Quotes About Strategy

In war there is no substitute for victory.

Wars may be fought with weapons, but they are won by men. It is the spirit of the men who follow, and of the man who leads, that gains the victory.

One arrow does not bring down two birds.

If the chief party, whether it be the people, or the army, or the nobility, which you think most useful and of most consequence to you for the conservation of your dignity, be corrupt, you must follow their humor and indulge them, and in that case honesty and virtue are pernicious.

He who fights and runs away May live to fight another day. But he who is in battle slain, Can never rise to fight again.

Decide which is the line of conduct that presents the fewest drawbacks and then follow it out as being the best one, because one never finds anything perfectly pure and unmixed, or exempt from danger.

When possible make the decisions now, even if action is in the future. A revised decision usually is better than one reached at the last moment.

It is better to arm and strengthen your hero, than to disarm and enfeeble your foe.

After a battle is over people talk a lot about how decisions were methodically reached, but actually there's always a hell of a lot of groping around.

The lame man who keeps the right road outstrips the runner who takes a wrong one ... the more active and swift the latter is, the further he will go astray.

Panic is not an effective long-term organizing strategy.

I have discovered the art of deceiving diplomats. I speak the truth, and they never believe me.

When in doubt, win the trick.

All business proceeds on beliefs, or judgment of probabilities, and not on certainties.

Something must be left to chance; nothing is sure in a sea fight.

You can discover what your enemy fears most by observing the means he uses to frighten you.

Enthusiasm can only be aroused by two things: first, an ideal which takes the imagination by storm, and sec ond, a definite, intelligible plan for carrying that ideal into practice.

Life is like a game of cards. The hand that is dealt you represents determination; the way you play it is free will.

Life consists not in holding good cards, but in playing those you do hold well.

True luck consists not in holding the best cards at the table; luckiest he who knows just when to rise and go home.

The greatest general is he who makes the fewest mistakes.

Victory goes to the player who makes the next-to-last mistake.

You can beat the Bear once, but never the same way twice.

You can't expect to win unless you know why you lose.