1. Leadership Characteristics based on Sun Tzu’s Art of War

2. Who was Sun Tzu? A general in the Chinese Army 2600 years ago The Art of War was written as a strategic guide for dealing with conflict during war This book has been translated and is still used as a guide by many current military leaders. The principles can be applied to any type of conflict.

3. 1 - Know Yourself The three selves Who we think we are Who others think we are Who we really are Recognize your own strengths and weaknesses “Improving yourself is much more profitable than trying to improve others” -Dale Carnegie

4. 2 - Have Moral Integrity Integrity is the bedrock of personal reputation Rules for managing crisis situations 1 – Tell it like it is (Use “I” messages) 2 – Admit uncertainties exist (IDK) 3 – Don’t make statement you have to retract later 4 – Act on the best estimate of the situation “If you have integrity, nothing else matters; If you do not have integrity, nothing else matters” -Sen. Alan Simpson

5. 3 - Build a Strong Position Clearly define your position—build a “brand” (“Be a Lamborghini”) Strong relationships form an invincible position Home family School family Religious family Extracurricular family Today’s position is determined by the strength we have Tomorrow’s position is determined by how we applied those strengths today

6. 4 - Seek Sound Counsel Create a “counseling staff” Guru Coach Mentor wise person not directly knows your professionhigher level person to emulate involved in your activities goes beyond your defenses in your organization Beware of “articulate ignorance” Good advice comes from applicable experience and local knowledge

7. 5 - Practice Discipline Without Fighting Take the opponent “whole” so that people are cooperative and the battle ground is “habitable” Be your brother’s keeper Discipline with “dignity” Peel the “onion” Don’t take it personal, it likely is not about you

8. 6 - Be Courageous Sun Tzu - The principle of military administration is to build a uniform level of courage Courage is born of confidence, confidence is born of a strong foundation “Many qualities go to make a good leader, but two are vital – the ability to make the right decisions and the courage to act on them” – Field Marshal Montgomery “A bold general can be lucky, but no general can be lucky unless he is bold” - General Wavell

9. 7 - Be Considerate Do not abuse power or take advantage of the inherent inequality in the power balance Follow the “golden rule” Someone is always watching

10. 8 - Listen Well Engage in active listening Acknowledge the other person’s thoughts and feelings Focus on the other person’s needs and build their self esteem Be aware of your listening “de-railers” Stay in the present Play back what you are hearing and ask questions Use the power of silence

11. 9 - Be Creative The success of organizations comes from sustained creativity “True creativity is characterized by a succession of acts dependent on the one before and suggesting the one after” -Edward H Land Know your “half-life”, half of all new ideas will be obsolete in five years Think “outside the box”

12. 10 - Aim for High Standards Success is not just doing what needs to be done, it is going over and above what needs to be done Consistently give people more than they expected

13. 11 - Build on Your Success Success breeds success Don’t let success breed complacency The more successful we get the less we tend to do the things that made us successful

14. 12 - Occupy the High Ground In battle, high ground is a physical place, as a leader this “high ground” is a mental, physical and emotional place Mental, physical, emotional: these three factors are interdependent Never leave the hill to join a battle in the valley

15. Now go out and be a successful leader