Becky Sheetz-Runkle - Sun Tzu for Women: The Art of War for Winning in Business

SUN TZU
for
WOMEN

THE ART OF WAR
FOR WINNING
IN BUSINESS

BECKY SHEETZ-RUNKLE

Copyright 2011 by Becky Sheetz-Runkle
All rights reserved.
This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any
form without permission from the publisher; exceptions are
made for brief excerpts used in published reviews.

Published by Adams Business,
an imprint of Adams Media, a division of F+W Media, Inc.
57 Littlefield Street, Avon, MA 02322. U.S.A.
www.adamsmedia.com

ISBN 10: 1-59869-907-5
ISBN 13: 978-1-59869-907-4
eISBN 10: 1-4405-1178-0
eISBN 13: 978-1-4405-1178-3

Printed in the United States of America.

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Sheetz-Runkle, Becky.
Sun Tzu for women / Becky Sheetz-Runkle.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN-13: 978-1-59869-907-4 ISBN-10: 1-59869-907-5
ISBN-13: 978-1-4405-1178-3 (ebook) ISBN-10: 1-4405-1178-0 (ebook)
1. Businesswomen. 2. Success in business. 3. Self-confidence. I. Title.
HD6053.S415 2011
650.1082 dc22 2010041350

This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information with regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional advice. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought.

From a Declaration of Principles jointly adopted by a Committee of the
American Bar Association and a Committee of Publishers and Associations

Many of the designations used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their product are claimed as trademarks. Where those designations appear in this book and Adams Media was aware of a trademark claim, the designations have been printed with initial capital letters.

This book is available at quantity discounts for bulk purchases.
For information, please call 1-800-289-0963.

To Miriam
My generous and loving mother.
Shes survived cancer, difficult marriages, and a stubborn daughter.

And my teacher, Soke Randy Hutchins
Hes modeled how to be a martial artist, and a teacher, but most of all,
a wonderful and selfless human being.

Contents

Chapter 1

Introduction to the Battlefield

About The Art of War

A masterpiece of military strategy, The Art of War was written by the Chinese philosopher-general Sun Tzu around 500 b.c. It contains thirteen short chapters totaling only 7,000 words, but its impact has been much larger than its size. Its teachings have shaped Eastern military and business thinking. In the West, the books popularity continues to grow as managers and leaders seek to apply its principles to their business challenges.

About Sun Tzu

Very little is known about Sun Tzu. He was a great military strategist who committed a distinguished lifetimes worth of knowledge to bamboo strips. Or he never really existed at all. The book may have been written by a collection of men. In an embodiment of his battlefield strategy, Sun Tzu is a mystery.

Until clear evidence presents itself, believe the origin you wish. The battles were settled a long time ago. The man or men who wrote the book have long since turned to dust. The lessons are what remain.

About the Translation

The English translation of The Art of War used in Sun Tzu for Women is the same one used in Sun Tzu: The Art of War for Managers: 50 StrategicRules Updated forTodaysBusiness, by Gerald A. Michaelson and Steven Michaelson (Adams Media). Alternate translations are included and noted when they offer useful interpretations of the material.

About Sun Tzu for Women

Sun Tzu for Women shows how sixteen core attributes from The Art ofWar can help women today achieve professional success.

This book doesnt extract ancient Eastern concepts and attempt to force-fit them into a modern Western context. Instead, real-life lessons from women who have survived and thrived in business illustrate Sun Tzus timeless lessons.

Sun Tzu for Women captures the spirit of The Art of War and makes it eminently accessible, relevant, and applicable to women who live and work all over the world.

Why You Need Sun Tzu for Women

Men are taught to apologize for their weaknesses,women for their strengths.

LOIS WYSE

Around the world, executives and managers embrace The Art of War. Male executives and managers, that is. Sun Tzus treatise on military strategy is rarely lauded as recommended reading for women. Maybe the harsh battlefield realities of a brilliant Chinese military strategist who lived five hundred years before Christ seem a long way from the cubicles, executive suites, and boardrooms of twenty-first-century female leaders. But following Sun Tzus strategies can help women get the absolute best out of their careers and themselves.

Sun Tzu for Women isnt a black-and-white discussion of how military campaigns translate into customer acquisition or how Sun Tzu would create a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis if he were in our boardrooms today. Its about how women can first understand, and then effectively internalize, Sun Tzus strategies to advance their careers and improve their businesses. The pace of our lives, our worlds, and our workdays is often so frenetic that true understanding is elusive.

The Guide to Your Journey

If you believe victory is your only option, Sun Tzu for Women is for you. It will help you define and develop the mentality and inner tenacity that you need to reach the pinnacle of your potential, no matter where you are in your career now. Sun Tzu for Women is about the journey from who you are to who you can become.

It reconciles ancient truths with modern realities. It shares memorable battlefield, boardroom, and life experiences of powerful women from antiquity to modernity, and includes examples from the authors two decades of arduous martial arts training.

The scenarios Sun Tzu describes may be foreign to many readers. But the applications are familiar. Timeless truths, both simple and complex, never go out of style.

For Sun Tzu, victory begins well before the battle is fought. The woman who hasnt cultivated the spirit of self-belief will be unable to carry out any of the tactics. Sun Tzu for Women will change how you see yourself, your circumstances, and your business.

Your Competitive Advantage

Women need to study The Art of War because their male counterparts do. For years, businessmen have used its strategies to become more effective leaders and implementers. Women who make the mistake of seeing this battlefield classic as too military or too masculine will lose out on the benefits their colleagues are realizing.

Sharing Common Pitfalls

Collectively, women in business experience many of the same obstacles. Maybe you:

Seek to avoid conflict

Are unsure of which battles to fight and when to fight them

Desire to stay in your comfort zone and keep the peace

Experience confusion about being true to yourself or adopting traits characteristic of male leadership models

Dont ask for what you want

Allow timidity to prevent you from achieving big

Fear the way boldness will be perceived by others

Are prone to distraction from outside the office