Ninja Innovation

Ninjas Liked to Win

Samurai were ancient Japan’s highborn warriors, like the European knights of medieval times. Samurai lived by a code of honor called Bushidō. Their greatest glory was to die in battle. As 14th-century samurai Shiba Yoshimasa wrote, “One’s main purpose in throwing away his life is to do so either for the sake of the emperor, or in some great undertaking of a military general.”

That’s a noble, heroic sentiment, but not particularly driven by defined goals. The samurai were noblemen. They did not have to be capable warriors; they kept their rank as samurai even if they were poor swordsmen. They valued honor and respect, but not effectiveness or goal attainment.

Japan’s ninja warriors, who worked for the samurai, were completely focused on results. Unlike the samurai, ninjas came from poor families. The samurai selected ninjas based on their exceptional skills as warriors and their special abilities in “espionage, sabotage, infiltration and assassination.” Ninjas were the ultimate overachievers. They judged themselves – and other people judged them – only on their results. They didn’t care about image; they valued success.