The Art of War for Security Managers: 10 Steps to Enhancing Organizational Effectiveness

The Art of War for Security Managers: 10 Steps to Enhancing Organizational Effectiveness

by Scott Watson
Released May 2007
Publisher(s): Butterworth-Heinemann
ISBN: 9780750679855

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Book description

The classic book The Art of War (or as it is sometimes translated, The Art of Strategy) by Sun Tzu is often used to illustrate principles that can apply to the management of business environments. The Art of War for Security Managers is the first book to apply the time-honored principles of Sun Tzu's theories of conflict to contemporary organizational security. Corporate leaders have a responsibility to make rational choices that maximize return on investment. The author posits that while conflict is inevitable, it need not be costly. The result is an efficient framework for understanding and dealing with conflict while minimizing costly protracted battles, focusing specifically on the crucial tasks a security manager must carry out in a 21st century organization.

Table of contents

  1. Copyright
    1. Dedication
  2. Preface
  3. Acknowledgments
  4. 1. Introduction to The Art of War
    1. Executive Summary
    2. Today’s Threat Environment
      1. Enemy #1: Emotionalism
      2. Enemy #2: The Environment
      3. Enemy #3: Unrealistic Expectations of Oneself
      4. Enemy #4: Lack of Understanding
      5. Enemy #5: Ineffective Organizational Structures
      6. Enemy #6: Lack of Leadership
      7. Enemy #7: Poor Timing
      8. Enemy #8: Poor Execution
      9. Enemy #9: Predictability
      10. Enemy #10: Lack of Intelligence Capability
    3. Who Was Sun Tzu?
    4. Applications of The Art of War
      1. Martial Arts and The Art of War
      2. Business and The Art of War
      3. Politics and The Art of War
    5. The Art of War for Security Managers
    6. Discussion Questions
  5. 2. Be a Leader!
    1. Executive Summary
    2. Who Would You Follow into Battle?
    3. Fundamental Questions
    4. Who Should Lead and Why?
    5. The Leader’s Role and Characteristics
      1. Intelligence
      2. Trustworthiness
      3. Humaneness
      4. Courage
        1. The Spartans at Thermopylae
          1. Lessons
        2. Jackson at Manassas Junction
          1. Lessons
      5. Sternness
    6. Failures of Leadership
    7. Leadership
    8. Discussion Questions
  6. 3. Accept the Inevitability of Conflict
    1. Executive Summary
    2. Conflict Is Inevitable
    3. World-View and Conflict
    4. Business World Conflicts
      1. Conflicts over Objectives
      2. Conflicts over Resources
      3. Conflicts over Influence
      4. Interpersonal Conflicts
    5. The Security Manager and Conflict
    6. Chapter 3 Scenario
    7. Discussion Questions
  7. 4. Know Yourself and Know Your Enemy
    1. Executive Summary
    2. Who Is the Enemy!
      1. External Adversaries
        1. Criminals
        2. Competitors
        3. Terrorists
          1. Terrorist Group Typologies
          2. Terrorist Strategy
          3. Government Responses
          4. Terrorist Tactics
          5. The Security Professional and Terrorism
          6. Proactive Observation and Awareness: The Keys to Success
        4. Activists
          1. Activist Techniques
      2. Internal Adversaries
        1. Personnel Issues
        2. Internal Competitors
    3. Discussion Questions
  8. 5. Conduct Strategic Assessments
    1. Executive Summary
    2. Strategy and Tactics
    3. Sun Tzu’s View of Strategic Assessments
    4. Sun Tzu’s Strategic Assessments for the Security Manager
    5. Conducting a Strategic Assessment
    6. Chapter 5 Scenario
    7. Discussion Questions
  9. 6. Remember What Is Really Important
    1. Executive Summary
    2. The Schoolyard
    3. The Battlefield
    4. Lessons Learned
    5. The Business World
    6. What Really Matters!
      1. The Organization
    7. The Department
    8. The Security Manager
    9. Victory Is Important, Not Persistence
    10. Chapter 6 Scenario
    11. Discussion Questions
  10. 7. Engage the Enemy
    1. Executive Summary
    2. Preparations
    3. The Context of Battle
    4. Types of Militarists
    5. Fundamental Concepts of Battle
      1. Invincibility
      2. Vulnerability
    6. The Battle Equation
    7. Basic Battle Strategies
      1. Defense
      2. Attack
    8. Choosing a Basic Battle Strategy
      1. Force
    9. Chapter 7 Scenario
    10. Discussion Questions
  11. 8. Maneuver Your Army
    1. Executive Summary
    2. Terrain and Position
    3. Rules for Maneuvering Armies
    4. Movement
    5. Chapter 8 Scenario
    6. Discussion Questions
  12. 9. Adapt to the Battlefield
    1. Executive Summary
    2. Dynamics of the Conventional and Unconventional
    3. Adaptation and the Security Manager
    4. Conventional Security Management Knowledge
    5. Unconventional Knowledge
    6. Chapter 9 Scenario 1
    7. Chapter 9 Scenario 2
    8. Discussion Questions
  13. 10. Avoid Predictability
    1. Executive Summary
    2. Predictability: The Ultimate Strategic Advantage or Detriment
    3. The Balance
    4. Avoiding Predictability
    5. Notes
    6. Chapter 10 Scenario 1
    7. Chapter 10 Scenario 2
    8. Discussion Questions
  14. 11. Collect Intelligence
    1. Executive Summary
    2. The Importance of Intelligence
    3. The Intelligence Cycle
    4. Evaluating Your Intelligence Capability
    5. Intelligence: A Key Concept
    6. Chapter 11 Scenario
    7. Discussion Questions
  15. 12. The Art of War and Homeland Security
    1. Executive Summary
    2. “Objectivity” and the War on Terror
    3. September II, 2001—A Watershed Event
    4. The Wrong Question
    5. The Right Questions
      1. The Government
    6. The Private Sector
    7. The Big Question
    8. Definitional Problems
    9. Sun Tzu and the War on Terrorism
    10. A Continual War on Terrorism
    11. Conclusions
  16. The Armory
  17. Annotated Bibliography

Product information

  • Title: The Art of War for Security Managers: 10 Steps to Enhancing Organizational Effectiveness
  • Author(s): Scott Watson
  • Release date: May 2007
  • Publisher(s): Butterworth-Heinemann
  • ISBN: 9780750679855