Sun Tzu's 31 Best Pieces Of Leadership Advice

There was no greater war leader and strategist than Chinese military general Sun Tzu.  His philosophy on how to be a great leader and ensure you win in work, management, and life is summed up in these 33 pieces of advice.  They can all be applied by you in your job when you go back to work next week:

1. A leader leads by example, not by force.
2. You have to believe in yourself.
3. Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak.
4. If your enemy is secure at all points, be prepared for him. If he is in superior strength, evade him. If your opponent is temperamental, seek to irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant. If he is taking his ease, give him no rest. If his forces are united, separate them. If sovereign and subject are in accord, put a division between them. Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected.
5. The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.
6. Supreme excellence consists of breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting.


7. If the mind is willing, the flesh could go on and on without many things.
8. Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win.
9. To know your Enemy, you must become your Enemy.
10. Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.
11. Can you imagine what I would do if I could do all I can?
12. Even the finest sword plunged into salt water will eventually rust.
13. Engage people with what they expect; it is what they are able to discern and confirms their projections. It settles them into predictable patterns of response, occupying their minds while you wait for the extraordinary moment — that which they cannot anticipate.
14. If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.
15. Thus we may know that there are five essentials for victory:
    1) He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight.
    2) He will win who knows how to handle both superior and inferior forces.
    3) He will win whose army is animated by the same spirit throughout all its ranks.
    4) He will win who, prepared himself, waits to take the enemy unprepared.
    5) He will win who has military capacity and is not interfered with by the sovereign.
16. Be extremely subtle, even to the point of formlessness. Be extremely mysterious, even to the point of soundlessness. Thereby you can be the director of the opponent's fate.
17. Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy are the noise before defeat.
18. There are not more than five musical notes, yet the combinations of these five give rise to more melodies than can ever be heard. There are not more than five primary colors, yet in combination, they produce more hues than can ever be seen. There are not more than five cardinal tastes, yet combinations of them yield more flavors than can ever be tasted.
19. Opportunities multiply as they are seized.
20. When the enemy is relaxed, make them toil. When full, starve them. When settled, make them move.
21. Know yourself and you will win all battles.
22. Move swift as the Wind and closely-formed as the Wood. Attack like the Fire and be still as the Mountain.
23. Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt.
24. When strong, avoid them. If of high morale, depress them. Seem humble to fill them with conceit. If at ease, exhaust them. If united, separate them. Attack their weaknesses. Emerge to their surprise.
25. All warfare is based on deception. Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must seem inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near.
26. There is no instance of a country having benefited from prolonged warfare.
27. The greatest victory is that which requires no battle.
28. Treat your men as you would your own beloved sons. And they will follow you into the deepest valley.
29. Build your opponent a golden bridge to retreat across.
30. All warfare is based on deception.
31. When you surround an army, leave an outlet free. Do not press a desperate foe too hard.

Alvida 2019 & Welcome 2020

Finally, the year 2019 is over and its time to embrace 2020. Its time to review 2019 and revised the target for 2020.
Review of 2019:- For 2019, I had very high hopes.
1. Financially:  This year may be a little tight but will try to ease out the burden by June.
    Review: Financially this year I did well. Reduce the burden of loan by 1 lac and 02 trips of Goa in a single year highlighted financial performances.
    Target for 2020:  Out of total loan (Outside bank loan) of 6.5 lac I have reduced 01 lac but will seriously look to reduce the total by 02 more lacs.
2. Reading: Target for 2019: 50 books, that precisely is 01 book each week.
    Review: Poor very poor. I could read-only 18 books. One reason for this poor performance is my overindulgence in web series.
   Target: This year's target will be to read 36 books that are 03 books to finish every 01 months.
3. Writing: No Doubt I need to be more active and I am already planning to write a few short stories.
    Review: For writing, this year was a very special one as I could write and publish 02 short stories. 01 was " He-She Story" and the other was "Karma". I got very rave reviews for both of them. I was carrying both the stories with me for many years now feeling all excited to write more stuff. Also, my "Anayara Tales" are getting good responses from general people.
   Target: This year will be more active.
4. Traveling: The target for 2019: Travel 06 new places in 12 months. This year has started well. In Jan, I already visited Bhilai and around areas.
    Review: This year I have visited 04 places; Bhilai, 02 trips of Goa and Mayapur. The Goa trip was a memorable trip.
   Target: This year again target will be to visit 06 places.
This year I will also try to complete some of my bucket list things also will look after ti reduce my debts and to increase my savings. For everything else, finger crossed.

President is Missing

I just finished reading " President is Missing" by James Patterson and Bill Clinton. It was a decent political thriller with its heart in the right place. Sharing some important lines of this novel:

1.                 Politics can be cruel in the way it treats its wounded.

2.                 Who’s more popular than a challenger?

3.                 His cards are probably better than mine, but he’s a kid, and I play poker for a living.

4.                 Until I’m dead, I’m alive.

5.                 He is a soldier looking for a war, a hero in search of a moment of heroism.

6.                 Nobody does anything for nothing.

7.                 Mourn your losses later, after the fights over, when you’re in the fight, fight.

8.                 Peaceful protest is one of the most admirable forms of patriotism.

9.                 Surrounding yourself with sycophants and bootlickers is the surest route to failure.

10.            Most people would wilt under the gaze, under the discomfort of silence.

11.            One of the things she has learned over the years is the art of not responding too quickly. It buys you time and makes you seem more deliberative.

12.            Sun Tzu said, “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer,”

13.            I appreciate your loyalty; keep your eye on the prize.

14.            It’s always easier just to take out the leader. If there is nothing else to learn from history, it’s that from humans to animals, from the most primitive to the most civilized, most individuals want to be led. Take out the leader and the rest of the pack panics.

15.            She isn’t exactly wearing a white hat in all this.

16.            A missed shot is far worse than no shot.

17.            Sometimes…smart people do dumb things.

18.            Trust can blind.

19.            Politics is little more than blood sport.