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Chapter 18. Business Strategy > The Origins of Strategy
18.1. The Origins of Strategy
Dictionary.com defines strategy as "the science and art of using all the forces of a nation to execute approved plans as effectively as possible during peace or war." As this definition suggests, strategy has a military history. In fact, its etymology leads us back to ancient Greece, where we find the term "strat-egos" ("the army's leader.")[2] Early works such as Sun Tzu's Art of War and Carl von Clausewitz's On War are still often quoted in the business world.
[2] "The Historical Genesis of Modern Business and Military Strategy: 1850-1950," by Keith Hoskin, Richard Macve and John Stone, http://les.man.ac.uk/ipa97/papers/hoskin73.html.
Sidebar 1. Famous Fighting Words"The best strategy is always to be very strong; first in general, and then at the decisive point...There is no higher and simpler law of strategy than that of keeping one's forces concentrated." —Carl von Clausewitz "Hence that general is skillful in attack whose opponent does not know what to defend; and he is skillful in defense whose opponent does not know what to attack." —Sun Tzu "It is a common mistake in going to war to begin at the wrong end, to act first and to wait for disaster to discuss the matter." —Thucydides "What is our aim? I answer in one word. Victory—victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory however hard and long the road may be, for without victory there is no survival." —Winston Churchill |
