“A scholar who cherishes the love of comfort is not fit to be deemed a scholar.” ~ Lao Tzu.“He who defends with love will be secure Heaven will save him, and protect him with love.” ~ Lao Tzu.“The flame that burns twice as bright burns half as long.” ~ Lao Tzu.“Ambition has one heel nailed in well, though she stretches her fingers to touch the heavens.” ~ Lao Tzu.“There is no disaster greater than not being content there is no misfortune greater than being covetous.” ~ Lao Tzu.“Our enemies are not demons, but human beings like ourselves.” ~ Lao Tzu.“If the people must be ever fearful of death, then there will always be an executioner.” ~ Lao Tzu.“Do you have the patience to wait until your mud settles and the water is clear?” ~ Lao Tzu.It also enables the leader to guide organizational adaptations to a changing environment. This trait allows the leader to “ mobilize his team to take advantage of opportunities,” said Sun Tzu. The confidence projected by a courageous leader lends credibility to his actions and decisions. Courage enables a leader to recognize the opportunities inherent in all risks. Consequently, their judgment is questioned by both subordinates and peers. The credibility of individuals who vacillate under pressure suffers. Key to my evangelizing efforts was to empower the stakeholders in addressing the security gaps.Ĭourage – Leaders must project decisiveness and courage in the face of challenges. The resulting lack of confidence in security consultants was a significant challenge to overcome. These individuals blamed the stakeholders for the control deficiencies they discovered and set a tone of mistrust that permeated their relationship. I have encountered the political fallout created by adversarial-minded security consultants. Leaders must shift to viewing individuals or teams as solution enablers. Humaneness must also be applied to the perception of organizational challenges. Armed with this knowledge, a leader’s time and energy can be focused for greater value. “ The leader must first understand the priorities and values embodied in the Tao,” said Sun Tzu. A leader must demonstrate his ability to employ his experience and knowledge to address a challenge relevant to the company. Boastful shows of intelligence may be perceived as arrogance.Ĭredibility – Credibility emerges from a reputation of trustworthiness and competence. Leaders must take care in how their intelligence is perceived. They must also understand the position of the organization in relation to their competitors. They must understand the needs and challenges of their colleagues. Their technical proficiency must conform to or exceed expectations.

Intelligence – If leaders are to succeed, their competence must permeate every aspect of their work. The leadership, however, plays a unique role in the organization – leaders are entrusted to rally support for, and implement, a strategy. The Tao impacts, and is impacted by, personnel at all levels.

Sun Tzu referred to this as the Tao, or way. Every organization is characterized by processes and culture that influence the conduct of business. In The Art of War, Sun Tzu characterized leadership as a mix of five traits: Intelligence, Credibility, Humaneness, Courage, and Discipline. Can you point to the elements that contribute to leadership? What is Leadership? Most of us will agree that it is a quality or set of behaviors that engenders sufficient trust and respect as to have others follow someone.

Sun tao quotes