The art of strategic resilience: adaptation of eastern leadership philosophy for Ukrainian business

Іntroduction. In the current circumstances, effective leadership becomes particularly important – not as a formal management function, but as the ability of a leader to think strategically, inspire the team, and guide it towards achieving common goals. One such concept is Sun Tzu's treatise «The Art of War», which, despite its military context, contains universal management principles that remain relevant in today's business environment. The purpose of the paper is to identify the key psychological and cognitive qualities of an effective leader in conditions of uncertainty, as well as to adapt the strategic ideas of Sun Tzu's treatise to the specifics of Ukrainian business in order to improve the quality of management decisions. Results.The paper analyzed the basic principles of Sun Tzu that have practical significance for modern management: rational use of resources, adaptability to change, deep understanding of employee potential, building leader authority, and stimulating internal self-organization of the team. These provisions were adapted to Ukrainian management realities, which made it possible to consider them as effective tools for improving management efficiency in crisis conditions. In addition, the study systematized a set of traits that define an effective leader and classified them into two main groups – psychological and cognitive. This approach made it possible to form a generalized psychological portrait of a modern Ukrainian leader who is able not only to make strategically sound decisions, but also to build trusting relationships within the team, promote the professional development of employees, delegate responsibility, and ensure the adaptability of management processes to changes in the external environment. Conclusion. The study proves that the integration of Sun Tzu's strategic principles into modern management practice can significantly increase the resilience of enterprises, strengthen team trust, increase staff motivation, and improve the overall organizational climate. The synthesis of Eastern management philosophy with the Ukrainian context allows us to rethink modern leadership as a combination of moral responsibility, strategic flexibility, and a focus on long-term development.