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The Twelve Management Principles

The Twelve Management Principles

8. Possess a Fighting Spirit

Management requires a more combative mentality than any martial art.

I believe a fighting spirit is as indispensable in management as it is in any martial arts or combat sports. People who are so good-natured that they've never had a dispute or conflict with another person should promptly relinquish their position as president to someone possessing a stronger fighting spirit.

No matter how you justify your meekness, intense competition is a guarantee in the business world. Even the owner of a company with two or three employees must run the business with a fierce fighting spirit to protect them. I believe that unless the president challenges business rivals with this kind of fierce fighting spirit, the business will not be able to effectively compete.

This "fighting spirit," however, is not dumb, brute force. It is more like the fighting spirit mothers have protecting their young.

In the world of animals, for example, we can see a mother bird bravely stand up against a hawk swooping down to attack her nest of chicks. In this manner, even a small animal will dare to leap head-on at a big, powerful enemy about to attack her baby. Mothers show fierce courage and fighting spirit to protect their young, even endangering themselves to divert a predator's attention away from her babies.

I consider such "fighting spirit" necessary in order for managers to fulfill their duty.

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