Strategy Institute

The Emotional Level of Missions

Submitted by GaryGagliardi on

One of our trainers asks:

I was wondering if you would expand on the concept of a philosophy at the “emotional” level. Thank you.

In one sense, all levels of the philosophy of a motivating mission are emotional because we have to care about them. However, when we discuss the four levels of mission as economic, professional, emotional, and spiritual, we specifically mean the personal one-to-one connections that tie individuals together.

Strategy and Scandal: Obama and Blagojevich

Submitted by GaryGagliardi on

Much of traditional strategy involves looking into the future and asking yourself about people's motivations and what they are likely to respond to your actions. Though people's responses cannot be predicted exactly, some responses are more likely than others. For Obama, political scandals like the political pedaling of Gov. Blagojevich are considered environmental attacks, equivalent to Sun Tzu's fire attacks.

Body of Strategic Knowledge Outline

Submitted by GaryGagliardi on

I have just finished the outline for the Institute's Strategy Book of Knowledge. This outline details the major categories of principles involved in traditional competitive strategy. This are the areas of strategic knowledge for which we will be providing certification. It is available on-line here. All Institute members are invited to comment about its organization or the areas that need more detail or clarification.

A General Theory of Success

Like all sciences, Sun Tzu's strategy for comparing positions simplifies the natural world with a set of principles. Even mastering a few of these principles makes it easier for us to understand how to improve our strategic position.

Throughout history, people have rediscovered these principles through trial and error.  These principles have been documented in various ways in different competitive arenas. Many are familiar from military history; others from sports; and still others from business.

Is Success Luck?

Competitive Arenas: 

Napoleon and Sun Tzu

Submitted by GaryGagliardi on

A reader writes:

Your web-page states that Napoleon made use of "The Art of War". I spent eight years studying Napoleon's early career, and never discovered a single piece of evidence to show this. On the other hand, it is quite clear that he made use of the writings of the great French strategist, Pierre Bourcet, as well as those of the Chevalier Du Teil, among others. Napoleon didn't really need to read "The Art of War" because European writings contained all that he needed to develop into a great general. Yours, Martin BB.

STARS Training Methods, Skills, and Resources

Submitted by GaryGagliardi on

Successful people are ordinary people who saw an opportunity and acted on it to create a position for themselves. Worrying about your situation won't help. Nothing is worse than worry except excuses. You can win the position that you were meant to have in this world, but to do so, you must understand positioning and how to explore opportunities.

Competitive Arenas: 

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