Sun Tzu's Art of Leadership

The Ordinary Leader is a contemporary take on leadership, based on the wisdom of SunTzu’s The Art of War. It provides a casual in-depth look into how we can better understand the situation we’re in and our relationship with failure.

Many English authors focus on the literal translation of The Art of War, leaving it up to the reader to understand the lessons and stories behind the text. This is difficult because the work was not intended for modern audiences – ancient Chinese is a rich and complex language that frequently contains historical references, hidden meanings, and words that are no longer used in modern speech.

Add to that the difficulties in finding the exact words to accurately translate context from one language to another, English readers can only hope to gain a limited and narrow understanding of the meaning and intent behind SunTzu’s words.

This book is different. Rather than worry about the accuracy of the Chinese translation, I’ve generalized the principles and lessons behind the text to help you understand how it applies to living richer lives today.

The Ordinary Leader 

The Ordinary Leader is an original and easy-to-read guide for personal improvement. Profound mantras and insights abound, not only from Sun Tzu’s classic advice, but also from anecdotal storytelling and depth of research. Told partly in parables, history lessons, and practical lectures on attitude and resilience, this book is both existential and academic. While the writing occasionally takes tangents, this is part of the ultimate message – “victory” can take on many forms, as can the profile of a good leader – comprising a wholly original and effective work of self-help.

Available:
Amazon paperback and Kindle

Independently published:
Fall 2020

What People Are Saying

Ed Malaker

The Ordinary Leader is a book that I enjoyed quite a bit. I actually own a hardcover and digital copy of the Art of War and have read it several times. I also enjoy the video game Romance of the Three Kingdoms which contains many of the characters talked about in this book. However, I never got a better understanding of Tsun Tsu’s teachings as I have after reading The Ordinary Leader. ✭✭✭✭✭

Hannah

I really enjoyed this read. Accessible and enlightening, Geoff Lew has taken Sun Tzu's The Art of War and stripped it down to its most relatable and simple principles for a more applicable day-to-day understanding of the content. Not only does Lew make the content more accessible, but he is also able to retain the complex and rich history that China has moved through without it becoming boring or tedious. A feat in and of itself. ✭✭✭✭✭

Brit

The Ordinary Leader is a must-read for everyone, whether you're in a slump or not. The book focuses on reframing failure and loss into a learning process rather than a negative aspect of life. We all experience highs and lows in life, but this read will show you how to appreciate your path. ✭✭✭✭✭

Meghan Soderholm

The Ordinary Leader by Geoffrey Lew is a fairly unique take on the foundations of leadership by incorporating ancient texts from history to illustrate why these methods work. At first, I was a little nervous and intimidated at first but, Geoffrey Lew does a brilliant job guiding and translating throughout the book on how these methods apply today. I also was afraid that this book would be more of a history text and not a motivational book but, that could not be farther from the truth. Each chapter was titled brilliantly in relation to what it takes to be a successful leader such as being more efficient and take continuous action. ✭✭✭✭✭

Shane E

I really enjoyed being able to learn more about Sun Tzu in a much more digestible format that I could relate to my own life and guiding principles. Geoff Lew takes the teachings from Sun Tzu's literary work and connects it back to modern life in ways we can all apply in our own situations. I seldom leave highlights throughout Kindle books that I read, but this one warrants ALL of the highlights and notes with its profound wisdom and knowledge. Highly recommend! ✭✭✭✭✭

Abby

Interesting take on subjects surrounding growth. I enjoyed this book as it took ancient world lessons and applied them to our current world struggles. Learning to let go, accept failure, accepting change, etc are timeless struggles that we constantly need to be reminded how to handle and this book explains it simply. If you’re struggling with control, grief, anxiety, whatever it may be, I would suggest you read this book! Would highly recommend. ✭✭✭✭