While previous articles have addressed dominating a market, initiating a strategy and executing with speed, all using the precepts of Sun Tzu’s “The Art of War,” this column will use the same source to identify the leadership attributes necessary to win a protracted war of attrition.

What is the value of the knowledge, experience and analytical ability (or troubleshooting) that your dealership has developed in order to sell and support your customers? This ability, which has been developed over time and exists in the minds of you and your employees can rightfully be called dealership wisdom.

During my nearly 30 years in the equipment finance industry, I have witnessed several financial cycles that have impacted the agriculture equipment market. These ranged from the 1980s, when farm foreclosures and consolidation of equipment dealers and manufacturers marked a low point in U.S. agriculture, to the 2000s where we have seen explosive growth in both size and scope of farming operations and dealer groups.