Strategy Matters

Strategic Creativity

Sun Tzu's Art of War states, "Therefore, when I have won a victory I do not repeat my tactics but respond to circumstances in an infinite variety of ways." This quote aptly points out the need to be creative when...

Thinking Strategically

"Thus, what is of supreme importance in war is to attack the enemy's strategy." So states Sun Tzu's Art of War. Sun Tzu, the ancient Chinese general and author of a classic on military strategy, recognized the importance of strategy...

Ancient Wisdom for Today's Economy

As the economic times become more uncertain, business leaders search for the proper strategy to be successful. If consumer confidence falls and they become less willing to spend, many companies seek to entice them by cutting prices. However, although this...

Get Down on the Ground!

Much of strategy centers on deep thinking and viewing the situation from a lofty perspective. However, when it's time to execute it's often necessary to get out of the proverbial ivory tower and get your hands dirty. As Sun Tzu's...

The Shortest Distance....

Sun Tzu states that, "He who wishes to snatch an advantage (on the enemy) takes a devious and distant route and makes of it the short way." This very Eastern thought is very different from that often used in the...

Using the Indirect Approach Within Your Company

In last quarter's newsletter we discussed the use of the indirect approach externally against a competitor. As shown below, it can also be effectively used to maneuver within one's firm to break through the bureaucracy and change the business for...

Adopt New Tactics

In today's dynamic business world it's axiomatic one cannot continue to follow the same business model indefinitely. Even thousands of years ago strategists knew that one cannot depend on using the same approach over and over again to achieve success....