|
27. A whole army may be robbed of its spirit; a commander-in-chief may be
robbed of his presence of mind.
|
The 'spirit' of the
army is its dynamic motivation and energy to engage in warfare.
When an army starts out, its spirit is high. When it has achieved
great victory, its spirit is high. In between, it takes work to keep
up their spirit.
Spirit can be greatly affected by leadership. If the commanders
are positive and energized, they can give rousing speeches that
raise the spirit of the whole army. When their spirit is low, they
may make bad decisions.
Therefore it is important to sustain the spirit of the army and
especially its offices. The same is true in business. Spirited
leaders can make a huge difference to their workforce. |
| 29. A clever general, therefore, avoids an army when its spirit is keen, but
attacks it when it is sluggish and inclined to return. This is the art of
studying moods. |
Hence if you can
engage the enemy when your spirit is high and theirs is low, then
you have a significant advantage. Likewise it is unwise to engage
when the spirits of your people are low. |
