 | Summaries and Customer Reviews are supplied by Amazon.com | More than two millennia ago the famous Chinese general Sun Tzu wrote the classic work on military strategy, The Art of War. Now, in Sun Tzu and the Art of Business, Mark R. McNeilly shows how Sun Tzu's strategic principles can be successfully applied to modern business situations. Here are really two books in one: McNeilly's synthesis of Sun Tzu's ideas into six strategic principles for the business executive, plus the entire text of Samuel B. Griffith's popular translation of The Art of War. Within, McNeilly explains how to gain market share without inciting competitive retaliation, how to attack a competitor's weak points, and how to maximize the power of market information for competitive advantage. He also demonstrates the value of speed, preparation, and secrecy in throwing the competition off-balance, employing strategy to beat the competition, and the need for character in successful leaders. In his final chapter, McNeilly presents a practical method to put Sun Tzu and The Art of Business into practice. By using modern examples throughout the book from GE, Microsoft, AT&T, BMW, Southwest Airlines, FedEx, 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. |
Average Customer Rating:   ...the soldier, being much too wise, Strategy was his strength... I was fortunate to hear the author of this excellent book speak to a meeting in Raleigh, NC a few months ago and his inspired yet entertaining talk motivated me to go out and purchase this book.
It seems to me that this book is one of a select few which form a theme, the best exemplar of which, IMHO, is the Living CompanyThe Living Company. At the heart of this theme is the notion that long term success for businesses does not come from short term measures aimed at profit maximisation through minimising costs and selling at the highest possible price in the marketplace. While such tactics predominate in many areas of the American economy where corporate power and marketing have limited consumer choice to poor products sold at a high price providing high salaries and big bonuses for top executives for a relatively short period of time before they have succumbed to the storms unleashed through globalisation and domestic monetary and banking policies.
Instead, the approach on offer here is based on sound principles rather than get rich schemes favoured by Madoff and his Ponzi accolytes, or the latest management fads which generate short-term results before being shown to be the fakes that they are.The principles ennuciated within are based on Sun Tzu's Art of War, which is a collection of anecdotes, and pointers to miltary success. The author relates the principles therein to buinesses and provides contemporary case-study examples to support his thesis. In doing so he points the way to a different type of business enterprise to the command and control, micromanaging, CYA type which has been so common in America but, truth be told, is to be found wanting in the new global competitve markets.
What is being advocated is the type of networked business model which has proved to be so successful elsewhere, surviving the squalls which have beset the world economy in recent years. The trouble is that a transition to these types of business will come at a heavy price for those who have managed to become very wealthy through the short-termist type of tactics that have predominated in the past. Perhaps the current depression will prove to be the fulcrum which tips the scales in favour of the new type of business which is promoted in this book.
Change management is often advocated by those who are most resistant to change themselves, often in challenged companies who are fighting for their very existance. Executives should take the opportunity to establish long term strategies for the future and go on to build a better mousetrap or whatever and set about winning the war which is going on on a global scale and not just in America. This is just the book to help them. Practical application of a classic book on strategy McNeilly's book is a terrific introduction on how to apply the principles taught by this classic book on strategy.
As a marketing representative for my company, I use these principles everyday, in order to win business, and frustrate my competitors.
I always recommend McNeilly's books as a starting point to anyone wanting to learn about strategy.
Pragmatic Look @ Sunzi's (Sun Tzu) Principles of Strategy. Mr. McNeilly book on Sunzi (Sun Tzu)is one of my favorite books on practical strategic application. ...
As a sftwr developer-prjct mgmt consultant, found his ["Six Strategic Principles"] to be pragmatically effective in any strategic challenges. ...
Also, technically abstract enough where the reader(-implementer of the ["Six Strategic Principles"]) can devise their own spin to their own strategic challenges. ...
The examples that are introduced were efficient enough for me to understand. ...
Have successfully utilized [McNeilly's Six Principles] for different strategic scenarios (i.e., market research, product development, close quarters negotiation, etc.).
McNeilly's book is one of those few books that's worth re-reading once a year for a mental refresher course. ... (Yes! This Cardinal does re-read this book once per yr.)
Have recommend this book to my assoc(s). Also, given away many copies of this book to those who are interested in Sunzi Strategic Principles.
Overall, I find his writing to be extremely sharp; his ability to explain how to apply Sunzi (Sun Tzu) principles to military conflict and business is nothing short of extraordinary.
Recommend this book to anyone who is serious about strategy. Entertaining read, but unsatisfying This book doesn't seem to be too detailed in it's examples and explanations. The basic principles are given, but there is not enough about the actual successful applications of these principles. I felt frustrated throughout the book when he would continually make references to a brief overview of a military event to prove his point or when he mentions "a well known company." The "well known companies," he would use these as support for his arguments/theories on how to apply them in business. He would say how the companies did this and that, and brought about certain results. I was left so frustrated because I wanted DETAILS! I wanted to know who these companies were and see for myself what happened and what significance it had to the company. Sadly, he hardly gives you any of this.
You are better off reading books written by Executives(active or retired). They will give you a perspective that is more pragmatic and more 'ordinary' if you will. And don't make shortcuts, actually read 'The Art of War' if you care about this topic. Great book for people w/o a business sense! Ignore the first review of this book - it seems to be by a person who's not read it, but feels that they know what it's about. I'm finding this book an ESPECIALLY great read, coming from a non-business point of view. If anything, I'm an engineer, and this book clearly lays out things that make you think "hmm, that's plainly clear, but I would have never realized it". It doesn't give you answers on how to run your own business, but it gives you the methods for finding them. highly recommented |  |
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