strategy

Colin Powell on Leadership

I recently ran across this presentation by Colin Powell. I believe the lessons are timeless.

Lesson 1 - Being responsible sometimes means pissing people off

Lesson 2 - The day your people stop bringing you their problems is the day you have stopped leading them. They have either lost confidence that you can help them or concluded that you do not care. Either is a failure of leadership

The 33 Strategies of War - Robert Greene

Find your enemies, let them fuel you with purpose

Don't use the same strategies, be ruthless to stay in the present and not repeat the same tired methods

Do not lose your presence of mind in battle, learn to detach from chaos

Cut your ties to the past, place yourself on "death ground" fight like hell to survive

Use speed to bring untold power, striking first will make them emotional, unbalanced and prone to error

The 48 Laws of Power - Robert Greene

Always make those above you feel comfortably superior

Never put too much trust in friends - learn how to use enemies

Conceal your intentions

Always say less than necessary

So much depends on reputation - guard it with your life

Court attention at all costs

Get others to do the work for you, but always take the credit. Never do for yourself what others can do for you

Make other people come to you, use bait if necessary

Win through actions never through argument