Strategic Thinking : How CEO and Business Leaders Sharpen Their Mind Using Sun Tzu Art of War?

Author: stepillve

What determines the long term success of a business? It is the capability to see in advance and anticipate the changing business landscape and to ride on these windows of opportunities to gain a foothold in the market.

Knowing what the competitors are planning to do and anticipating what the market needs requires a strategic leadership mindset.

In today's highly competitive global marketplace, through technological advancement, it is no longer the big boys beating the small players. Strategy is focus on the battling of the minds, stratagem versus stratagem. The differences lie between the ability to hide yours and read others, and whoever does this best will be more successful. Success yesterday no longer success tomorrow, giants such as Nokia and Sony are feeling the heat with market share and profit rapidly declining in just a short span of 2 to 3 years.

The rapid shortening of Product life cycle and time to market meant that better products no guaranteed success. At times you might think you have a great business product but you see your clients whiz past your ears only to take up the services of your competitors. This is highly and constantly evolving business landscape and consumer needs are extremely challenging for any CEO and business leaders.

In today's businesses, decisions often have to be made spontaneously. CEOs and business leaders have to internalize the principles in their decision-making framework. Decision has to be made and action has to be executed, conventional strategic planning and thinking are rendered obsolete. A more effective way towards strategic leadership and strategic planning is to adopt Sun Tzu Art of War stratagem, which is harness from over 2,500 years of knowledge. A simple way to learn and understand Sun Tzu art of war principles is to the use of the Sun Tzu Art of War Institute Strategy cards. Comprises of 152 cards divided into 13 sets of cards according to the 13 chapters of Art of war, each card helps business leaders to reflect on their business experiences and decision through Sun Tzu eyes.


The key secrets behind the success of Sun Tzu Art of War cards is its simply yet effective ability to allow the users to reflect on their respective business principles and decisions. Increasingly, there is a growing numbers of senior leaders leveraging on the power of sun tzu art of war to outline their business strategic principles as the foundation for making strategic decisions. Sun Tzu Art of War has been well documented over centuries and was recently featured on History Channel that it can be used to predict the outcome of war, but does it apply to business. The first thing is to test whether sun tzu art of war principles applies to business case studies. If you are convinced it does, reflect the principles to your business context. Be open-minded that the reflection process may show you being out of business with current momentum. There may be turn around strategies through the evaluation process but the cost may not justify the means.

Participants of the course also learned to mind map their entire business strategy using Sun Tzu art of war 36 stratagem as a leadership compass. Aligning their business strategy with the sun tzu art of war tried and tested principles that was passed down over 2000 years ago. In this thought provoking session, CEOs also shared and learn from each other through exchange of experiences and observations.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/management-articles/strategic-thinking-how-ceo-and-business-leaders-sharpen-their-mind-using-sun-tzu-art-of-war-2763484.html
About the Author

The author is on the advisory panel of Sun Tzu Art of War Institute, a not for profit think tank based in Asia, it is a strategic leadership center of Aventis School of Management that specializes in research and development of programs using timeless wisdom from Chinese classics.

