Synthesizing two books regarding business - Essay Example

Managers are directed by professional and technical competence while leaders should be drivers for change and capable of inspiring people to greatness by converting talent to competence. He seeks to answer questions such as; What is the difference between leaders and managers? and What drives great leaders to their success? On the other hand, Sun Tzu’s “Art of War” explores the subject of war, which is not particularly different from the contemporary business environment. He focuses on the importance of strategy and effective leadership in war and tries to answer questions like; When is it worth going to war or making peace?

He proposes that one must understand their enemy and like Buckingham, he talks about leveraging on ones strengths to ensure they get the upper hand. However, his methods tend to be rather Machiavellian, as he advocates deception where necessary if it aids one’s side achieve victory. According to the art of war, a great leader will know his strengths and weakness as well as those of the enemy (Tzu 50). Therefore, he will leverage on his knowledge to both take advantage of the battle and assume control over the environment subsequently securing victory.

Admittedly, given that people who lived centuries apart wrote these books, they have little in common in respect to the cultural or even social experience. Nonetheless, from a business perspective, distinct similarities emerge in the underlying themes that both authors express in their works. Both books are focused on achieving victory; while the art of war is a military book it has been used by business students for hundreds of years because of its timeless and effective lessons. It advocates leveraging on ones strengths and the weakness of the enemy, which is essentially the same idea proposed by Buckingham.

In Buckingham book, he proposes that great leaders must strive to understand their