The Art of Successful Leadership

The Art of War was written by Sun Wu, later to be known by his honorific name of Sun Tzu (544-496 BC). Written near the end of the Spring and Autumn Period (722-481 BC) of ancient China, The Art of War is the oldest military treatise in the world. This paper will use the intellectual approach to show how these simple tactics from ancient times are still relevant to the pursuit of successful leadership in the modern world. General Sun Tzu and his military codes led the King of Wu victoriously through many battles. Over the centuries, The Art of War has influenced many triumphant figures from dictators, generals, and leaders to businessmen and sports coaches. The Art of War is a definitive resource which describes strategic planning, the deployment, and implementation of the plan, and the management of expectations in order to achieve a specific goal. This is the art of successful leadership.

Sun Tzu grew up near the end of the Spring and Autumn Period of Ancient China. This period is marked by substantial political unrest. China was divided into seven states, each fighting to maintain their independence from and supremacy over one another (“Sunzi”). Sun Tzu was a descendant of the Chen clan who were said to be “extremely active and influential in Chinese politics” (Sleevi). His father, Chen Shu, gained the honorable title of “Sun” for his military achievements (Sleevi). Having grown up during this politically turbulent time among a very well respected military family, Sun Tzu was ingrained with the fundamental essence of war. He took his knowledge of military strategy and developed a treatise that outlines a method of gaining psychological control over the opponent to win battles and maintain diplomacy.

The State of Wu was ruled by the Zhou dynasty. Olivia Milburn wrote about how the line of descent during the Zhou dynasty seemed to be “repeatedly disrupted” for an array of complicated reasons (195). For these complicated reasons, the decedents of King Liao were not in line to succeed him, instead, the sons of the former king of Wu, King Zhufan, were. One of these sons, Prince Guang, believed that he was the rightful heir to the throne. In 515 BC, Prince Guang invited King Liao to a banquette where he ordered a warrior named Zhuan Zhu to assassinate him. Prince Guang named himself King Helü of Wu (206-209). According to the Cultural China website, the goal of King Helü (also noted as Helv) was to revitalize and strengthen the State of Wu by the fortification of the political, economic, and military power (“King of Wu-Helv”).

As an admirer of The Art of War, King Helü appointed Sun Wu as general of his army. In 506 BC Sun Tzu’s strategy helped the State of Wu defeat the State of Chu. “The success was an unprecedented case of capturing the capital of a big state during the Spring and Autumn Period” (“King of Wu-Helv”). In 505 BC the State of Wu came under attack of the State of Yue but they were no match for the Wu army. A year later, they attacked the State of Chu again, forcing the relocation of their capital. All was well in the State of Wu until they decided to attack the State of Yue in 496 BC. It was during this battle that King Helü of Wu met his demise, dying from the wounds inflicted upon him in battle (“King of Wu-Helv”). It is assumed but not confirmed that Sun Tzu died in this battle as well. There are no further written accounts of Sun Tzu after this time.

The Warring States Period began in 475 BC and ended in 221 BC when Qin Shihuangdi, following the strategies of The Art of War, conquered all of the Chinese States unifying them and becoming the First Emperor of China. In 760 CE The Art of War was introduced to Japan where it became somewhat of a code of ethics for the Samurai and Shoguns, aiding in the unification of Japan. It is said to have also had an influence on many well known leaders including Napoleon (this is not documented, but it is well known that he was an avid reader and student of military tactics and would be hard to believe that he had not encountered it), Ho Chi Minh, Mao Tse-Tung, Tokugawa, Che Guevara, along with countless others.

The Art of War did not reach the western hemisphere until the 19^th century. Not only was in embraced by the military, especially in the U.S. but quickly became a useful tool in western business and civilization by the 20^th Century. The Art of War has found practical application in almost everything in western society from business management to handling people in a diplomatic and civilized manner. It seems strange that a military treatise would be useful in these areas but the competitiveness of the western world from business to everyday life requires adequate strategy and technique in order to stand out and be recognized. As a society, especially in America, we have been told time and time again to be a leader, not a follower.

The Art of War is an easy to follow guide to successful leadership in any situation. It contains thirteen chapters of pithy fundamental laws of warfare. Victory and the success of the army is directly associated with the skill of the general to properly assess the situation at hand and formulate a plan, implement that plan in an efficient and strategic manner, and then seal the deal with diplomatic care. It is not so strange that these ideas can be applied to everyday life because we are a society of leaders and followers. Just like an army is led by a general, children are led by a parent, a group has a group leader, a club has a president, a corporation has a CEO, a team has a coach, and even social cliques have a dominant member. Western society is designed for all of us to move from the lower position to one with more leadership responsibilities. It is this drive and the need for successful leadership that has made The Art of War such a useful tool in modern society.

