Sun Tzu on the five faults that ruin a leader. From The Art of War by Sun Tzu, about the 5th century BC.
Chapter 8 of The Art of War is short and patchy. Its 1910 translator, Lionel Giles, thought it had come down damaged and out of place.
But it ends with one of the book’s clearest lists. It names five faults that can ruin a general. When an army falls and its leader dies, it says, the cause will be found among them.
The Art of War names five faults that ruin a general: recklessness, cowardice, a hasty temper, pride that cannot bear slander, and too much worry for his men. Each is a strength pushed too far, and an enemy can pull on it. In 632 BC, Chu’s commander Ziyu fought to silence his critics, took Jin’s bait in anger, and lost at Chengpu.
Your best quality, pushed too far, is the handle others will pull. Practical advice: name your own handle, and decide now how you will answer when someone pulls it.
Well established · checked against 3 sourcesName the fault on the list that fits you, and plan your response.
“I take criticism at work too personally, and it drives my choices. How do I stop?”
The Five Ways Leaders Fall and the other 11 ideas of The Art of War, a minute at a time.
Download on theApp StoreEvery idea is drawn from the public-domain text, and its names, dates and quotes are checked against the sources listed with it. The paintings are made for Counsel; they show the scene, not a historical record.
