The Swordless Samurai is the story of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a peasant who rose to the rank of Kampaku or the emperor regent – the most powerful role in the Japanese government of that era.
What makes his journey interesting, aside from being a peasant which in itself is a huge deal because it was almost impossible to break out of your social class back in the day (as far as I know, it was like this everywhere), but he also had a lot of distantages: he was ugly (he says this himself), and was physically below average.
The book is walking you through his path from an unruly child peasant with nothing to his name, all the way through all of his ups and downs, to getting to the rank of Kampaku.
Each chapter describes one or more key moments in his journey from how he got himself a job as a lowly sandal bearer for an up-and-coming lord (Oda Nobunaga), how he used small opportunities strategically to prove himself and slowly move up the ladder, and ends up with a principle he calls a secret.
The Swordless Samurai is a light read, the lessons are well-known and repeated across different books of the same genre, in some cases, books have been written about similar type of principles.
One thing I found surprising, and really liked, was the final chapter on leadership and failure.
Here, Hideyoshi criticizes himself and talks about his own mistakes with no filter or attempt at justification. This was a pleasant surprise – to see such a powerful person be his own worst (and best) critic.
You might find the same secrets and principles from The Swordless Samurai repeated in other books and literature, but in my opinion, this doesn’t diminish the book’s value at all—it actually enhances it. When these same principles appear across different sources, it shows they’re timeless and have worked reliably for centuries across various cultures. These aren’t situational tactics that depend on specific circumstances or environments; they’re fundamental aspects of human nature itself.
Overall, I loved it. It’s a light, yet very informational read.
Should you read it? Yes. You’ll come out a better person for sure. It’s a good investment for a few hours of your time.
Some of my favorite highlights:
I was beginning to understand that viewing experiences as either good or bad was meaningless. The only thing that mattered was drawing lessons from them.
Sheer effort enables those with nothing to surpass those with privilege and position. This is the Secret of Striving: Leaders must work harder than others.
On finding a leader with vision:
- Does the leader demonstrate vision?
- Is the leader an innovative thinker?
- Does the leader evaluate performance—or pedigree?
- Is the leader’s organization the best size for you?
One of his strategic thinking gems:
Because I was uneducated and lowborn, large, powerful organizations headed by renowned lords were unlikely to employ me. But I took a positive approach to the situation by reasoning that a smaller clan would offer a new employee direct contact with leadership.
Great leaders can be wrong—but they cannot be unclear. A steadfast, focused vision of the future—one that inspires hope and confidence among followers—is the mark of true leadership.
Be a Leader, Not a Superior
Those who fear you may follow orders, but they will never be loyal. If you place yourself above your workers when fate turns against you, so will they.
And my two most favorite quotes that resonated so much they got integrated into my psyche without effort:
Prepare Meticulously Act Boldly
Whether you are leading builders or soldiers, every “impossible” challenge requires two things: a thorough study of the problem at hand and decisive action. People who perceive me as brash and impulsive fail to recognize the meticulous planning that underpins my bold actions.
the Secret of Personnel: Seek rather than solicit task rather than train.