"Sun Tzu's Art of War" is known as "the world's first military book in ancient times" and "the holy book of military science". Nowadays, it has attracted increasing attention from business leaders, and Japanese entrepreneurs have taken the lead in applying the ideas of "Sun Tzu" It is a great wisdom in the management of enterprises.

"The Art of War" is a masterpiece handed down from generation to generation that was born and originated from the local area. It highly condenses and embodies the great wisdom and great wisdom of the Chinese people. Its ideas and influence today have gone beyond the military field and have penetrated into politics and economy. and other aspects of social life. Today, in the process of accelerating the modernization of corporate management in our country, as a Chinese entrepreneur and operator in a prosperous age, it is crucial to deeply study and study the ideas in "The Art of War" about the art of modern corporate leadership that can be used for reference. value of the times. This article aims to study and explore several of these core ideas.

1. "Choose people and follow the power"

Sun Tzu said in "Position": "Therefore, those who are good at fighting seek power and do not blame others, so they can "Choose people and use them according to the situation." This sentence means that a general who is good at commanding and fighting should focus on relying on, utilizing, grasping and creating situations that are conducive to his victory, rather than being demanding on his generals. , so he can start from the development and changes of the overall situation and select talents suitable for taking on important responsibilities, so that he can take the initiative to determine the overall victory. This is a highly incisive summary and discussion of the art of leadership by Sun Tzu. A thorough understanding of Sun Tzu's thought of "choosing people and following their power" contains rich and profound connotations and lessons for today's business leaders and entrepreneurs.

The "situation" mentioned by Sun Tzu refers to the military "battle situation" formed by one party launching a military challenge or attack on the other party, which confronts two or more parties. Apply it to business operations, a major business strategic action decision planned by the company or a certain competitive situation (such as technological progress, new product development, marketing planning, etc.) displayed by operators in market competition, which will Various "business trends" are formed that operators face. But whether it is "war situation" or "business situation", there is a problem of "seeking the situation". According to Sun Tzu's thinking, the fundamental starting point for seeking momentum is "taking momentum", that is, making full use of the development and changes of the situation to create momentum and achieve the strategic goal of defeating the enemy. This can be seen from other discussions in "Position" see. To be able to "take advantage of the situation", you must first "know the situation". The so-called "knowing the situation" has two levels of connotation. On the one hand, it is to have the vision and ability to make judgments in advance of the development and trend changes of the situation; on the other hand, it is to know whether one has the conditions and strength to take advantage of the situation ( The main thing is whether we have core talents who can be appointed and take on important responsibilities), we must have a clear understanding. If you cannot "know the potential", it will be difficult to "take it from the potential". Therefore, "knowing the potential" is the prerequisite for "seeking the potential". Because of this, people in the world regard those who understand current affairs as outstanding talents. However, although a commander has the strategic foresight to "know the situation" and has talents around him who can take on important tasks, he cannot make full use of them, and will eventually fall into a disastrous situation of "losing power"

. This is also a key issue for the success or failure of business operations in today's market competition. Zhuge Liang, the Prime Minister of the Han Dynasty, was better than Sima Yi in understanding the strategic position of Jieting and in seizing the right time and place. However, he mistakenly used Ma Di as a general at the most critical point, which caused the entire army to be defeated. Fortunately, Zhuge Liang took some protective measures in advance. The catastrophe of the entire army was avoided. It can be seen that in the utilization and grasp of the situation, "Renshi" (selecting people and taking charge) is a key factor in determining the success or failure of a career. Because the selection of people and positions not only essentially embodies the business philosophy that success depends on people and people can create the situation, but also essentially embodies the ability levels of different talents. Only when their value is fully respected and are in the most suitable position to fully When the position is put into play, the employment rules that can produce the maximum creative energy can be achieved. Excellent commanders are good at using talents according to the situation, making use of their capabilities, boldly entrusting them, and using them freely. Therefore, they can build momentum according to the situation, ensure the implementation of strategic intentions, seize the momentum with unexpected victories, and firmly grasp the right to win. There are many such cases.

