Sun Tzu's The Art of War:
The Classic Book for All Seasons
Name a 2500-years old Chinese handbook of strategy and tactics that provides thought-provoking, turn-of-the-millennium guidelines for those competing in the speed-driven global marketplace.
This book dominates any bibliography on the topic of strategic warfare from sources that are translated to English, including other Chinese authors, Machiavelli, and Von Clausewitz.
This book, The Art of War, was written by Sun Tzu, a famous Chinese military advisor. It is a treatise on the nature of conflict and competition that has been used on the battlefield and as well as the corporate boardroom. It has been said that this book is required reading in boardrooms and military schools worldwide.
Sun Tzu may be the most frequently quoted Chinese personality in the world today, eclipsing Confucius, Lao Tze, and Mao Tse-Dong. Mao Tse Dong, the former leader of the People’s Republic of China, often quoted Sun Tzu in his speeches and some of his writings.
Quotes from The Art of War have been used by political and military leaders, businessmen, lawyers, professional sport coaches, and athletes in their books and speeches, including celebrities such as NBA basketball coach Pat Riley and famed trial lawyer Gerry Spence. [Pat Riley's The Winner Within and Gerry Spence's How To Argue And Win Every Time]. During a "pre-Superbowl" show, former San Francisco 49ers (now Professional Football Hall of Fame) free safety Ronnie Lott told a Superbowl panel on Fox Sports (1997) that he usually ignores any pre-game distractions by reading his favorite book Sun Tzu's The Art of War. (It can also be found in movies like Wall Street and The Art of War.)
It has been rumored that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) made it a rule that any of their analysts who were learning about Asian culture were required to read this book. In the early 90's, there was also a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) article on the United States Marines using Sun Tzu's book as part of their training.
Historically, there have been little written about this mysterious Chinese military advisor, Sun Tzu of Wu. According to the author and historian Ssu-ma Ch`ien, Sun Tzu was a native of the Ch`i State. Around 512 B.C. the Warring States period of ancient China, Sun Tzu was ordered by Ho Lu, the King of Wu, to develop tactics for battle that would enable his army to defeat Ying.
Ho Lu questioned the efficiency of the strategies presented and asked that Sun Tzu's theory on managing soldiers be tested on 180 women who worked for the King. The women were divided into two groups that were each led by two of the King's favorite concubines. The women did not respond to any of Sun Tzu's commands as they were accustomed to taking orders solely by the King. After a few attempts to train the women with no support from the two group leaders, Sun Tzu ordered the two concubines to be beheaded. Accordingly, the leaders were beheaded and the next two women were put in charge. This time when the drill began, all of the women, without hesitation, followed and executed every command given.
Once the King understood Sun Tzu's philosophy on military management and discipline, he appointed Sun Tzu as the general of his army. It has been said that Sun Tzu was notorious for his well thought-out, psychological analyses on defeating the enemy. He became one of the most successful military philosophers and strategists of his time.
Outline of the Book
The following is a listing of the 13 chapters that are found in The Art of War:
- Calculations: The first chapter focuses on the first phase of strategic thinking, where the importance is in carefully considering your approach and plans.
- Waging War: The next stage discusses what it takes to develop and deploy a plan.
- Offensive Strategy: How to compete without competing at all.
- Dispositions: How to control the situation before the conflict even begins.
- Energy: How to use momentum and timing to defeat the competition.
- Weaknesses and Strengths: How to identify the best match-up by matching one's strengths to the weaknesses of the competition.
- Maneuver: How to tactically deploy and shift your forces before and during the combat.
- The Nine Variables: How to adapt to the realities of battle, which means one must adapt to the advantages and disadvantages of the moment that often determine victory or defeat.
- Marches: What it takes to lead oneself and the team through the challenge of the mission.
- Terrains: The different types of obstacles that one can face and how to deal with them.
- The Nine Varieties of Ground: Reacting to different situations and how to take advantage of these.
- Attacking by Fire: Identifying the different types of influences and how to use them (my favorite chapter).
- Employment of Secret Agents: The importance of gathering competitive intelligence on the competition and how to employ tactics against the competition.
Principles
The following are some of Sun Tzu's principles for those who are competing in the global marketplace:
- When deciding to enter into a new competitive area or marketplace, the costs of competition are the most important issue one must consider.
- In a competitive campaign, the best strategy to assure success is to avoid building a large army, deploying direct attacks and long confrontations.
- Embrace the risks of the competition to discover its rewards.