The first (and most important) step involves strategic planning. Sun Tzu emphasizes this point by speaking directly to the reader. By assessing the situation and the people involved you will know exactly who your opponent is and the environment and conditions with which you will be working. Once you have learned all you can about your opponent and the conditions that you will be faced with, you can begin to formulate a plan. A successful plan is formed with a very clear goal in mind. You must know exactly what it is that you wish to accomplish in order to prepare a winning game plan. Otherwise, it will be impossible to accurately calculate your resources and know exactly where they need to be implemented.

“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” (Giles 17). In order to have a superior offensive stance, you must know your enemy. In order to have a superior defensive stance, you must know yourself. You must be superior on the offensive as well as defensive in order to prevail. When asking for a raise or a promotion, not only do you need to be confident in your own abilities to do the job, you must know exactly what it is that your boss and company are seeking to fill the requirements.

Many people do not consider important factors of why they will not advance in their career. If you are the only mechanic you should not expect to be promoted to management no matter how many good ideas you have or how confident you are about the position. It is just not feasible for the company to train a new mechanic when they can hire a stranger with management expertise. This is a case of knowing yourself but not your opponent. To know yourself and your opponent, you will have more options. If you know you have the ability to excel in management and that is your ultimate goal, you will devise a plan to seek employment with a company with advancement opportunities. If you know you are content in your current position and you know that you are the only generator of income, you have the leverage to request a raise.

The next step is the implementation of the plan. During this phase, not only should you engage your well thought out plan, it is essential to benchmark your progress. You must execute your resources while maintaining a scheduled skill base. The most significant resources include time and money. The ability to preserve these resources requires the skill of making a series of strategic strikes. A plan must be versatile because conditions are constantly changing. A successful leader is aware of and allows for these unforeseen events. Periodically, it is necessary to assess the efficiency of deployment at certain intervals to ensure success. These evaluations of progress allow revisions to be made to the initial plan based on any changes in conditions or expectations, or in the event of a failed, or doomed to fail, mission.

“The general who thoroughly understands the advantages that accompany variation of tactics knows how to handle his troops” (Giles 35). “Accordingly as circumstances are favorable, one should modify one’s plans” (8). The leader who expects the unexpected will be prepared to face any change in condition and make the appropriate modifications to his plan to accommodate these changes. Master Sun advises: “In war…let your great object be victory, not lengthy campaigns.” “Thus, it may be known that the leader of armies is the arbiter of the people’s fate, the man on whom it depends whether the nation shall be in peace or in peril” (13).

President Obama entered his presidency with an enormous task of stabilizing this country and the world economy. He quickly formulated a plan to revive the economy as well as restore faith in U.S. currency. The execution of his plan so far has involved the issuance of bailout funds to bankruptcy-bound American automakers and banks in order to avert a series of catastrophic events by using his executive privilege. In order to correct the spiraling downward trend of the unemployment rate, Obama is implementing a plan to issue a stimulus to the states in order to encourage employment and protect infrastructure. The President uses the stock market and the job index as indicators of his progress. By watching these numbers he is able to evaluate his progress and hopefully make the appropriate changes in order to obtain his goal. Now, General Motors is still facing bankruptcy and the catastrophic events Obama was trying to avoid are still a real threat. At this point, Obama has pledged his support to guide General Motors through the bankruptcy process to ease the pain of the people who will suffer as a result.

Once your plan has been fully executed, even if successful, leadership cannot be achieved or maintained until you have managed the expectations of yourself and others, and have quickly established a state of normalcy. This requires a diplomatic takeover. It is imperative to destroy your opponent while squashing dissent. By destroying your opponent you eliminate any chance of retaliation as well as their allegiances that could rebel against you. You must retain social order amongst these allegiances by giving them incentives to become devoted to your guidance and minimize opposition.

“In the practical art of war, the best thing of all is to take the enemy’s country whole and intact; to shatter and destroy it is not so good. So, too, it is better to capture an army entire than to destroy it, to capture a regiment, a detachment or a company entire than to destroy them” (Giles 15). “The captured soldiers should be kindly treated and kept” (13). Once you have been successful in your take-over, it is practical to not destroy the infrastructure or eliminate the people who know how to run it. In order to eliminate dissent of the people, you must treat them in a fair and humane manner and use them to augment your own army. Master Sun says, “The general that hearkens to my counsel and acts upon it, will conquer:-let such a one be retained in command! The general that hearken not to my counsel nor acts upon it will suffer defeat:-let such a one be dismissed!” (Giles 8).

The merger of two corporations must be handled in a delicate manner. The first order of business is to vacate all top management positions, thus, eliminating the opponent. In order to maintain social order and manage dissent among the workers, the old president or CEO should be temporarily retained in a non-decision-making position and eventually phased out. The next step involves the maintenance of newly acquired debt while seamlessly combining resources. The easiest way to cut costs is to fire employees. Again, you must manage dissent by offering an acceptable severance package. Finally, it is important to continually benchmark progress. Once the merger is complete and a good amount of debt has been extinguished, it is time to begin increasing profit margins. This is an example of a triumphant take over through successful leadership.