After Sun and Liu united to defeat Cao Cao, Zhuge Liang predicted that Cao Cao would be defeated and take Huarong Road. Who is sent to take charge of this road is of great importance. Because Zhuge Liang considered the overall situation, if he killed Cao Cao at this time, the situation would be even more chaotic and difficult to deal with, which would not be conducive to the realization of the strategic policy of "three parts of the world", so he set the strategic intention of "catch and release", but It can't be said clearly. Guan Yu is a hero of "loyalty and righteousness". Zhuge Liang sent him to guard the pass, and he had the effect of "killing two birds with one stone". If he were replaced by Zhang Fei, it would ruin things. It can be seen from this that those who are good at selecting people and taking advantage of the situation can create momentum-creating the current situation that determines the future overall strategy. In 215 AD, Sun Quan led his troops to attack Cao Cao, and Cao Cao sent Zhang Liao, Le Jin, and Li Dian to defend Hefei to compete with him. Cao's garrison only had more than 7,000 people, while Wu's army numbered 100,000. However, Zhang Liao and others relied on Cao Cao's instructions: "If Sun Quan comes, Generals Zhang and Li will go out to fight, and General Le will protect the army and do not fight." They gained the opportunity to counter the siege. The secret to victory is that Cao Cao is good at using people. According to "Three Kingdoms" records: Zhang Liao was "excellent in military force", Li Dian was "heroic", good at fighting with others, and "did not fight with the generals"; while Le Jin, although "short in appearance", was courageous, and he Together with Zhang Liao and Li Dian, "Control the divisions and brigade, pacify the masses and unite them, follow the orders without committing any offense, serve as the enemy's decisive force, and make no mistakes." Cao Cao assigned tasks to them based on their respective strengths, deciding who should go into battle and who should defend the city. Reasonable arrangements were made. Therefore, with such a huge disparity in strength, Cao Jun's defenders were not only able to make Hefei impregnable, but also achieved victory against the siege. The core idea reflected in the two battle cases is to know people well and appoint them appropriately, follow their talents and make appointments at the right time.

A person often has outstanding talents in a certain area and is most suitable for a specific job. If you make full use of your strengths and use them to the best of your ability, you can become a talented person; if you suppress your strengths and use your abilities, you can become a talent. If you are short, you will become mediocre. If a commander buries a person's most valuable strengths, it will cripple and destroy talents, and it will also cripple and destroy the country's cause. It is the greatest unkindness and injustice. It can be seen from this that a person who is good at recognizing and utilizing talents is a person with great virtue and talent; on the contrary, he is a person with bad virtue and lack of talents. In the actual employment of leaders, those who fail to use talents according to their abilities and select people according to their positions, in addition to their moral qualities, often have blind spots in the efficiency thinking of talents. Because the greater a person's talents and the more prominent their specialties, the more and more obvious their shortcomings tend to be. Leaders often see and hear more about the eye-catching shortcomings, and even compare their shortcomings with the number of advantages. Add and subtract, use his shortcomings to focus on his strengths, and the result is a negative value of talent value. As everyone knows, a person's greatest advantage may only be one in number, but the value and benefit it produces can be immeasurable. During the Three Kingdoms period, out of hatred for the deaths of Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, Liu Bei raised an army of 700,000 to attack Wu. The situation of the Kingdom of Wu was in danger. Because Sun Quan was against all opinions, he boldly recruited Lu Xun, a "scholar" with great talents and great ideas, to burn 700 miles of Shu army camp, thus turning Wu's country into danger. During the American Civil War, Lincoln selected three or four generals who had no major faults, but they were all defeated by the southern generals. After he accepted this lesson, he decided to appoint Grant, who was addicted to alcohol and drink but was able to strategize, as commander-in-chief. At that time, some people tried hard to dissuade him. Lincoln said: "If I knew what kind of wine he liked, I should give him a few barrels for everyone to enjoy." Later facts proved that it was Grant's appointment that brought about a fundamental turning point in the Civil War. Management scientist Drucker has a famous saying: "People's strengths are a real opportunity." All smart leaders understand this very well: they should use people's strengths as opportunities - they should be good at recognizing people's strengths. If you choose people based on their strengths, you will be able to win career success without losing any opportunity. This is exactly what today’s business leaders need to learn and learn from in employing people.

