October 21, 1998
Armies
Sun Tzu was a Chinese general who wrote an interesting text on the Art of War. One of the quotes I remember most is how he described the makeup of any army. For you see, there are always four types of people in one.
First, you have the generals, the leaders. They give orders and make the plans.
Next, there are the soldiers, the followers. They do whatever the generals command.
Third, there are veterans. Having battled before, they are advisors. Their knowledge is experience without the sweat.
Finally, there is this rare breed of person. The presence of just one of these rare humans can shift the course of battle. They are not leaders, nor are they followers. They fit to the situation. No matter how impossible the task, they somehow get it done.