Sun Tzu and the Art of Business: Six Strategic Principles for Managers

"If you've ever felt that business is like war, [this] new business book based on the teachings of an ancient Chinese warrior has much to offer."

-Entrepreneur Magazine

More than two millennia ago, the famous Chinese general Sun Tzu wrote the classic work on military strategy known as 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. This book actually features two volumes in one: McNeilly's clear 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. In these pages, 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 the final chapter, McNeilly presents a direct and useful method that will help readers put Sun Tzu and The Art of Business into practice.

"McNeilly deserves the thanks of American business. His new book is the best of the four American attempts at the difficult feat of converting Sun Tzu's seminal [work] into a usable guide for strategic managers."

-Strategy and Leadership

"This book is fun and serious ... a fast and interesting read. I recommend it to anyone interested in strategy."

—Academy of Management Executive

"K-Mart, AT&T, Xerox, and General Motors would have saved themselves billions of dollars if their past CEO's had read this book."

-Dr. Philip Kotler, Northwestern University

Mark R. McNeilly is a strategist for IBM as well as an amateur military historian and former infantry and artillery officer.

Author: Mark R. McNelly