Who does not know the evils of war cannot appreciate its benefits.
Sun TzuRead
Hence the saying: The enlightened ruler lays his plans well ahead; the good general cultivates his resources.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Planning and resources are essential for effective leadership and strategy.
This quote emphasizes the importance of foresight and resource management in leadership and military strategy. An enlightened ruler or a good general does not act impulsively; instead, they carefully plan ahead and cultivate the necessary resources to ensure success. This reflects the larger principle that effective leadership requires both strategic thinking and the ability to leverage available assets wisely.
Themes
PlanningResourcesLeadershipStrategySuccess
In practice
Example use cases
In a business meeting to emphasize the importance of strategic planning.
More from Sun Tzu
All quotes βGreat results, can be achieved with small forces.
Sun TzuRead
To capture an enemies army is better than to destroy it.
Sun TzuRead
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.
Sun TzuRead
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.
Sun TzuRead
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.
Sun TzuRead
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