ABSTRACT
Carl von Clausewitz likens conflict to a duel, with one trying to overcome the other, or submit to his will, but only on a larger scale. The core idea is to make the rival incapable of further resistance. Whereas Clausewitz recognized the differences in individuals and their innate capabilities for completing a task, the realities of competitive world dictate some remedies. The obvious ones include pairing individuals to complement each other’s capabilities, assigning the appropriate task to an individual who matches the skillset needed to do the job, and providing the proper work environment. In his writings, Clausewitz makes the additional point that the only situation a leader can know with any reliability is his own; he can know his competitor’s only from unreliable intelligence. Clausewitz asserts further that absolute, so-called mathematical factors never find a firm basis in all calculations.
