6 Quotes from the Art of War to Sustain Success in the Long Term for Business Owners.

The goal of a CEO is to make the company successful in the long term.

The Art of War is a 26-centuries-old military treatise. The author Sun Tzu, a Chinese general, expressed a series of principles of strategy and tactics. The text today is used as an inspiration for business strategy as well.

I use it to find inspiration and clarity before working on strategy.

Here are 6 quotes that I found helpful the most in my journey as a CEO.

“In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity”

When I took over the company in 2018, we lost the most profitable business. This spark let me push to assess our business capability humbly.

“The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.”

To guarantee success in the long term is essential to evaluate different scenarios and avoid, when possible direct conflict, not showing up your tactics.

“Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt.”

Making plans is no guarantee of success when taken alone. You need solid processes and capability; you need a bold execution.

“Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win”

Prepare the field before battle instead of jumping and seeing. Learning is essential, but knowing what you want to achieve makes learning effective.

“Treat your men as you would your own beloved sons. And they will follow you into the deepest valley.”

A general does not win by division or treating others as “resources” but as people and love their differences. When I took my role, I started to see people as resources. This helped me to maintain focus.

“When the enemy is relaxed, make them toil. When full, starve them. When settled, make them move.”

Toyota permits its competitors to visit them and focus on the present, while they are already thought to another improvement.

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