THE ART OF WAR

THE ART OF WAR

 Who is Sun Tzu?

• He was a Chinese general, military strategist, writer and philosopher who

lived in the Eastern Zhou period of ancient China. He is traditionally
credited as the author of “The Art of War”, an influential work of military
strategy that has affected both Western and East Asian philosophy and
military thinking.

• The name Sun Tzu by which he is best known in the Western World is an
honorific which means "Master Sun".
Who is Sun Tzu?
 Who is Sun Tzu?

• Before hiring Sun Tzu, the king of Wu tested Sun Tzu's skills by
commanding him to train 180 concubines (king's mistress) into soldiers.
• Sun Tzu divided them into two companies, appointing the two
concubines most favored by the king as the company commanders.
• When Sun Tzu first ordered the concubines to face right, they giggled.
• In response, Sun Tzu ordered that the general, in this case himself, was
responsible for ensuring that soldiers understood the commands given to
them.
• Then, he reiterated the command, then again the concubines giggled.
 Who is Sun Tzu?

• Sun Tzu then ordered the execution of the king's two favored
concubines, to the king's protest.
• He explained that if the general's soldiers understood his commands but
did not obey, it was the fault of the officers.
• Sun Tzu also said that, once a general is appointed, it is his duty to carry
out his mission, even if the king protests.
• After both concubines were killed, new officers were chosen to replace
them. Afterwards, both companies, now well aware of the costs of
further frivolity, performed their maneuvers flawlessly.
His strategy
His strategy has
has then
then been
been published
published and
and
sold
sold millions
millions of
of copies
copies and
and many
many authors
authors
kept
kept writing
writing about
about his
his strategy.
strategy.
 So why is The Art of War
important?

• Business - strategic planning tips to help you prevail against competitors

• Sports - advice on the right tactics on a given situation

• Relationships - ways to plan and accomodate for the people around you

• Leadership - important guidance on what to do and, just as importantly,

what not to do when you are in charge
Five constant factors, to be taken into account in one's deliberations,
when seeking to determine the conditions obtaining in the field field

• The Moral Law - Follow the ruler regardless of their lives or dangers.

• Heaven - day and night, cold and heat, times and seasons

• Earth - great and small, danger and security, the chances of life and
death

• The Commander - wisdom, courage and strictness

• Method and Discipline - direction and marshalling of army into right

direction
 MORAL LAW

METHOD AND
HEAVEN
DISCIPLINE

COMMANDER EARTH
Sun Tzu's 6 Principles
Sun Tzu's 6 Principles
 1. "The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy
without fighting.“- Sun Tzu

• Achieving objective without destroying it.

• “Generally in war, it is best to take the state intact to ruin it is inferior to
this.” - Sun Tzu
• Since th goal of your business is to survive and prosper, you must
capture the market but you must do it in a way that your market is not
destroyed in the process. A company could do this in several ways;
subtle, in direct and low-key approach that will not draw competitor's
attention.
• “The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.”
- Sun Tzu
 2. Avoid what is strong, attack
what is weak.

• Focus on competitior's weakness which maximizes your gains while

minimizing the use of resources, this will then yield profits.
• Do not be too confident with your strength.
• “Thus, what is of supreme importance in war is to attack the enemy's
strategy.” -Sun Tzu
 3. All warfare is based on deception
• Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our
forces, we must seem inactive; when we are near, we must make the
enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him
believe we are near."
• Determine the enemy's plan first then you will know which strategy will
be succesful.
• To find and exploit your competitor's weakness requires a deep
understanding of their executive strategies, understand overall
competitive and industry trends occurring around you in which you will
battle.
• Conceal your strategy and keep your plan secret.
• “The general who wins the battle makes many calculations in his temple
before the battle is fought. The general who loses makes but few
calculations beforehand.” - Sun Tzu
 4. Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as
night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt.

• Take advantage of your competitor's unpreparedness, travel by

unexpected routes to strike them.
• Reducing the time it takes for decision making. Servicing customers are
critical.
• Think through to understand potential competitive reaction to your
attacks.
• “The quality of the decision is like a well-timed swoop of a falcon which
enables it to strike and destroy its victim.” - Sun Tzu
 5. Shaping the opponents
• Shaping means mastering the enemy and making them conform to the leader’s
strategy, rules, and will.
• To shape the enemy, one must first put together all that has been learned so far.
• A leader must know the situation; one must be able to deceive the enemy as to
one’s plans; and all this must be accomplished with blinding speed. These
principles must be combined in a strategy that “shapes” the enemy.
• That strategy must attack not only the resources of the opponent but also,
more importantly, the minds, thought processes, and wills of its leaders.
• Sun Tzu said: Whoever is first in the field and awaits the coming of the enemy,
will be fresh for the fight; whoever is second in the field and has to hasten to
battle will arrive exhausted.
 6. Character-based leadership

• A leader should be wise, sincere, humane, couragous and strict.

• Leaders must also always be first in the toils and fatigues of the army.
• Treat them well, they will produce results.
• “Regard your soldiers as your children, and they will follow you into the
deepest valleys; look on them as your own beloved sons, and they will
stand by you even unto death.” - Sun Tzu
 “Thus we4may know
STEPS of that there
ADVANCE CYCLE
are five
essentials for victory:
•1 He will win who knows when
to fight and when not to fight.
•2 He will win who knows how
to handle both superior and
inferior forces.
•3 He will win whose army is
animated by the same spirit
throughout all its ranks.
•4 He will win who, prepared
himself, waits to take the
enemy unprepared.
•5 He will win who has military
capacity and is not interfered
with by the sovereign.”
“He
“He who
who knows
knows whenwhen hehe can
can fight
fight and
and
when
when he
he cannot,
cannot, will
will be
be victorious.”
victorious.”
-- Sun
Sun Tzu
Tzu