The war in Iran pitted a financial power against a country under economic sanctions for 45 years. And yet, Tehran was able to resist, forcing the United States to negotiate. This war offers not only military lessons, but also management lessons, particularly for small businesses. This, at least, is the conviction of economist Magaye Gaye, who detailed these lessons in an opinion piece.

One of the lessons, according to Gaye, is that having more financial resources does not necessarily equate to greater competitiveness. “This conflict demonstrates that financial clout is no longer the relevant measure of competitiveness. The true measure is now strategic superiority—the ability to prepare, anticipate, adapt, and hold one's own against the adversary regardless of the disparity in resources. This truth applies to states as well as businesses, to banks as well as institutions. It must be included in every management curriculum worldwide.”

This observation leads to another: mastering one's adversary. According to the economist, SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) is no longer sufficient. Self-knowledge must now be complemented by knowledge of the adversary, including its strengths, weaknesses, and all other strategic intelligence. "The United States has perfectly assessed its own strengths. But it hasn't seriously analyzed Iran's real strengths, its deep resilience, its internal cohesion, or the extent of its regional alliances. It has built its strategy on a half-blind vision," argues the former ADB official.

The third lesson is the graduated strategy. Gaye points out that Iran did not try to compete with the United States on the basis of firepower. Tehran adopted, he says, a strategy of concentric circles, targeting in turn American military bases, the strategic infrastructure of Gulf states allied with the United States, and American interests in the region. This gradual unveiling of its capacity to cause harm created uncertainty about its arsenal, which, according to Gaye, tipped the scales during negotiations. "This doctrine—which we call the strategy of concentric circles—is directly applicable to the business world: any company, even a small one, can destabilize a dominant competitor by first targeting its partners, suppliers, and peripheral markets before attacking its core business," he argues.

In summary, a strategy based on reliable and accurate information, investment in technical ingenuity—particularly lightweight and suitable equipment rather than heavy and expensive weaponry—control of strategic flows and crossroads, and targeting the competitor's adversaries before engaging them directly are all essential tools that can help a company in a weakened but well-prepared position. This also includes preparing for adversity in peacetime, defining a rigorous timeline for any strategy, maintaining secrecy regarding the company's strategy, controlling internal information, and participating in all negotiations, among other things.