Stephanie Pham

Michaelson, Steven, and Gerald A. Michaelson. Sun Tzu: The Art of War For Managers : 50 Strategic Rules. Avon, MA: Adams Media, 2001. Print.

The Art of War for Managers

The Art of War for Managers is a comprehensive manual for operating successfully in today’s business world, with strategic rules that leaders must practice in order to run a thriving enterprise. It is adapted from Sun Tzu’s Art of War, written thousands of years ago as a manual for military operations. In this updated edition, Gerald A. Michaelson and Steven Michaelson take the rules and guidelines from the original Art of War and adapt them for modern day organizations.

Part I of the book includes thirteen chapters laying down the rules of operating a successful company. Each chapter begins wisdom from Sun Tzu, which are translated and then re-evaluated to apply directly to the business world. There are thirteen main points: laying plans, waging war, attacking by stratagem, disposition of military strength, use of energy, weakness and strength, maneuvering, variation of tactics, on the march, terrain, the nine varieties of ground, attack by fire, and employment of secret agents. With each of these points, there is a thorough explanation with a manager’s commentary and practical application with real life companies such as Google, Amazon, Burger King, and Walmart.

Part II : “Applying Sun Tzu’s Wisdom” contains further elaboration and in-depth practical applications for Sun Tzu’s rules. Case studies on various companies are examined to see what has worked and what has produced less-than-effective results.

Essentially, Sun Tzu’s philosophy on waging war can be summed up in two steps: planning and implementation. One must first research and strategize carefully to form a plan with no weak points. Then, one has to execute the plan efficiently. These are the roots of all effective management strategies.

I personally believe that the authors of this book are very insightful and that this approach to management is valid. Many of the points that they make are supported by topics that we’ve discussed in class.

For example, in chapter seven, the authors discuss developing effective internal communications. In order to be able to withstand against external competitors, an organization must run smoothly from within. It is important to have a working environment that is openly communicative, where everyone has input in decision-making. This is comparable to Follett’s theory of collaborative management, which asserts that the work environment is a social system and that managers should “power with,” not “power over” their employees in order to build a successful company. In contrast, this is very unlike scientific management, which undermines the value of the worker and places importance on their productivity levels rather than their roles. Additionally, this is also very different from bureaucratic management, which is derived from scientific management. In this theory, organizations have very strong division lines between managers and employees and operate on a hierarchical level.

I would certainly recommend this to other Public Relations students. The book was an easy read, without complicated terminology or dense explanations. Just like the original Art of War, written in the simplest terms possible, this text is concise and straightforward. The rules of war are direct, and the success of an organization depends on impeccable strategic planning and foolproof implementation. I found it to be a very good read and it did not seem like something that I had to read as an assignment. I probably would have read this in my spare time, and since this book was so interesting, I am considering buying the original Art of War to read as well.