Winston Churchill : An inspirational leader in time of need

Winston Churchill : An inspirational leader in time of needs

Author: Jason Corrado

Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill is one of the most famous figures throughout World War II mainly for his leadership of the United Kingdom throughout the Second World War. But what many people don't realize is just how inspirational the man really was on so many different fronts. Churchill was not only a brilliant military leader, an inspirational political leader, and the recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature, but he overcame so much during his life that many people consider him to be one of the most inspirational leaders still today.
Winston Churchill was born on November 30, 1874, two months premature, and worked all his life to overcome a speech impediment. Although the Churchill Center explicitly denies that he had a speech impediment, they do confirm that he did have a lisp and had difficulty pronouncing the letter "S", just as his father did. While he grew up as part of the famous Spencer family, both he and his father used the surname Churchill in public life both to tie them to their descent from the first Duke of Marlborough and to distance them from some of the famous family members that they had. Since he was part of such a very wealthy family, Churchill actually did very poor in school and was often punished for it. Due to his rebellious nature, he went to three different independent schools; the third one was what pushed him into a military career. Just a few weeks after arriving at the Harrow School in April 1888, he joined the Harrow Rifle Corps and began to earn extremely high marks in History and English and became the school's fencing champion.
Unfortunately, during his time away at school, his mother very rarely came to visit him and he constantly wrote her letters begging her to come see him or allowing him to come home to visit. Since his relationship with his father was a very distant one as well, he became very close to his nanny. And, even though he was not close to his father at all, when he passed away at age 45, it left Churchill with the belief that he too would die young so that he should do whatever he could to leave his mark on the world quickly.
Due to this belief, he found himself entangled in many of the military wars and skirmishes as a war correspondent for several newspapers in England. His love of both military strategy and writing led him into several battles and fronts, even going as far as getting captured and thrown into a POW camp, where he managed to escape and then use his family connections to get the remaining prisoners freed. During his time as a war correspondent, he not only wrote thousands of pieces but he also wrote and published several novels: "The River War" (which was a two-volume book), "London to Ladysmith", and "Ian Hamilton's March". When he left the military in 1899, he traveled all over Britain, the United States, and Canada giving speeches.
Of course, he could not stay away from military matters of war, and when the First World War started, he gained command of a battalion, and then was appointed Lieutenant-Colonel over the 6th Battalion. After this, he served on several committees in Parliament, as well as helping to pass several influential laws and bills. He rose quickly through the ranks in Parliament, and soon found himself Home Secretary. When the Conservatives were defeated in 1929, he went into a sort of isolation, concentrating instead on his writing. During this time, he wrote "Marlborough: His Life and Times" which was a biography of his ancestor and "A History Of The English Speaking Peoples". He also wrote many different articles for newspapers, speeches, and became one of the highest paid writers of his time. He even published his political views as "Parliamentary Government and the Economic Problem" in 1930, then "Thoughts and Adventures" which was a collection of his essays in 1932.
When the Second World War started brewing, he began writing over several different areas, including Hitler. He wrote essays, articles, and more, then a book in 1937 titled "Great Contemporaries" where he expressed a hope that Hitler would bring Germany back to peace. In 1934, he gave his first major speech over defense and the need to rebuild the Royal Air Force. He continued to give some of his most brilliant speeches of his life during this time, provoking England to again arm itself in preparation for war. In fact, since his voice had become so strong during this time, when Britain declared war on Germany in September 1939, he was appointed the First Lord of the Admiralty.
As the war was brought home to Britain, Churchill's speeches and writings were a great inspiration to the embattled British. In fact, in his very first speech as the Prime Minister, he spoke the famous "I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat"... during this time, his speeches became some of the most inspirational throughout the war and the world at the time. His speech during the height of the Battle of Britain even promoted an enduring nickname to the few RAF fighter pilots who won it, calling them "The Few" after a line in his speech that stated "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few."
As he continued his writings throughout his time as Prime Minister, throughout the Second World War, and beyond, his words only continued to influence people all over the world - including enemies as well as friends. He was such a brilliant man, a brilliant writer, that even the Queen herself was touched by his words and actions. When Churchill passed away on January 24, 1965, the Queen decreed that his body would lie in state for three days and granted him a state funeral service at St. Paul's Cathedral. His funeral saw one of the largest assemblages of statesmen in the world and a very elaborate funeral procession that had his coffin traveling throughout the country for those to mourn his loss.
Even many years after his death, Winston Churchill continues to be an inspirational figure in writing as well as military strategies. His many years spent writing war correspondence, novels, articles, speeches and more won the hearts and minds of both his countrymen and women and those around the world.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/motivational-articles/winston-churchill-an-inspirational-leader-in-time-of-needs-2866343.html
About the Author

Jason Corrado is the author of Famous Quotes Index, a large database of famous quotes and sayings, all categorized by topics and authors. Discover more Winston Churchill Quotes on FamousQuotesIndex.com.

Great Quotes From Great Leaders by Peggy Anderson

Peggy Anderson has compiled a great tabletop book of inspirational quotes that is sure to be enjoyed by anyone that gets the pleasure to read through it. Great Quotes from Great Leaders is a wonderful book filled with photographs and quotes from the most famous leaders in our history. The quotes are informative and entertaining. The photos that are included in this 160-page edition make it even more appealing.

This book has quickly become a favorite as a gift to customers and clients from people in the business world. Because it is so well written and illustrated, those that receive it as a gift are sure to be mesmerized with it for great lengths of time. It is hard to put the book down once you begin reading through the passages and the sense of inspiration that comes from the quotes can spark great ideas and direction for those that read it.