2. "Order with words, and unite with force."

"Sun Tzu Marching Chapter" said: "Therefore, order with letters, and unite with force. This is called It must be taken. If you teach the people to do things well, then the people will obey; if you don’t do things well, you will teach the people, and the people will not obey.”

"On October 1, 1991, "Newspaper Digest" published a report by the China Enterprise Management Association entitled "Matsushita Konosuke proposed the conditions for a joint venture with me a year ago - Japan's "technical know-how" plus the leadership know-how of the Communist Party". Chairman Comrade Yuan Baohua's article said: "The old man took out one of his bills and said: 'I want to have a joint venture with China. It is very important that Japan pays what conditions and China pays. One, I brought the technical know-how to this factory as an investment in Japan, and another very important one, the know-how of the leadership of the Communist Party is the same as my technical know-how, as an investment in China. '" The secret of the Communist Party's leadership that Yukisuke Matsushita talked about refers to the party's political and ideological work. As the president of a capitalist enterprise, it is really commendable to pay so much attention to the political and ideological education of our party and to have such profound and unique insights. The reason why Japanese companies dominate the world today is closely related to their emphasis on employee education. This has formed a unique and deeply rooted cultural concept of vocational education in Japanese companies: Japanese companies must conduct "entry into the company" for newly hired employees. "Education" mainly talks about the company's entrepreneurial history, the spirit of struggle that employees must have and the creed they must abide by. It teaches singing "social songs" and reciting "social mottos" and "credes." After new employees join the company, the company will also pass a variety of Various daily activities continuously instill "group consciousness" and "belonging consciousness" in workers, forming a group spirit among all employees. For example, the 7 "Panasonic Spirits" (the spirit of industrial service to the country) carefully cultivated by Konosuke Matsushita for Panasonic Electric Company; The spirit of aboveboardness, the spirit of unity, the spirit of striving for excellence, the spirit of etiquette and humility, the spirit of compliance and assimilation, the spirit of gratitude and gratitude) are even more carried forward today. She has become the code of professionalism of Panasonic employees and the ideological guide to guide the development of the company.

Today, employee education has become a major strategy for the development and competition of domestic and foreign enterprises. If a modern entrepreneur should become a talented person who knows people and is good at appointing them, then he should first be good at teaching people and know how to create talents. Educator. This is not only the call of the times, but also the urgent need of today's market competition. This is the more advanced science and art taught by Sun Tzu - the "literary" and "martial arts". - That is, soft management and hard management of enterprise management are different from each other, but also penetrate each other, influence each other, and complement each other. Hard management is the support and foundation of soft management, and often has a decisive influence on the implementation of soft management. Without the support of hard management, it is difficult for soft management to achieve the desired results. Soft management is the "guide", "lubricant" and "catalyst" of hard management and can play an irreplaceable role. The combination of the two - the combination of civil and military, and the combination of soft and hard, can win and achieve the best results. "Sun Tzu: Terrain Chapter" points out that "Thickness cannot be used, love cannot be controlled, chaos cannot be controlled, like a arrogant man, it cannot be used." also. "This means that if the soldiers are raised too much and cannot be used, if the soldiers are pampered but cannot be commanded, and if discipline is violated but cannot be dealt with seriously, such an army is like a "proud man" and cannot be used for fighting. At this time, Generals and commanders must understand the law and review orders, and use discipline to unify and manage the troops so that the soldiers can "use", "order", "govern" and "use"

The enterprise is. Places where modern production and operations are conducted include extremely complex management systems, including planning systems, production systems, technology systems, quality control systems, marketing systems, accounting systems, etc. There are many employees in the enterprise, and they belong to various systems. There are different scopes of responsibilities. In order for the entire system to operate efficiently, quickly, orderly, and coordinated along a unified goal, it is necessary to establish and improve scientific and rigorous organization and management institutions, unified discipline, and complete Rules and regulations, strict management rules. At the same time, there must be an organization's common values, psychological and cultural atmosphere and spiritual atmosphere based on employees' psychology and understanding, so that employees' creative potential can be fully utilized. March towards the same goal.

