Winning military strategies:Lessons for managers

“The art of war is of vital importance to the State.” Said Sun Tzu, the author of The Art of War, written in the 6th century B.C. According to him strategy was not planning in the sense of working through a to-do list, but rather that it requires quick and appropriate responses to changing conditions. Planning works in a controlled environment, but in a competitive environment, competing plans collide, creating unexpected situations.

Chief of Defense Staff , General Sarath Fonseka and the distinguished gathering prior to the commencement of the unique session.

Chief of Defense Staff, General Sarath Fonseka, placed in a similar competitive environment, described at the “Counterpoint”, an event organized by the PIM Alumnai, on August 21, 2009, the Sri Lanka Army’s strategy of acting like a guerrilla organization, the restructuring of the Army, ending corruption, increasing its strength, firepower and a direct chain of command that went from the top to grass-root levels. All these forced the end of terrorism in the country. To meet the requirements of a competitive environment, General Fonseka said “we changed our tactics and strategies. We started acting like a guerrilla outfit, making incursions into enemy territories in small groups and carrying out daring attacks when the enemy challenged us in the jungle”.

Dr. Uditha Liyanage, Director, PIM, commenced the activity and compered the event

General Fonseka’s keynote address, which enlightened the audience about the unique Sri Lankan experience applied in the military effort that may very well be applied in the business world too.

Professor Gunapala Nanayakkara, Managing Director, PIM International Centre, Dubai, emphasizing a point at the session

The event was moderated by Dr. Uditha Liyanage, Director, PIM
At the conclusion of General Fonseka’s keynote address, and the question and answer session, the audience gave him a standing ovation, a rare sight only an accomplished speaker would receive.