1. I recommend ALL of Harts books, from Strategy to Why Dont We
Learn From History to his excellent biographies of strategic
geniuses like William T. Sherman. Like Greene, Hart has the ability
to communicate and explain timeless truths about strategy and
power. Reading one of his books is the equivalent of reading many
other primary texts because he so expertly synthesizes and
communicates what lies within them.
2. Boyd was a world class fighter pilot who changed warfare and
strategy not just in the air, but on the ground and by sea. His
concepts pioneered the modern concept of maneuver warfare (and were
used for the First Gulf War).
3. Musashi was a different kind of strategist, which is why his
book is so important. Most of us wont find ourselves leading armies
anytime soon. As a swordsman, Musashi fought mostly by himself, for
himself. His strategic wisdom, therefore, is mostly internal. Its
about the mindset, the discipline, and the perception necessary to
win in life or death situations. He tells you how to outthink and
outmove your enemies. He tells you how to fend for yourself.
4. Machiavelli is one of those figures and writers who is
tragically overrated and underrated at the same time. Unfortunately
that means that many people who read him miss the point and other
people avoid him and miss out altogether. Take Machiavelli slow,
and really read him. Also understand the man behind the booknot
just as a masterful writer but a man who withstood heinous torture
and exile with barely a whimper.
5. We tend to wrongly think that strategy is about coming up
with a genius plan and then committing to it. In fact, this is
often a recipe for disaster, particularly in business. Though
success often requires a total investment in a particular strategy,
this is also the recipe for extreme failure. Its a paradox. Michael
Raynors book has important thoughts on this inherent paradox as
well as approaches for mitigating and avoiding it.
