There are three ways in which an army can bring disaster on its nation; when the general orders an army to advance when it should retreat, or to retreat when it should advance; when men ignorant of military tactics are allowed to take part in their planning; when generals who do not understand command assume authority.

Any of these traits in a commander is a serious fault, which can lead him to death and bring his army to calamity.

The above two extracts tell us what to look out for when selecting members of management and negotiating teams. Select your teams carefully and be certain that every member of your team is up to the job assigned to them. Just because a person is good at one particular job does not necessarily mean they will be equally good at another, so base your decision on the specific job they are to fill. Perfectly competent people assigned to the wrong job can spell disaster for the project, for themselves and for you.

Generals who are capable and whose decisions are not interfered with by the king will be victorious.

(When you have selected your management teams and assigned them to specific areas, let them carry out their assigned tasks in peace. If you cannot trust them to do their job, you were wrong to place them in that particular position. Either reassign them to a place where you, and they, feel comfortable or get rid of them.)

When a commander goes into battle without seeking personal fame and withdraws without orders, to protect his men, but without concern for his own punishment, he is a precious jewel of the state. Such a man regards his men as his own sons and they will die with him.

(Even the best managers occasionally disobey orders, the question here is `why'. If they habitually overstep their authority, or are just trying to make themselves look important, they should not be in authority. If, on the other hand, their ultimate concern is the good of the people in their charge, they are the rarest breed of person, a caring human being.)

Dealing with business associates

A friend asked Confucius:

"What do you think if all the people in town like you?"

"Not too good," said Confucius.

"What if they all hate you?"

"Also not too good. It is better if the good people in town like you, and the evil ones hate you."

There are three kinds of friendship that are beneficial and three kinds of friendship that are harmful. Friendship with the righteous, friendship with the sincere and friendship with the learned are all beneficial. Friendship with the deceptive, friendship with the unprincipled and friendship with smooth talkers are harmful. (Choose your friends and associates wisely.)

The virtuous will certainly have something to say, but those who have something to say are not necessarily virtuous. The wise man is always brave, but the brave man is not necessarily possessed of wisdom. (

The trick, of course, is to learn to tell the difference!)

Speak to your friends honestly, and skilfully show them the right path. If you cannot, then stop. Don't humiliate yourself. (Advise people to the best of your ability, but they will only take your advice if they want to.)

Base yourself in loyalty and trust. Don't be a companion with those who are not your moral equal. When you make a mistake, don't hesitate to correct it. (Deceitful people may become rich and powerful and their success can make them a tempting ally, but be cautious in dealing with them. You will be seen as complicit in their dishonesty or, just as likely, they will turn on you.)

Even the Superior Man has things that he hates. He hates those who advertise the faults of others. He hates those who abide in lowliness and slander the great. He hates those who are bold without propriety. He hates those who are convinced of their own perfection, and closed off to anything else.

There are three kinds of enjoyment that are beneficial and three kinds of enjoyment that are harmful.

The enjoyment of cultivation in music and ritual, the enjoyment of speaking of the goodness of others and the enjoyment of being surrounded by friends of good character are all beneficial. The enjoyment of arrogance, the enjoyment of dissipation and the enjoyment of comfort are all harmful.

The Superior Man develops people's good points, not their bad points. The Inferior Man does the opposite.

If your paths are different, you cannot make plans together. (No matter how close your friendship, or how close your business association with someone, if you are seeking essentially different goals it will be impossible for you to carry out long-term plans together.)

(Edited extracts from How Did They Manage? Book courtesy: Penguin Books India.)

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication