Hide a Dagger Behind a Smile

Book excerpt: Rediscovered in the early 1940s, The 36 Strategies have gained increasing popularity in modern China * For any reader of Sun Tzu * The author has used the tactics of The 36 Strategies in his consultancy to help clients such as Microsoft, Ryder, Pfizer, and DHL outthink their competition. In today's global marketplace there isn't fairness--there are winners and losers. Today's competitive terrain calls for new tactics as well as an understanding of how one's opponents approach business. Using ancient Eastern philosophy and military tactics from The 36 Strategies, Hide a Dagger Behind a Smile reveals the strategies that will keep competitors guessing--and the profits soaring. Weaving the story of each strategy with contemporary case studies from top business and strategic management schools, each chapter analyzes a company's situation, options, decisions, and results and shows how businesses can incorporate those tactics into their strategies. Hide a Dagger Behind a Smile--by Kaihan Krippendorff, President of the Strategy Learning Center--is a timely and timeless resource for executives and corporate strategists looking to win their most contentious battles. AUTHOR: Kaihan Krippendorff (Miami, FL) is a former consultant with McKinsey & Company and the President of The Strategy Learning Center, a business education firm that helps large companies worldwide including Microsoft, Ryder, Pfizer, and DHL outthink their competition. He holds a B.S. from the Wharton School of Business, a B.S. in Engineering from The University of Pennsylvania, and an M.B.A. from Columbia Business School. He also studied at the London Business School. He has been mentioned in or written for publications such as Inc. Magazine, Harvard Business Review, Harvard Management Update, and appeared on radio programs such as NPR's Marketplace.