Modern enterprise management has entered an era in which hard management and soft management are organically combined. Effectively realizing the combination of the two is the source of high efficiency in management work and the source of enterprise vitality. This is what our business leaders and enterprises need. A topic of great practical significance that everyone seriously studies, explores and researches.

3. "He who has the same desires above and below wins"

"Sun Tzu: Planning and Attack Chapter" said: There are five ways to know victory, one of which is "He who has the same desires above and below wins." "That is to say, if the officers and soldiers work together and work together, they can win the war. This is the most fundamental condition that determines the outcome of a war according to the analysis proposed by Sun Tzu. So, how can we make everyone have the same desire? Sun Tzu pointed out in "Ji Pian": "The Taoist can make the people agree with their superiors, so they can die with them and live with them without fear of danger." In other words, a Taoist king can make the people agree with them. His wishes are consistent, so that in war, the people can live and die for the king without fear of danger. Here, the "Tao" proposed by Sun Tzu is the most fundamental and important factor that makes the upper and lower have the same desire. Sun Tzu preached in the same article: "The scriptures are based on five things - refers to following the Tao, heaven (natural timing and social timing), earth (geographical situation and transportation benefits), generals (choosing generals), and law (army). Analyze and study the possibility of winning or losing a war from five aspects (organizational system, establishment and national legal system), that is, "Tao" is listed first. It can be seen that "Tao" plays an important role in governing the country, the people, the army, and the industry. The importance of "Tao" also shows the significance of effective commanders and leaders.

What does Sun Tzu mean by "Tao"? He particularly emphasizes "people." "According to the above" refers to the politics implemented by the country that win the hearts of the people and comply with the will of the people - policies, decrees, legal systems, etc. "Tao" in modern business management has a wide range of connotations, but fundamentally speaking, it refers to the development of an enterprise Among these fundamental factors, business philosophy is the fundamental guiding ideology and basic program that runs through all business activities of the enterprise, and is composed of a series of new business concepts that guide the development of the enterprise. Starting from the actual conditions of the enterprise, we fully develop and utilize all possibilities for enterprise development to determine the specific approaches and strategic business decisions. The business strategy focuses on planning the long-term direction of the enterprise's development. Therefore, the business philosophy, business philosophy and management of an enterprise. Strategy has an overall, directional and decisive effect on the development of an enterprise, and is related to the future and destiny of the organization. If an enterprise has deviations in its business thinking and business theory, no matter how scientific the management method is, no matter how powerful it is. Technical strength will also be difficult to achieve and will inevitably lead to the failure of the company. It can be seen that business leaders who are good at formulating correct business ideas, business policies, business concepts and business strategies for the company are the ones who care about and reflect the fundamentals of employees to the greatest extent. He can fundamentally mobilize the enthusiasm of those under management, win the support and trust of employees, and achieve the goal of "making the people agree with the superiors" and "the superiors and the subordinates share the same desires." It is precisely because of this that foreign senior managers all agree. Use the main energy and wisdom to plan and formulate the company's business ideas, business concepts and business strategies, and always put strategic decision-making at the top of the company's operations to ensure that the company continues to prosper and develop, in order to radiate the loyalty of all employees The spirit of dedication and entrepreneurial enthusiasm of caring for one's duty, caring for each other, and sharing the same interests with the company are the essence of what our business leaders today learn from Sun Tzu's idea of ??making people agree with those above and those above and below who share the same desire to win.