Since the 20^th Century, authors have associated the principals of The Art of War to every aspect imaginable, from the obvious subjects of military strategy, and leadership in business, to Health Care Management, and internet security. The concept is so basic that it has found its way into the hands of many who wish to excel. The words used in the text are not as important as their connotations and it is these connotations that give the text its versatility.

In the article, “Business lessons from military strategy,” Hans Widmer discusses the reasons why many businesses, though superior in many important areas, fail to beat their competition. The military follows a set of finite rules to ensure the defeat of the opponent. Businesses, however, tend to interpret these rules more loosely and are content with maintaining the status quo (Widmer 60). Companies can continue to run, although not as efficiently as possible, even if they are not number one. If the military losses, they lose more then ranking, they lose human lives, resources, and face.

The first step of creating a plan begins with a very clearly defined goal in order to make the proper calculations to obtain that goal. There are many factors that determine the success of a business. It is important for a business to have a competitive edge in order to “define clearly the arena in which the company chooses to compete.” It is this lack of definition, Widmer says, hinders the ability to “articulate” a specific goal (Widmer 61). Without defining a competitive edge or a goal it is impossible to know who your target audience is and how you should market your product. If you cannot define your target audience you cannot effectively deploy your resources. Therefore, the designation of a clear and precise goal is the most important step to successful leadership.

The deployment stage of the plan should employ the shaping of the competition. Deception is a key concept in order to control the opponent. Knowing your opponent is essential to have the tools of deception. You must make the opponent believe one thing while you do another, either leading them into a vulnerable situation or allowing them to show their weak spots. “Shaping has both offensive and defensive characteristics” (Sleevi). A company should quietly work on innovations (defensive) while manipulating their opponent and waiting for a weak spot to penetrate (offensive). Once a weak spot is exposed, it must be attacked swiftly and with a lot of force. Steven Heine, from Florida International University, deduced from his readings that there are two main requirements for becoming a successful leader; internal and external skill (Heine 132). This is yet another suggestion of how important it is to be skilled in both the defensive and offensive.

The success of each step is dependent on the quality of the execution of the step before it. Every step should flow like water; following the path of least resistance. In order to be a successful leader, one must be ready to defend an attack while waiting for the opportunity to attack, and most of all, one must have a clear, well-defined goal.

There have been many books and articles written about the correlation between war and western business. The concepts found in The Art of War have become second nature in the business world only because it has been implemented in the training process of every competitive field. If you read any training manual from Project Management to Information Technology, you will find that they all follow the same premise; formulate a plan, execute that plan, and clean up any loose ends. Even though the outline is cut and dry, the skill and attention to the deeper concepts is what sets the industry leader apart from the rest. The Art of War offers a more detailed reasoning behind the concepts, showing the importance of proper application and timing, hence, it is a guide to honing one’s skill in the art of leadership.

The fact of the matter is that in this day and age, every interaction we encounter is a battle whether it is handling a business or personal transaction. Our current economic crisis is a battle we are all faced with. Even the simplest task of grocery shopping can be assisted with the principles of The Art of War.

First, a budget is made (plan). Calculations are required to determine what items are needed and in what quantity (goal), how much money is available for these items (resources), where these items can be found at the best prices (where to implement the resources), and which mode of transportation is most cost-effective (how to implement resources). Then, the needs must be obtained (deployment of the plan). Money (resources) must be tracked from item to item and from store to store by frequent references to the checkbook (benchmarking progress). Modifications of the original plan must be made if the price of an item has unexpectedly increased or is out of stock. Then the items must be purchased for the correct amount, and every item must make it home. Then the items must last for the intended period of time (managing the expectations of yourself and others). In the case of a resource running low before expected, such as milk or juice, it should be augmented with water while the family is not looking (quickly establish normalcy). This is the art of successful lifestyle leadership.

Works Cited

Giles, Lionel, trans. The Art of War. By Sun Tzu. New York: Barnes & Noble Books, 2003.

Heine, Steven. "From Art of War to Attila the Hun: A Critical Survey of Recent Works on Philosophy/Spirituality and Business Leadership." 126-143. University of Hawaii Press, 2008. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Georgia Perimeter College Library, Clarkston, GA. 22 Apr. 2009.

“King of Wu-Helv.” Cultural China. 5 Apr. 2009 <>.

Milburn, Olivia. "Kingship and Inheritance in the State of Wu: Fraternal Succession in Spring and Autumn Period China (771-475 BC)." T'oung Pao 90.4 (Dec. 2004): 195-214. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Georgia Perimeter College Library, Clarkston, GA. 5 Apr. 2009.

Sleevi, Nola M. “Applying the principals of war.” Military Review 78.3 (May 1998): 47. Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection. EBSCO. Georgia Perimeter College Library, Clarkston, GA. 5 Apr. 2009.

"Sunzi." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2009. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 6 Apr. 2009 .

Widmer, Hans. “Business lessons from military strategy.” Mckinsey Quarterly (Spring08 1980): 59-67. Business Source Complete. EBSCO. Georgia Perimeter Library, Clarkston, GA. 5 Apr. 2009.