The Master Strategists: Power, Purpose and Principle, Ketan Patel

（5冊目。この読書・学習記録は年末に読み返すためのものなので、全てnoteにまとめます）

Originally I assumed that this is a book about how to make strategy and that the book will provide some pragmatic frameworks to be a strategist and to make strategy. That was not the case – the book is about the greatest leaders in our history who changed the world in fundamental ways.

The author begins the book with the situations surrounding us: collapse of time of changes (e.g. product life cycle), connectivity of people, rise of determined people who are against the current regime (terrorists etc.) and technological advancement which created vast amount of information, availability of mass destruction weapons, etc.

We used to make strategies given analysis of the part, not the entire system. In the era of steady growth (like latter half of the 20th century), it worked well without causing fundamental problems. As we all aware these days, it is not the case now, and what kind of strategist is needed?

Thus the author talks about what the master strategists do. They focus not on part but on entire system of how things interact. They are the holders of the superior power (ability to win without fighting), purpose (one based not on individual agenda but a shared truth) and principle (search for the right answer and the adoption of the right position). The strategists are the great achievers in controlling their mind and can attain detachment to the situation and see the things without any prejudice or personal emotions, thus leading to the right observation and answer to the situation (I can’t agree with the statement more. I believe one’s intelligence is fundamentally the product of one’s own state of mind).

Even in difficult external environments, the master strategists create and maintain a system that is intelligent and adaptive, and thus fit to win. The two traits are of quite importance, because without them the organizations cannot cope with the rapidly changing external situations. The system consists of its leaders and followers, physical assets, capital, information and intellectual assets, its belief system, code and culture or way of doing things.

Then, what kind of people are the master strategists? The answer of the author is a bit far beyond what we may assume. Mr Patel cites the following individuals as the master strategists:
- Generals (Genghis Khan, Alexander the Great and Napoleon)
- Philosopher warriors (Musashi Minamoto and Morihei Ueshiba)
- Socio-political intellectuals (Machiavelli and Clausewitz)
- Great teachers (Buddha and Lao-tzu)
- Mystics (Meister Eckhart and Osho, an Indian guru)

Given what they do, the philosopher warriors may not seem to fit into the master strategist category, but I think that the author has a point. I also love to read books of them (especially Musashi Minamoto), because these warriors always face risks of death, the fundamental risk, and thus think about how s/he needs to assess and behave in the situations (and that is totally what strategy is about). The way they perceive the battle situations leads to the fundamental truth about the world and thus influence the entire society though not only his own deeds and thoughts but also those of his disciples.

By coincidence, what the author tries to convey in the entire book is quite close to what I began to pursue in 2015. The revelation came when I read books of Plato and thought about how one can be the “ philosopher king” (this philosopher king should definitely be one of the master strategists in Mr Patel’s definition).

What I am looking for now and wanted to know more from the book is that the path that the great strategists had taken to be the ones. Most of the contents is spent for who they are and what they do, but what matters to me the most these days is how they became themselves, because by knowing the path, I at least can understand (at least imagine) what I should do in my daily life.