Newsmaker

Learning the Art of War in the boardroom

By Karen Yip (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-04-19 09:51

Business strategist says that knowing your competitors is one of the crucial keys to success

BEIJING - James Sun believes that most businesses don't even know they are at war.

Learning the Art of War in the boardroom

James Sun is setting up a $100 million hedge fund this year with an ex-Morgan Stanley banker to invest in the Asian emerging markets. [Provided To China Daily]

The 33-year-old TV host, public speaker, investor and entrepreneur travels the world, dispensing advice on fixing businesses. During a phone interview from Melbourne, he said he was convinced the main reason why some businesses were teetering on the brink of collapse was because they didn't know themselves or their competitors.

His prescription? Use the principles of the 6th century BC Chinese military strategist Sun Zi.

"Business is not something to be taken lightly," he said. "That's great if you have a passion for entrepreneurship but you had better be serious about it. It's like going into battle. It's like going to war.

"Look at the competitors as if they are willing to eat you. It's a zero-sum game to an extent. Seizing the enemy without fighting is the most skillful." Hence, surveying the market with alertness to competitors' advantages and weaknesses is one of the crucial keys for survival. From a traditionally run clothing business to a multinational, Sun said no company should be spared the Sun Zi treatment in an effort to invigorate flagging sales.

"In general, I feel that entrepreneurs in China don't go into business with the right attitude. They treat their businesses as hobbies and just to make money," he said. "When you ask them what they want to do with their business, most of the time they say they want to do good for society. But when reality sets in - that they couldn't make money out of charity - then what should they do?

"They have to change their mindsets. They need to adopt an attitude with military strategy such as Sun Zi. Win without warring. If you know both yourself and your enemy, you can win 100 battles without a single loss."

Spoken with conviction and from experience, Sun is a "general" in the know and is no stranger to wars. Against all odds, he broke barriers in the business world; his colorful life story, so far, shows no lack of determination, perseverance, shrewdness, hard work, luck and good timing.

Born in Seoul, raised in the United States and of Chinese and Korean ancestry, his family migrated to the US in 1981 with only $35 in their possession. They had no contacts and spoke not a single word of English. He had a rough childhood while growing up in Houston, Texas, where he battled racism and discrimination.

This background ignited a fiery drive in him at a young age to be successful. He owned a small business offering window-cleaning services at the age of 11. After graduating high school with a perfect 4.0 grade point average, he started a technology investment company with $5,000. He became a millionaire by 23 when he sold the company for more than $2 million while graduating with honors from the University of Washington.

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