits.
Sun TzuRead
It is a doctrine of war not to assume the enemy will not come, but rather to rely on one's readiness to meet him; not to presume that he will not attack, but rather to make one's self invincible.
Interpretation
Preparedness and resilience are essential in facing challenges.
This quote by Sun Tzu emphasizes the importance of being prepared for potential threats instead of assuming they won't occur. It advocates for a proactive mindset, encouraging individuals to focus on strengthening their own position and capabilities, thereby becoming 'invincible' in the face of adversity.
In practice
In a leadership seminar focused on crisis management.
Who does not know the evils of war cannot appreciate its benefits.
Great results, can be achieved with small forces.
To capture an enemies army is better than to destroy it.
The general who wins the battle makes many calculations in his temple before the battle is fought. The general who loses makes but few calculations beforehand.
You can ensure the success of your attacks if you only attack places that are undefended. You can ensure the safety of your defense if you only hold positions that cannot be attacked. Therefore, that general is skillful in attack whose opponent does not know what to defend; and he is skillful in defense whose opponent does not know what to attack.
If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.
Morally, the life of the organization must be of exemplary nature. This is one phase where the organization must not have criticism.
Ask not what your teammates can do for you. Ask what you can do for your teammates.
When you're an engineer, you want to analyze things a lot. But if you believe that the most important data points are people, then you have to make conclusions in relatively short order. Because you want to push the people who are doing great. And you want to either develop the people who are not or, in a worst case, they need to be somewhere else.
The most common source of mistakes in management decisions is the emphasis on finding the right answer rather than the right question.
Hold on to your own ideal. . . . Above all, never attempt to guide or rule others, or, as the Yankees say, "boss" others. Be the servant of all.
Great organizations demand a high level of commitment by the people involved. Eliminate politics, by giving everybody the same message. Keep a flat organization in which all issues are discussed openly. Empower teams to do their own things.
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