Grand Strategy Readiness is everything. Resolution is indissolubly bound up with caution. If an individual is careful and keeps his wits about him, he need not become excited or alarmed. If he is watchful at all times, even before danger is present, he is armed when danger approaches and need not be afraid. The superior … Read more
To remain disciplined and calm while waiting for disorder to appear amongst the enemy is the art of self-possession. Sun-tzu (fourth century B.C.) In the 1930’s, Mao Tse-tung was a rising hero of the Communist army. His philosophy and guerilla tactics led them to many victories against the Nationalist party, even though he was often … Read more
Deterrence Strategies When opponents are unwilling to fight with you, it is because they think it is contrary to their interests, or because you have misled them into thinking so. Sun Tzu Everyone is vulnerable. but some people are more aggressive. The ruthless see the weak and the timid as easy targets that they can … Read more
The Counterattack Strategy The counterattack is a classic approach to warfare. Most people either spend their time attacking, leaving themselves vulnerable or they are extremely defensive and miss out on valuable opportunities. The third option is the counterattack. Do not commit to either attack or defense, instead, learn the art of timing. People are generally … Read more
The costs of battle are often great, especially when you are over-committed. There are many people who sacrifice everything for a cause, business, or project – only to realize that the costs they had incurred were far too great. It is easy to be blinded by your own ambition, to lose your sense of realism. … Read more
You know, I am sure, that not numbers or strength brings victory in war; but whichever army goes into battle stronger in soul, their enemies generally cannot withstand them. Xenophon (430?-355? B.C.) In this chapter, Greene turns our attention to team motivation. To successfully build a winning army of any kind, you must know how … Read more
The Controlled Chaos Strategy People often look for strategies in life because they fear independent thinking. They seek out a fixed formula that they can apply with success. They want to eliminate uncertainty, but unfortunately, no such strategy exists. Instead, the lesson from history is that it is better to always have options, to never … Read more
This section of the book examines group leadership, Greene shows its inherent challanges, and gives us roadmap to become more proficient at it. Be Concise The reason why well-run militaries don’t use flamboyant language is because it is ineffective and vague. The execution of clearly defined goals is the purpose of the military, there is … Read more
The Death-Ground Strategy The ancient commanders of armies, who well knew the powerful influence of necessity, and how it inspired the soldiers with the most desperate courage, neglected nothing to subject their men to such a pressure. Niccolo Machiavelli This chapter is about cultivating a mindset of scarcity. If you think that everything will be … Read more
The Counter-Balance Strategy The first quality of a General-in-Chief is to have a cool head which receives exact impressions of things, which never gets heated, which never allows itself to be dazzled, or intoxicated, by good or bad news. The successive simultaneous sensations which he receives in the course of a day must be classified, … Read more