Leading Wisely

9Choose your battles wisely

If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself, but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.

—Sun Tzu

He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.

—Friedrich Nietzsche

Lesson 6: Choose your battles wisely

Once upon a time, in Spain, there lived a gentleman whose name was Don Quixote. All day and night he dreamed of doing glorious deeds, going into battle and saving damsels in distress. Eventually, assisted by his faithful servant Sancho Panza, he decided to go on an adventure to fight his battles.

As they went their way, on a wide, open plain, they came upon the sight of a number of windmills. Don Quixote cried out: ‘Fortune guides our path, Sancho! Look at all these giants ahead! I will fight them and defeat them. It will bring us rich rewards.’

But Sancho Panza only said quite clear-headedly, ‘Where are these giants? I don't see any giants.’

‘Don't you see?’ Don Quixote said. ‘They're just ahead of you. Surely you see their long arms threatening us.’

‘But sir,’ Sancho Panza responded, ‘these aren't giants. These are just windmills.’

Don Quixote shook his head and responded sadly, ‘Clearly, my friend, you aren't a real adventurer. Can't you see these are giants? ...