The Swordless Samurai: Leadership Wisdom of Japan's Sixteenth-Century Legend: Toyotomi Hideyoshi - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0312382332 ISBN 13: 9780312382339

Verlag: St. Martin's Griffin, 2008

Inhaltsangabe

In a time of endless chaos and bloodshed, when the only law was the law of the sword, a peasant boy named Hideyoshi dreamed of becoming a samurai. Despite his lack of strength and size, he learned to outthink and outmaneuver every foe to become not just a samurai, but one of the greatest military and civic leaders Japan has ever known. Hideyoshi's timeless leadership secrets offer effective strategies for succeeding in business, con?ict, and life, and are destined to take their place beside such classics as The Book of Five Rings and The Art of War.

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Kitami Masao; Edited and with an Introduction by Tim Clark

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The Swordless Samurai

Leadership Wisdom of Japan's Sixteenth-Century Legend---Toyotomi HideyoshiBy Masao, Kitami

St. Martin's Griffin

Copyright © 2008 Masao, Kitami
All right reserved.
ISBN: 9780312382339

Chapter One

 

Gratitude, Hard Work,

 

Bold Action, and Devotion

 

So, boy. You wish to serve me?” 

 

Silhouetted against the blue-black sky, the man on horseback, with his horned helmet, towered over me like a demon as I knelt in the dirt before him. I could not see his face, but there was no mistaking the authority in his growling tone, nor the hint of mockery in his question.

 

I tried to speak and managed only a faint croak. My mouth had gone dry, so dry I felt as if I were dying of thirst. But I had to respond. My fate—and though I didn’t know it then, the fate of all of Japan—depended on my answer.

 

Raising my head just far enough to brave a glance at the demonic figure, I saw him staring at me, like a hawk poised to seize a field mouse in its talons.

 

When I managed to speak, my voice was clear and steady, and I drew courage with each syllable.

 

“That’s correct, Lord Nobunaga,” I said. “I do.”

 

It was a time of carnage and darkness: the Age of Wars, when the land was torn by bloodshed and the only law was the law of the sword. I was a young boy then, wandering the countryside alone, seeking my fortune, without a copper coin in my pocket. Even then I wanted to be a leader of men, but I could never have guessed how far that desire would take me.

 

My name is Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and today I am the supreme ruler of all Japan, the first peasant ever to rise to the absolute height of power.2 I was the only feudal lord—out of more than two hundred who lived during my rule—to earn my position through hard work rather than birthright. I rose from poverty to rule a mighty nation and command hundreds of thousands of samurai warriors. Now, I record these words so that my story might inspire others to become better leaders.

 

Some of you already lead many followers. Some of you have just begun your leadership journey. Some of you follow now, but aspire to lead. Regardless of your station in life, the timeless secrets disclosed in these pages will serve you well, for they apply equally to subordinates and superiors.

 

People called me Monkey for my mischievous ways—and because of my big ears, my oversize head, and my scrawny physique. I’m short and homely. Those who meet me for the first time are shocked—they don’t expect the most powerful person in the nation to resemble a bald, deformed dwarf. Some say I’m the ugliest leader in Japan’s history!

 

So be it. Perhaps I take the prize for the most unsightly overlord, but in my lifetime the people became dedicated to me—because I dedicated myself to them. That is the Secret of Devotion, about which I will reveal more later.

 

You may be surprised to learn that my successful quest to achieve the epitome of leadership was built on the commonplace notions of devotion, gratitude, hard work, and bold action. These principles appear so simple you might not consider them “secrets.” But few people comprehend their true power, and still fewer understand that they form the cornerstone of the samurai code, an honored protocol of conduct handed down for hundreds of years. The samurai code covers far more than the mere use of weapons, which is fortunate for me, since I have a reputation as the worst fighter in Japan’s history! But my most formidable weapon has always been my mind: You might call me the swordless samurai.

 

Throughout my ascent to the pinnacle of leadership I adhered rigorously to these precepts, and they served me well. The leadership lessons I learned then still hold true today, and the samurai code continues to resonate with leaders throughout the realm and beyond.

 

I was born a poor peasant in Nakamura, in Owari Province.3 Penniless, ugly, without social standing, resembling an ape—that was me: Hideyoshi, the monkey boy. My father died young. I changed jobs often and fought constantly with my stepfather. I was uneducated and enjoyed none of the privileges of the elite.

 

But I exploited the few assets I possessed. Poverty became an advantage because it allowed me to understand the common man’s struggles. Ninety-five percent of those who fight in battle are foot soldiers—people who live on the bottom rungs of society. I understand how such men feel and think because I was once one of them. That’s why I became so adept at winning their allegiance, and their admiration; they would do anything for me and gladly. In that respect, no other lord could hold a candle to me. How can those who’ve never wanted for food or clothing understand those who have?

 

My biggest disadvantage—or so I thought at first—was being short and skinny. As a youth, I wanted more than anything to become a samurai, but I lacked sufficient strength and dexterity. During the Age of Wars,4 each lord had to rely on his own private army to maintain power, and they often drafted soldiers from the peasantry. It was tough for those of us with puny physiques to distinguish ourselves. I was never much of a swordsman. Hell, even a third-rate ronin5 could lop off my noggin in a street tussle! I realized I needed to work with my mind rather than my body, especially if I wanted to keep my head attached to my neck.

 

So I became a samurai who relies on wits rather than weapons. I chose strategy over swords, logistics over lances. My approach to leadership allowed me to best all rivals. Scores of samurai followed me, and the lowborn and elite alike gave their very lives on my behalf. I’m deeply grateful for their sacrifices. And gratitude lies at the heart of leadership, as you will see.

 

Leaders Must Be Grateful

 

My tale has a humble beginning. Besides being poor, uneducated, and of undistinguished lineage, I was short, weak, and odd-looking. But I refused to allow those disadvantages to dictate my destiny. I had a passion for life rarely seen in this world. Though born a sharecropper’s son, I wanted to be a leader, and I was determined not to let my imperfections stand in the way. Deep in my heart I knew I was more than what the rest of the world thought me to be.

 

My father started out as a farmer, then became a foot soldier in the Oda army, only to be crippled in battle. My mother had to make ends meet by working as a farmhand. After my father’s death, when I was seven years old, she married a man named Chikuami, another farmer and former Oda soldier.

 

I was devoted to my mother, whose life had been a succession of trials from childhood onward. Even as a young boy, I sensed the depth of her hardships, and my desire to ease her burden shaped my destiny—but not before I caused her even more pain.

 

For I was a naughty lad who detested school and loved throwing rocks and playing at war. My mother had trouble controlling me, so she entrusted my care and education to a Buddhist...

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: St. Martin's Griffin
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2008
• Sprache: Englisch
• ISBN 10: 0312382332
• ISBN 13: 9780312382339
• Einband: Taschenbuch
• Anzahl der Seiten: 288
• Herausgeber: Clark Tim
• Kontakt zum Hersteller: Nicht verfügbar
• Verantwortliche Person: GPSR Kontakt; gpsr@libri.de; ; Europaallee 1; Bad Hersfeld; 36244; Deutschland