- When competing on equal grounds, the chance for success in a new competitive area is nil and min. From his essay on war, Sun Tzu advises that one can prepare for losses by keeping their investment small and their contests quick. Small, quick, failed efforts are easier to sustain and will get us more quickly to a successful effort that counts.
- The best resources to compete in a new market arena can be found from your competition.
- The most valuable income and resources are those that you take from the competition.
- Contests for resources are usually the most important for long-term success.
Position, dominance, and controlling people’s minds are all extremely important in Sun Tzu’s system of competition. However, these are not usually won through a competitive battle. Throughout The Art of War, Sun Tzu talks about attacking "areas that opponents must defend."
These areas represent supply lines, sources of food and water, and any other resources necessary to winning a war. A basic Sun Tzu first plan of attack is usually to secure the resources of the competition beginning with identification of an opponent’s resources. If these are not properly secured, then take them with overwhelming force. If these are won, share the rewards with those who helped us obtain them. At the same time, add these resources to our own supplies. Also, proper advertisement of that victory can weaken the enemy, while it makes the expeditor stronger.
There have been many articles and interpretations on this ancient Chinese text, The Art of War. My favorites are Samuel Griffith and Thomas Cleary. For those who are business-minded, I highly recommend Mark McNeilly’s book Sun Tzu and The Art of Business. Now in its sixth printing, it also includes the entire thirteen chapters from Samuel Griffith interpretation of Sun Tzu's original book, The Art of War.
Favorite Quotes
"Understand the principles (as in Sun Tzu's principles on warfare) and the enemy will be vanquished." Sun Tzu
"Generally, he (who) occupies the field of battle first and awaits his enemy at ease; he who comes later to the scene and rushes into the fight weary." Sun Tzu
"Nothing is more difficult than the art of maneuver. What is difficult about maneuver is to make the devious route the most direct and to turn misfortune to advantage." Sun Tzu
"He who knows the art of the direct and the indirect approach will be victorious. Such is the Art of Maneuvering." Sun Tzu
"Invincibility lies in the defense; the possibility of victory in the attack." Sun Tzu
"In planning, never a useless move; in strategy, no step taken in vain." Chen Hao
"Those skilled at making the enemy move do so by creating a situation to creating a situation to which he must confront' they entice him with something he is certain to take, and lures of ostensible profit they await him in strength." Sun Tzu
"Use the most solid to attack the most empty." Ts'ao Ts'ao
"If you are able to hold critical points on his strategic roads, the enemy cannot come. Therefore Master Wang said: 'When a cat is at the rat hole, ten thousand rats dare not come out; when a tiger guards the ford, ten thousand deer cannot cross.'" Tu Yu
"It is sufficient to estimate the enemy situation correctly and to concentrate your strength to capture him. There is no more to it than this. He who lacks foresight and underestimates his enemy will surely be captured by him." Ts'ao Ts'ao
"Speed is the Essence of War. Take advantage of the enemy's unpreparedness; travel by unexpected routes and strike him where he has taken no precaution." Sun Tzu
"Know the enemy and know yourself;
In a hundred battles you will never be in peril."
"Know the enemy, know yourself;
your victory will never be endangered."
"Know the ground, know the weather;
your victory will then be total." Sun Tzu
"One who has few must prepare against the enemy; one who has many makes the enemy prepare against him." Sun Tzu
"It is the business of a general to be serene and inscrutable, impartial and self-controlled." Sun Tzu
"Subtle and insubstantial, the expert leaves no traces; divinely mysterious, he is audible. Thus he is the master of the enemy's fate." Sun Tzu
"When campaigning, be swift as the wind;
In leisurely march, majestic as the forest;
In raiding and rlundering, like fire;
In standing, firm as the mountain.
As unfathomable as the clouds, move like a thunderbolt." Sun Tzu
"Success in warfare is gained by carefully accommodating ourselves to the enemy's purpose." Sun Tzu
"On serious ground, gather in plunder." Sun Tzu
Final Thoughts
In this speed-paced, technologyl-driven global society, can the reading of Sun Tzu's methodology on strategic warfare benefit people of this modern era? My response is that technology may change every six months but the method of deploying strategy will never change. As my business and game associate would say, "Strategy development and deployment is a skill for all seasons."
Understanding Sun Tzu's principles can provide one with a proper framework in learning how to develop a good strategy. While the amateur purely focuses on the tactics, the consummate professional focuses on the strategy. In the art of war, strategy is everything. In most conflicts, the strategist usually surpasses the tactician in macro- and micro-victories.
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