Musashi's Dokkodo (The Way of Walking Alone)

Japanese Way of the Sword, and The Definitive Interpretation of Miyamoto
Musashi's Classic Book of Strategy, among many, many others.
[3]
 The duel has been immortalized with an impressive, larger than life sculpture of
the two warriors battling on a small island in the Kanmon Straits, close to
Shimonoseki. Kojirō is depicted with his long sword whereas Musashi is armed
with his bokken. At the time of the battle the island was called Funa-jima, but
afterwards it was renamed Ganryū, after Kojirō’s style of swordsmanship, an
interesting historical oddity since Musashi won the battle.
[4]
 There are numerous (and conflicting) stories of Musashi’s childhood. In some
accounts his father died when he was eight, in others his father abandoned him
when he was that age, but we believe this to be the most likely explanation of what
actually occurred.
[5]
 RACI is an acronym that stands for Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and
Informed. It is a model that is frequently used in business to clearly lay out roles
and responsibilities for activities that cross organizational boundaries so that
everyone involved knows what they are supposed to do, nothing gets inadvertently

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missed, and there will be no duplication of efforts or arguments about who’s in
charge for each aspect of the work.
[6]
 Based on the Scoville heat unit rating, ghost peppers (otherwise known as bhut
jolokia peppers) are roughly ten times stronger than habanera peppers, twenty
times stronger than Thai green peppers, and 125 times stronger than jalapeno
peppers. Chefs must wear gloves when working with them and use very small
amounts in their recipes to avoid injury.
[7]
 Gordon Gekko was the fictional character played by actor Michael Douglas (in
the 1987 movie Wall Street and its 2010 sequel Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps)
who became a symbol in popular culture for unrestrained greed.
[8]
 The company was ranked at number 25 on the Fortune® 500 at the time, so this
event made headlines worldwide.
[9]
 For example, Nielsen’s 2014 global survey of 30,000 consumers in 60 countries
on Corporate Social Responsibility shows that 55 percent of consumers are willing
to pay more for products and services that come from companies that are
committed to positive social and environmental impact. The Asia-Pacific region led
with 64 percent followed by Latin America (63 percent) and Middle East/Africa (63
percent) while North America and Europe come in at 42 and 40 percent,
respectively.
[10]
 Of course, not all who draw a sword or carry a gun are warriors.
[11]
 This concept originated with economist Adam Smith when he wrote in his book
The Wealth of Nations, “It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer,
or the baker, that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own self-
interest… He intends only his own gain, and he is in this, as in many other cases,
led by an invisible hand to promote an end which was no part of his intention. By
pursuing his own interest he frequently promotes that of the society more
effectually (sic) than when he intends to promote it.”
[12]
 Productivity is defined as the real value of output produced by a unit of labor
during a certain period of time. From 1950 through 1987 the US significantly
outperformed the USSR every year using this measure. Post-Soviet Russia only
caught up with and surpassed the United States in 2009.
[13]
 Hmm, we are getting back to Heinlein, aren’t we?
[14]
Shouganai is actually a shortened or slang way of saying shiyou ga nai.
Directly translated it means, “There is no way of doing/going,” and presents the
idea of “it can’t be helped” or “nothing can be done.”
[15]
Carlos Hathcock (1942 – 1999) was a US Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant
who served as a sniper in the Vietnam War. With 93 confirmed kills, he was the 4th

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most effective sniper in American history, trailing behind Adelbert F Waldron (109),
Charles Mawhinney (103), and Eric R England (98). After the Vietnam War,
Hathcock helped establish a scout and sniper school at the Marine base in
Quantico, Virginia.
[16]
 That was about 5 months before he passed away after a long struggle with
multiple sclerosis in February of 1999.
[17]
At his retirement ceremony, Gunny Hathcock was given a plaque with a
bronzed Marine campaign cover mounted above a brass plate that reads, “There
have been many Marines. There have been many marksmen. But there has only
been one sniper—Gunnery Sergeant Carlos N. Hathcock. One Shot. One Kill.” You
can 
read 
more 
about 
his 
remarkable 
life 
at
www.modernamericanheroes.com/2010/07/13/the-story-of-legendary-sniper-
carlos-hathcock/
[18]
A character in Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne, Eeyore was a grey, stuffed
donkey with a pessimistic, gloomy, and depressive attitude. He expects the worst
in life and rarely if ever takes steps to avoid misfortune.
[19]
Certified Management Accountant, a globally recognized, advanced-level
credential for accountants and financial professionals.
[20]
Well, that and being one of the smartest people I’ve ever met, which in a
company that employs a lot of rocket scientists is really saying something.
Nevertheless, he was promoted from director to vice president in only a year, and
promoted again to CIO about three-and-a-half years after that. That’s the quickest
I’ve seen in the 28 years I’ve worked here. In the process he skipped over many
other executives who were equally competent because he was better able to make
friends and influence people.
[21]
 Studies indicate that roughly 1/3 of married office workers in the United States
have a trusted confidante (usually a member of the opposite gender) that they
consider a “work spouse,” someone with whom they share an emotional
attachment similar to or greater than that of their actual spouse.
[22]
 Tim Burton’s 1990 movie Edward Scissorhands is about a synthetic boy named
Edward (played by Johnny Depp) who is created by an eccentric scientist (Vincent
Price). He is human virtually every way but fitted with long, scissor-like extremities
instead of fingers on his hands.
[23]
For more information about these business models see “Customer Intimacy
and Other Value Disciplines” by Michael Treacy and Fred Wiersema, Harvard