Management lessons from ancient China

Kenneth Smit editorial | 08-04-2019

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Who says the best management lessons have to come from our modern history? The generals and military strategists of the Chinese Empire, about 2.000-3.000 years ago, were among the first to put their tactical thinking and vision on leadership and management on paper. These lessons are still widely used in modern management literature. This is guided by the lessons of General Sun Tzu, translated into, among other things, the book 'The Art of War'. In our blog this week we want to inspire you with 5 lessons from Chinese warfare that can be used in our daily management practice.

Lesson 1: numbers aren't everything, make sure you have a team that can be managed

The army with the largest numbers is not always the winner. It is not without reason that the Romans used small select groups of soldiers in their time that were easy to manage and agile on the battlefield. So don't build too large a team that is difficult to manage and will therefore become unnecessarily cumbersome.

Lesson 2: Self-knowledge is crucial to success

It all starts with self-knowledge. Do you know yourself and your team members? If not, it is virtually impossible to be successful. Every individual is different and brings different qualities and points of interest. “Know others and know thyself,” said Sun Tzu. We at Kenneth Smit firmly believe in this. That's why we offer, for example personality profilesmanagement assessments en sales assessments .

Lesson 3: Research is the best preparation

Knowing who and what you are dealing with is of great importance for managers. Thorough preparation ensures that you are prepared for everything that comes your way and also makes it possible to compare scenarios in advance. Provide your team with market information, performance analyzes and competitor information so that they can optimally equip themselves. 

Lesson 4: Guard the higher purpose

Many organizations fail because of managers who continue to micromanage. Almost nothing is more annoying for your employees and it is also very inefficient. Managers who micromanage are often disruptive, even if that is not the intention. It is no different in warfare. The general must oversee the battle, guard the higher goal, but not interfere with the individual tasks of the soldiers.

Lesson 5: ensure agility

Fast, lightly armed soldiers are much more agile than heavily armed soldiers. Agility and flexibility are also important within organizations. So limit the regulatory burden and bureau creation within your team, as well as the mandatory use of extensive tools that you practically have to be a programmer to understand. Ensure that your employees can move freely and respond quickly to the changes around you. Make sure they have the right tools at their disposal, but above all not too many.

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