The Great Wall of China
The Art of War is a treatise on military tactics and maneuvers. It was written in China in the 6th century B.C. by Sun Tzu. Over the centuries it has been modified, collected and quoted, but even 2,600 years after it was written this timeless work continues to shape the world around us, not only in situations of military combat but of business and international relations and even of everyday life. But understand this massive work on in-depth military strategy? The key is, like so many other topics, to break it down into small, digestible pieces and to apply the stratagem to something more familiar. That is exactly what we're going to begin to do.
Instructions
1. A leader leads by example, not by force. We're all familiar with this one. This leader is the boss who isn't afraid to get his hands dirty, the teacher who gives their students hands-on lessons, the co-worker who doesn't ask a colleague for help with anything that she wouldn't do herself. Sun Tzu's statement implies that we all have more respect for someone who walks with us, instead of behind us with threats of what will happen if we don't move. To understand this, think of how you feel being shown do something instead of being ordered to do something.
2. All warfare is based on deception. It's a dirty side of human nature, but the willingness to do anything to survive is one that runs deep, whether it's on a battlefield or in a board room. When is the last time you heard a co-worker fudge the truth a little bit to buy them more time? Maybe about the same time a police officer went undercover to infiltrate a drug ring. Ask yourself, what is camouflage, but deception? Think of how many times wars (and business meetings) have been won by the side that is the best at deception.
3. Victorious warriors win first, then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and seek to win.What is a locker room pep talk but a coach's affirmation that his team will walk away on top, and how many times has a doctor said that a hospital patient's spirit and attitude have made the difference between life and death? Imagine the difference between going into battle knowing you will win, and wondering what the outcome will be. What is the difference in how you will fight and how you will carry yourself?
4. Pretend inferiority and encourage his arrogance.Think of how many times you have seen the arrogant, overly confident employee get passed over for a promotion in favor of someone more qualified. How many times have you seen someone's worst enemy be himself, as he gets in his own way as he thinks that trying is unnecessary, because his opponents are so far beneath him. History is ripe with examples of the arrogant who have fallen: Hitler. Napoleon. Rome. When confidence turns to arrogance, it becomes a dangerous thing.
5. The best victory is when the opponent surrenders of its own accord before there are any actual hostilities. It is best to win without fighting. Consider how many times you have seen an argument averted because the participants want no bitterness, no hard feelings and no lost acquaintances. When one side is so intimidated by the other or so worn down by a non-combative strategy, the best possible result in the situation will occur.
6. Subtle and insubstantial, the expert leaves no trace; divinely mysterious, he is inaudible. Thus he is the master of his enemy's fate.We have all seen it; it's the softly suggested idea that is picked up and championed by someone who credits themselves as being the master of it. There are those who will refuse something outright when it was suggested by another, but will defend the same idea to the last breath when they believe it is their own. Consider how many times you have seen the same subtle suggestions in your own family: perhaps a strategically placed catalog around the holidays, an internet browser open to a certain page, or an anonymous note given to the boss to steer her in the right direction.
