Troops in desperate straits
Know no fear.
Where there is no escape,
They stand firm;
When they have entered deep,
They persist;
When they see no hope,
They fight.
They are alert
Without needing
Discipline;
They act
Without needing
Instructions;
They are devoted
Without needing
A compact;
They are loyal
Without needing
Orders.
Sun Tzu, ca 6th century BC was the author of The Art of War, an ancient Chinese book on military strategy. Research however suggested at some point that Sun Tzu's work was actually authored by unknown Chinese philosophers and that Sun Tzu did not actually exist as a historical figure. Many of the ideas from The Art of War were translated to typical business environments in more modern times.
(On the war of business, see blog to come, when tackling the television show 'The Topmanager'.)