Quotes About Strategy

It was typical of Washington's style of leadership to present a promising proposal as someone else's idea, rather than his own.

Most commanders wanted as many good sources of information as possible. MacArthur was focused on limiting and controlling his sources of intelligence.

his was a profession in which a good leader constantly had to adapt to new weapons, whether he liked them or not

The Revsons apparently did not like a young psychologist named Joyce Brothers, who appeared as an expert on boxing. Thus the questions given her were exceptionally hard—they even asked her the names of referees—in the desire to get her off the show; their strategy had no effect: She became the second person to win $64,000.)

The problem with military policies that are built to domestic specifications and do not take into account the complexity of the real world is that eventually the real world intrudes.

In 1947, Kennan wrote, "The men of the Kremlin would suddenly discover that this fluid and subtle oriental movement which they thought they held in the palm of their hand had quietly oozed away between their fingers and there was nothing left there but a ceremonial Chinese bow and a polite giggle.

Lincoln replied that his strategy was just right, but he added tartly: "Please look over the despatches you may have rece[i]ved from here... and discover, if you can, that there is any idea in the head of any one here, of 'putting our army South of the enemy' or of [']following him to the death' in any direction." "I repeat to you," the President insisted, "it will neither be done nor attempted unless you watch it every day, and hour

Without even being aware that he was abandoning his original strategy, Grant developed a new plan for simultaneous massive attacks on the Confederate heartland by all the Union armies.

Unsuccessful in turning Lee's army, Grant then moved east, only to encounter Lee again at Spotsylvania, where between May 10 and 19 more than 17,500 Union soldiers were killed or wounded. Over a period of two weeks the Army of the Potomac lost nearly 32,000 men, and thousands more were missing.

The victory is not gained by the men at arms, who manage the pike and the sword; but by the trumpeters, drummers, and musicians of the army.

The victory is not gained by the men at arms, who manage the pike and the sword; but by the trumpeters

If you want to know the outcome of a game before the game has even started, you need to control each side.

Three rules for when you are under fire: 1) Always have a plan for what to do if something bad happens. 2) Always be the first to move; don't wait until the situation is clear, because by then it may be too late. 3) Keep moving until you find cover or your out of the fire zone.

Three Rules for When You Are Under Fire: 1) Always have a plan for what to do if something bad happens.

Misdirection. False signals. Spreading confusion. This is the Tao of deception.

It was about how empires try to save themselves in their declining years." "How timely," said Stone. "And how did the Ottomans try to save themselves, if I may ask?" "By keeping their subjects at each other's throats. The Ottomans were masters at sowing dissension. It was one of the few things they were good at, actually.

A game of chess is not an examination of knowledge; it is a battle of nerves.

David Ionovich Bronstein

Chess is infinite and one has to make only one ill-considered move, and one's opponents wildest dreams will become reality.

The most powerful weapon in chess is to have the next move.

There is not a single true chess player in the world whose heart does not beat faster at the mere sound of such long beloved and familiar words as gambit games.

It is a basic principle of Third Reich foreign policy only to tackle one thing at a time.

Luck take a second look at what appears to be someone's good luck. You'll find not luck but preparation, planning, and success-producing thinking.

The success combination in business is: Do what you do better... and: Do more of what you do...