Although there is no evidence that he personally wrote down his reflections, nearly 100 years after his death, the great Chinese warrior Cao Cao carefully reconstructed a text on military strategy that contained the teachings of Sun Tzu. The great success that Cao Cao achieved in the war, applying Sun Tzu’s methods, greatly popularized the text, just like word of mouth today.
Throughout the ages, various military leaders have attributed their military victories and successes to the principles of Sun Tzu. On the other hand, due to the existence of a certain similarity between the world of war and business and given that the wisdom contained in the text can be applied in many business and political situations, leaders and leaders around the world, especially Asians, study and put into practice the work of Sun Tzu.
The following 10 principles from Sun Tzu are the foundation of competitive success.
Learn to fight: Nowadays the competition is greater, more aggressive and inevitable. In competitive situations we must not allow our emotions to govern our actions. Only the organization that is properly prepared at all levels will remain in the market.
Show the way: Leadership, the Leader leads the way by example, gets involved and commits; with its internal and external clients. Sun Tzu tells us that leadership alone determines success. Confucius believed that effective leadership comes from seven characteristics: self-discipline, decisiveness, achievement, responsibility, knowledge, cooperation with subordinates, and example.
Get it right: Every competitive advantage is based on effective execution. Planning is important, but actions are the source of success. The winners are those who do the right thing at the right time. Move forward when it is advantageous and stop when it is not.
Know the facts: To achieve success you must have reliable and sufficient information. Only in this way will timely and appropriate decisions be made.
Expect the worst: Prepare for the unexpected, do not assume that the competition will not attack, the competition is always present, not yet attacking. Observe her closely and focus your resources on her weaknesses. Strengthen weak areas of your organization
Seize the moment: A victory can be achieved with quick action. Innovation and speed are decisive. To win, do things simply, whenever you can. Don’t waste your time and resources.
Burn the ships: When all the members are united to achieve a purpose; nothing stops them. People are motivated by expectations of success; prepare them, boost them and treat them well. The successful leader pushes his team forward and then burns the ships behind them. Motivation and commitment are the keys to leadership.
Do it better every time: Continuous and innovative improvement can represent victory or permanence in the market. Innovation is the only weapon that makes you invincible. The power of innovation makes your victory certain.
We all push together: Organization, training and communication are the bases of success, they are the weapons to achieve victory. Use them carefully: this way people will always be in their position and know what to do in any situation.
Don’t let them guess your intentions: Your organization will be stronger if your competition knows less than what you want to achieve. The less a competitor knows where you want to focus your attention, the stronger you will be. Be subtle in your strategies, so your competition will not be able to prevent themselves against them.