The Art of War Sun Tzu

Main Takeaways The study of Leadership was already underway 2,500 years ago There are many different ways to understand the world These early studies and diverse viewpoints are useful in our own daily lives

Sun TzU Sun Tzu - Military general whose work has survived over 2,500 years. Tactical advice maps to a wide variety of situations Text has influenced leaders from Ancient Chinese Emperors to Napoleon to Western Corporate Executives

Taoism - Tao Te Ching Ancient Chinese Religion / Philosophy Key text: Tao Te Ching Knowing others is wisdom; Knowing the self is enlightenment Mastering others requires force; Mastering the self requires strength; He who knows he has enough is rich. What does Taoism seem to value? Compare/Contrast Tao Te Ching with Art of War. Book Recommendation: Tao of Pooh

Non-Western worldviews Example: American Individualist Society vs. Chinese Collectivist Society* “We” Orientation “Me” Orientation Positive Association with whatever is rooted in tradition Positive association with whatever is “new” Pressure to conform to groups Fitting in and conforming to group norms is unnecessary or even discouraged Rules promote stability, order, obedience Individual Rights seen as most important. Rules attempt to ensure independence, choices, and freedom of speech Working with others and cooperating is the norm. Refusal to cooperate and wanting to be independent or stand out is seen as shameful. Everyone must rely on others for support. Relying or being dependent on others is seen as shameful. People are encouraged to do things on their own, to rely on themselves. *Passage taken from “Teaching English in China,” by Robert Wyss Jr. and Emily A. Thrush

Bringing it home Let’s all share our Art of War passages!

The Art of War Sun Tzu