Entrepreneurship Strategy - 8 Lessons for Successful Entrepreneurs

Author: Long Xinming
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-12-01
Features: Entrepreneurship is undoubtedly one of the hottest topics today. Words like "entrepreneurial environment," "entrepreneurial era," and "college student entrepreneurship" frequently echo in our ears. The allure of entrepreneurship is undeniable: the ability to master one's own destiny, to work at one's own pace, to earn respect, prestige, and wealth through outstanding work, and to experience the pride of providing employment opportunities for society and creating wealth for the nation, and so on. However, don't think that it was easy for Bill Gates of the United States or Chen Tianqiao of China to succeed. Don't assume that the next person to get rich will be you. There are far too many people in this world who desire success and wealth, but the wealthy are few and far between. Most people still just have a job to make a living. So, how can entrepreneurs become one of the lucky few who succeed? In an era filled with MBA entrepreneurial case studies, entrepreneurs might as well turn their attention to their ancestors and draw wisdom for entrepreneurship from ancient Chinese military strategy.
War, as a form of violent confrontation among humans, contains elements of strategy, planning, command, organization, coordination, and supervision—key management components. Therefore, in a sense, war is a highly skilled competitive behavior and a unique form of management. Our ancestors were certainly qualified to speak on the subject of war. The military strategy classics, such as the "military books and strategies" and the "Five Classics and Seven Outlines," that have been passed down for thousands of years in China have had an immeasurable impact on the world. The fundamental reason why the Art of War has been passed down through generations and widely revered lies in its brilliant analysis of strategy and tactics and its strategies for defeating enemies. The Art of War has transcended the realm of military texts and is now widely applied in various fields, especially in market competition, where Sun Tzu's competitive philosophy is recognized and utilized by many entrepreneurs. Many Japanese entrepreneurs regard the Art of War as a guide to business warfare. They believe that managing businesses with the guidance of Chinese military strategy is far more rational and effective than American business management concepts. Daisuke Ikeda, the director of McKinsey & Company Japan, wrote an article titled The Impact of Sun Tzu on Japanese Business Management, pointing out that Japanese companies were able to outperform Western companies because they adopted Chinese military strategy to guide their business management. In his book The Strategist's Mind, he extensively cites the Art of War and declares it to be the "business management textbook" for Japanese companies.
The business world is like a battlefield, and entrepreneurship is like going to war. Whether it's the Art of War, the 36 Stratagems, the General's Manual, or the One Hundred Battles and Their Stratagems, the principles of war revealed in these works can be fully applied to guide business competition. For example, the well-known maxims such as "know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be in danger in a hundred battles," "plan before engaging in battle," "be prepared and you will not fail," "follow the heavens, adapt to the times, and rely on people," and "speed is the essence of war." The essence of both war and business is competition. In the modern business battlefield and on the path of entrepreneurship, as long as entrepreneurs are good at digging, willing to dig, and brave enough to dig, they are sure to draw wisdom from ancient Chinese military strategy and achieve true victory.