Sun Tzu and the Art of Business Six Strategic Principles for Managers

by McNeilly, Mark R.

• ISBN13: 9780199782918
• ISBN10: 0199782911
• Edition: Revised
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2011-12-23
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

More than two millennia ago the famous Chinese general Sun Tzu wrote the classic work on military strategy, The Art of War. Now, in a new edition of Sun Tzu and the Art of Business, Mark McNeilly shows how Sun Tzu's strategic principles can be applied to twenty-first century business. Here are two books in one: McNeilly's synthesis of Sun Tzu's ideas into six strategic principles for the business executive, plus the text of Samuel B. Griffith's popular translation of The Art of War. McNeilly explains how to gain market share without inciting competitive retaliation, how to attack competitors' weak points, and how to maximize market information for competitive advantage. He demonstrates the value of speed and preparation in throwing the competition off-balance, employing strategy to beat the competition, and the need for character in leaders. Lastly, McNeilly presents a practical method to put Sun Tzu's principles into practice. By using modern examples throughout the book from Google, Zappos, Amazon, Dyson, Aflac, Singapore Airlines, Best Buy, the NFL, Tata Motors, Starbucks, and many others, he illustrates how, by following the wisdom of history's most respected strategist, executives can avoid the pitfalls of management fads and achieve lasting competitive advantage.

Author Biography

Mark Mcneilly is a marketing executive with thirty years of experience at IBM and Lenovo. He has spoken about his views on strategy to businesspeople around the world as well as on the BBC, C-SPAN, CNBC, and the History Channel. Learn more at www.suntzul.com.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. vii
Acknowledgments	p. ix
Introduction	p. 1
Win All Without Fighting: Capturing Your Market Without Destroying It	p. 9
Avoid Strength, Attack Weakness: Striking Where They Least Expect It	p. 28
Deception and Foreknowledge: Maximizing the Power of Market Information	p. 51
Speed and Preparation: Moving Swiftly to Overcome Your Competitors	p. 78
Shape Your Opponent: Employing Strategy to Master the Competition	p. 118
Character-Based Leadership: Providing Effective Leadership in Turbulent Times	p. 154
Putting The Art of Business Into Practice	p. 188
Notes	p. 205
Suggested Readings	p. 216
Original Translation	p. 219
Index	p. 325
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