A reading interest of mine outside of the class is "The Complete Art of War" by Sun Tzu. I first learned of this book while I was attending a leadership conference and the speaker, his name escapes me, was quoting the Art of War. I was impressed by the injection of quotes into his presentation and how they related to leadership. At the end of the presentation he revealed the source of the quotes and I was surprised to learn that they were made by Sun Tzu from 506 B.C.
Sun Tzu Was relatively unknown until he was revealed to the King during a time of war. The King's army was outnumbered and he was in need of a strategy that could overcome his opponents advantage, Sun Tzu provided the needed strategy and tactics. Many of these tactics are studied by the U.S. military today. The book not only serves as a tactical guide but can be used as a self help book for leaders and managers as many of the tactics apply to everyday life.
"One who's upper and lower ranks have the same desires will be victorious" (Sun Tzu, The Complete Art of War, pg. 52). This quote is written for an army that is about to go into battle. But, if you apply these same strategies to your company, team or family you can see that they could be very effective. If your team believes in the cause and you all share the same desire then you should be successful. I also believe that it can apply to relationships and many other areas of modern life. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in self improvement.
Hi, again, Kevin. I think that quote works well for teaching, too. Unless both teachers and students share a belief that the work is important, the learning won't happen. I am hoping this course will be relevant and maybe a little fun for all! :) Nancy
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