Great Quotes from Great Leaders was written to inspire and it does a wonderful job at it. Peggy Anderson has included quotes from some of the world's greatest leaders and most respected individuals over time. The quotes from Franklin Roosevelt give us the strength and desire to push forward in the face of adversity. He speaks of our desire to live as free people and our need to push through any doubts that may stop us from achieving the goals that we have set forth for ourselves.

Peggy Anderson has also included quotes from other presidents, like George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and John F. Kennedy in this masterpiece. Each of these gentlemen played an important part in creating the society that we live in today. Their quotes are recorded so that they can pass on the words of hope and encouragement to all that have the pleasure of reading them.

Along with gifts for business associates, giving Great Quotes from Great Leaders to family and friends has proven to be a great idea. This book can capture your attention and hold it as you receive your inspiration from each and every one of the passages. When Peggy Anderson wrote compiled this collection of great quotes, she surely knew that these quotes will live on through time and will serve as inspiration to many people.

The four hundred quotes that are contained in Great Quotes from Great Leaders are nicely arranged in this stunning coffee table edition. You can leave this book lying around in any room and it will surely draw attention. The content grabs the attention of the reader because they are raw commentary from some of the greatest people in history.

When you see the beauty that is contained in this book and read the passages that were made famous by very influential people in your lifetime you are sure to be amazed and enthused. Give it as a gift to a loved one, friend, or business associate or purchase a copy for your own enjoyment. In either case, Great Quotes from Great Leaders is sure to be enjoyed by anyone that gets the pleasure to read it.

Please visit The Personal Development Company if you would like to learn more about Great Quotes from Great Leaders by Peggy Anderson

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ben_Sanderson

Famous Leaders

Famous Leaders
By Edvard Kurnik

All the changes that are worth noting are the efforts of many great leaders. Sir Winston Churchill, Martin Luther King Jr., Abraham Lincoln, Mahatma Gandhi, and Margaret Thatcher are some leaders that world has seen.

Sir Winston Churchill was a great historian and statesman. The great leadership skills that he exhibited during wars, has secured him prime place in the British history. He is the best example of how you can overcome shortcomings and acquire a unique place in everyone's heart.

As seen earlier being a good orator is major skill that is needed by a good leader. But Churchill's little stammering has not affected his speeches which has gained him recognition in world history. He was a great politician and eminent personality. He has played an important role during the World War II and the resulting post war coalition. He will be remembered for ages for his role as war time prime minister of Britain.

Martin Luther King, Jr. of USA is another best leader the world has seen. He was a strong supporter of civil rights. He led the first Negro nonviolent demonstration. The bus boycott lasted for 382 days but finally the Supreme Court of United States declared the segregation of Negroes on buses as unconstitutional.

During this campaign this great leader was arrested and was abused. His house was bombed but in spite of all these hardships he emerged a leader of supreme quality. He was of age thirty when he received the Nobel Peace Prize and he used the sum won to further the movement of civil rights.

Abraham Lincoln is remembered for his leadership in preservation of Union during the Civil War. He is mainly remembered for the beginning of the struggle to demolish the atrocious slavery in United States.

He had characteristic leadership qualities like good oratory skills, great determination and a solid character. He led a simple life. He made great efforts to learn what is needed for good leadership. He struggled to achieve the skills and knowledge while he worked on splitting rails, on farm, and keeping a store.

Mahatma Gandhi was a simple man, who made extraordinary efforts to support India's freedom struggle. Mahatma Gandhi helped India to get freedom from British rule. He achieved this goal with his ingenious leadership style know popularly know as non-violence resistance.

He had charisma and character that him the title Mahatma the great soul. He is also known as the father of Indian Nation. He learned and demonstrated good leadership qualities when he was in South Africa for 21 years.

He led a great movement to secure rights for Indian people in South Africa. He used the tactics of civil disobedience to achieve the goals with success.

Margaret Thatcher has also shown very good leadership qualities She was prime minister of UK. She was the first woman who ever became prime minister of UK. She was also the longest serving PM in UK. As a leader she played an elemental role in Irish Hunger strike.

Hi. My name is Edi Kurnik.

I'm founder of EdiesBookstore.com and ExploreSlovenia.si I've graduated on college for commerce and marketing and my expertise is internet marketing. I'm also a founder and CEO of company Media Marketing in Slovenia which purpose is web design and internet marketing consulting. http://www.ediesbookstore.com/Audio-Book-Leadership-Guide.php

Article Source: Famous Leaders