the master strategist

Napoleon:

The Master Strategist

By Nisha Hariyani

Introduction

• The modern era trade could be called the “warfare”. Of business people as they maneuver for increased revenues on the battle field of commerce.

• Winning the business war could depend upon many factors such as– Focus in creating a plan– Flexibility– Good people skills & equipment– A good leader

Napoleon

• Napoleon Bonaparte used these factors to win his battles.

• Napoleon’s “la Grande Armee”

• This case correlates napoleon's warfare strategies with modern era business situations.

• Napoleon provides several insights to corporate strategist and today’s managers

Pedagogical objectives

• To link the N warfare Strategies vis a vis modern era strategies

• To discuss the concept of strategic leadership

• To analyze innovation strategies and first mover advantage

• To understand flanking movements of offensive strategy

Napoleon: the Master Strategist

• “You must not fight too often with one enemy; or you will teach him all your art of

war”

Napoleon always believed in attack, speed maneuver and surprise

The Napoleon Story

• Born on 15th aug 1769, on island of Corsica

• In his childhood, every morning before goin to school, he was given a piece of white bread. He used to give it to a soldier in exchange for a piece of coarse brown bread. When asked why??

• Napoleon replied “if I am going to be a soldier I must get used to eating soldier’s bread”

Napoleon’s Military Life & Strategies

• In 1784 he was admitted at a military school in paris

• In 1793, Corsica declared independence but napoleon broke all ties with his home town and remained loyal to France

Leadership

• He was considered as masterful soldier, an excellent administrator and a brilliant individual in the history.

• Napoleon adopted a strategy of “divide & surprise:

• He use to practice this by dividing and surprise enemy at battle field

• Napoleon’s behavior boosted spirits of soldiers

• His leadership skills changed a weak army into a brave one

Leadership & management Lessons

• He made sure that his army were well trained and before every battle he set on a very high level morale for his troops

• He knew how to speak to the soul• He mentioned that “men are moved by two

levers only: Fear & Self Interest• He started giving material rewards &

promotions• He used deliberate conceited measures to

bend men to his will

Surprise the Enemy

• In march 1798, the French army started assembling along the English channel coast awaiting planned invasion

• But quick inspection of the preparations he realized that his army is not strong enough to fight them.

• He suggested a new plan to strike at Britain's source of wealth and her sea trade.

Napoleon sought the weakest point of the enemy’s lines and threw all his strength against

that point at the decisive moment

Advantage through Innovation

• “strategy is the art of making use of time and space. I am less concerned about the latter than the former. Space we can recover, lost time never” – Napoleon

• In comparison to European army Naoleon army traveled faster due to his great logistic sense. Increasing his army’s speed

• Which helped them implement tactics faster then enemy

• Napoleon mentioned – “an army marches on its Stomach”

• To properly execute his plans he managed to take the local people’s help to supply him provisions

• He created a network of skilled and mastered man to provide him the fastest and most flexible logistics support

Napoleon victories depended on his personal leadership and his

tactical innovations

• Napoleon introduced a new era of wars of maneuver and made use of these

innovations to the greatest possible advantage.

“I see only one thing, namely the enemy’s main body. I try to crush it, confident that secondary matters will then settle themselves”

Napoleon Bonaparte