Wise words from the famous war strategist from ancient China and a maxim that Mr Ozeki Atsuhiro from Fuji Xerox Asia Pacific pledges by.

However, it doesn't have to be used against adversaries all the time. As the Human Resources Learning & Development Manager says, it can be used to understand people who are different from you and be adopted as a tactic to cope with situations that are unfamiliar.       

Interesting how Mr Ozeki, who was here for the SMU-FujiXerox programme, uses a centuries old adage to deal with change and uncertainty.

This was but one of the many intriguing insights professionals attending the programmes at SMU's Office of Executive Education offered during their stay at the university.

For many, it was their first time attending such a programme and apart from savouring the chance of becoming a student again, they were also pleasantly surprised at the amount of knowledge gained during the duration of the course.

One such participant was Mr Ozeki's colleague, Mr Kim Hyang Mok, from Fuji Xerox Korea.

Citing the programme he was attending, he said, "This is my first time participating in such an initiative, and I've had the opportunity to interact with my colleagues from countries like Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore. Whenever someone speaks, I learn something new. But of course, I especially take note of the parts which will be useful when transported back to Korea's context."

Indeed, the Global Business Department Manager sees accepting change and embracing diversity as striking a very fine balance - between the old and new, the familiar and the foreign.

For Ms Christina Angstenberger, a SMU-NOL Management Development Programme participant, a handy mental toolbox is always at her disposal when she faces a new challenge.

"This contains 'tools' I've accumulated mentally as a result of my experiences with different people. For example, through the course of my work, I have come to understand the Asian culture better. The concept of 'saving face' is very important to people here and I have learnt to exercise more discretion when dealing with people I've just come into contact with."

Mr Foo Hee Jug, who attended the SMU-SingHealth programme concurs.

The Chief Operating Officer of Singapore General Hospital said that the hospital environment can be a very stressful one, especially when people come in demanding medical attention quickly. Such situations require very delicate handling and form part of the daily scene there.

He goes on to elaborate, "I try to lead by example and empathise with the person in that situation. They usually calm down when they see you reaching out and trying to help."

His fellow participant, Chairman of Paediatric Medicine Division and Senior Consultant of Respiratory Medicine Service at KK Women's and Children's Hospital Professor Chay Oh Moh attests that encountering diversity constitutes part of her daily challenge at the hospital and has helped made her "more malleable, more open and more likely to embrace differences."

Most of the participants seem to agree, then, that diversity is good for the business environment and corporate culture.

But Mr V. V. Balaji, who hails from India and holds the appointment of Vice President, Broadband & Telephone Service, South Central Region at SingTel, cautions, "Do note, however, that diversity must be left natural. We cannot force it. Otherwise, we distort the business reality. We end up getting a warped sense of clients' needs. That's dangerous and costly."

Sound advice coming from the SMU-SingTel participant who helps lead SingTel's highly competitive broadband and telephone operations in Bharti , India .

Similarly, Mr Jesper Sorensen, team leader of the Europe SISC Operations of NOL, says that too much diversity could actually have a negative impact, as the larger the group, the more differences there could be and decision-making processes could take longer.

Drawing a parallel of the classroom setting at SMU to that of a mini global village, Mr Sorensen sees the convergence of so many talents in one place exciting and dynamic - an excellent training ground for NOL to groom its future leaders.

Using the timeless hunters-and-skinners illustration, he likens the programme to a hunting ground to identify more hunters for the organisation, people who have an eye for emerging trends and who can spearhead new opportunities of growth. Combine this group with the equally important team of 'skinners' - people who take care of day-to-day operations - and the organisation is poised to excel and achieve even greater levels of success.

Be it changes, differences or diversity that we face in our personal or professional lives, ultimately it is about identifying the unique trait or strength of the individual and complementing it with the rest of the group to achieve the best synergy - the best possible combination of skills that will differentiate the expert huntsman from the average hunter.