Hide a Dagger Behind a Smile: Use the 36 Ancient Chinese Strategies to Seize the Competitive Edge by Kaihan Krippendorff
Business is warfare. Western business has been inculcated in the belief that business is about win/win solutions. However, in today's global marketplace there isn't fairness - there are winners and losers. Today's competitive terrain calls for new tactics as well as an understanding of how your opponents approach the world.Using ancient Eastern philosophy and military tactics from The 36 Stratagems, Hide a Dagger Behind a Smile shows how to create unpredictable corporate strategies. Weaving the story of each strategy with contemporary case studies from top business and strategic management schools, each chapter analyses a company's situation, options, decisions and results.The book is divided into four parts: Polarity - explores the balance of opposing forces; Yielding - illustrates alternatives to confrontations; Continuous Change - shows how to thrive in fluid situations; and, Indirect Action - proposes alternatives to head-on conflict.Hide a Dagger Behind a Smile is a timely and timeless resource for executives and corporate strategists looking to win their most contentious battles.