Leadership principles
In The Swordless Samurai, translated from the original Japanese, Tim Clark has given due importance to the simplicity of expression of the leadership concepts in Hideyoshi’s original writes Ganesh Sundararaman

The most significant figure in Japanese history, as far as the Japanese are concerned, is Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1536-1598). Even in his lifetime he was considered one of the greatest of the Japanese, and he was made a Shinto deity shortly after his death and given the title, Hokoku, or “Wealth of the Nation.”

He began in the most obscure circumstances. He was born of no traceable samurai lineage, the son of a peasant-warrior named Yaemon, and rose to become the complete master of Japan by 1590. Hideyoshi had no last name when he began to serve Oda Nobunaga; by the end of his life, he had assumed the family name, Toyotomi, or “Abundant Provider.”
During his childhood, Toyotomi Hideyoshi had the nickname Saru, meaning “monkey,” because he was known to act foolishly and climb trees. As he grew up, he attained higher rank, which required him to change his name. Many legends describe Hideyoshi being sent to study at a temple as a young man, but he rejected temple life and went in search of adventure. He started as a servant to local ruler Matsushita Kahei. He traveled all the way to the lands of Imagawa Yoshimoto, daimyo of Suruga Province, and served there for a time, only to abscond with a sum of money entrusted to him by Matsushita Yukitsuna.

At the start of his biography he joined the Oda clan, headed by Oda Nobunaga, as a lowly servant. He became one of Nobunaga’s sandal-bearers and was present at the Battle of Okehazama in 1560 when Nobunaga defeated Imagawa Yoshimoto, to become one of the most powerful warlords in the Sengoku period. Oda Nobunaga attempted to unify Japan through sheer brute force; Hideyoshi furthered this endeavor by concentrating on the arts of peace and administration, Oda had done, you might say, all the dirty work and it was left to Hideyoshi to forge a new administrative organization to guarantee unification.

Hideyoshi applied uncanny methods to the task. He was very successful as a negotiator. By 1590, with Nobunaga’s death, he was the undisputed master of Japan. The government that he built was founded on the old feudal system of personal loyalties rather than administrative centrality. While he pacified the country, he did not fundamentally change the Japanese way of national life. Most of the measures that Hideyoshi employed were instrumental in the long period of domestic quiet.
In The Swordless Samurai, translated from the original Japanese, Tim Clark has given due importance to the simplicity of expression of the leadership concepts in Hideyoshi’s original. There is a conspicuous absence of the jargon we read in contemporary exposes these days. Just 45 secrets, all applied by Hideyoshi to achieve various feats. Some of them simple logic; others the application of calculative strategy. The strategies take the reader through distinguishing oneself, succeeding at the impossible, crisis management, motivation, rewarding, and building an organisation. The whole sequence is spread across nine chapters, each eminently readable for its anecdotal strength.

After taking the reader through invigorating lessons on how to succeed, the 10th chapter seems to hint at the reason why the stability of the Toyotomi dynasty after Hideyoshi’s death was put in doubt. With the death of his only son Tsurumatsu, Hideyoshi named his nephew Hidetsugu his heir after officially adopting him. Hideyoshi resigned as kampaku to take the title of taikō (retired regent). Hidetsugu succeeded him as kampaku.

The last chapter is all about the failure of leadership, and almost confesses to Hideyoshi’s weaknesses. He himself succumbed to the pleasures of power. Seemed like an anti-climax to a long story of achievements.

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