3 Lessons from Sun Tsu’s The Art of War
How to win in business and in life
When faced with a complex decision, all too often we rush to the most obvious next step. We look at what’s in front of us and impulsively make an emotional choice while deluding ourselves into believing it’s rational.
Rest assured, if you’re sitting there thinking ‘Oh no, that’s not me, I’m too analytical for that’, then you’re likely worse than most.
It’s not a bad thing, per sey. But it can be self limiting to business and personal pursuits alike if left unchecked. And the good news, it’s not that hard to introduce some strategic thinking to help you get the most out of your decisions.
While Sun Tsu’s the Art of War is famous as a military manual, most of it’s lessons are in fact lessons in diplomacy and strategic endeavour. In other words, it’s a book about winning.
And who doesn’t like to win.
Next time you’re facing a complex decision, think about these 3 things.
1. A battle is won before it is fought
In business, as in life, victory hinges or what you do before the fight.
Whether it’s a product launch, a big partnership deal or that high profile promotion, it’s the groundwork you lay before you show up to fight that will determine your success. Understanding the landscape, mapping the terrain, knowing the enemy, building a reputation that precedes you, securing alliances, rallying support and gathering resources are all steps that need to happen if you’re serious about the pursuit. And all of these actives happen far in advance of facing your opponent.
Then there’s the meticulous planning, resourcing and financing — and I don’t just mean financial. Your time and focus are your most precious resource. Spread either too thin or cast it too wide and everything falters. Be stringent with how you spend your attention.
Likewise, you can’t fight a battle on all fronts. Be wise with the direction you pursue and be ruthless with unncesscesary distractions. You must learn to tell the fight worth fighting from one that will drain your resources and leave you injured. Winning, broadly speaking, may require your to avoid the battle today.
2. Forget your successes
It may seem counterintuitive, but dwelling on your victories causes a dangerous arrogance.
Sure, learn from your successes. Like you learn from your failiures. But never forget there are no blueprints for winning.
The context of every victory is unique. It’s a fool’s errand to lock into a success and attempt to replicate it in the future.
Every win occurs under a unique set of circumstances at a unique place in time. A product of your actions and decisions, made in specific moments, and in response to the actions and decisions of the other actors involved. Your mental state, the environment, the words someone said, how you responded, the depth of your breath, the rate of your heart, the smell in the room, the squint in someone’s eye, the colour they wore, what you had for breakfast, how much sugar you put in that coffee…all of these things came together in a space that can never be replicated. And the role each of those infinite little things played in your outcome cannot be understood nor estimated.
Rather than fixating on your successes, it’s far better instead to remain fluid. To appreciate the nuance of the present moment and the power of responding to what’s in front of you. Remain flexible, a chameleon, forever adapting and calibrating to an evolving situation.
Weather it’s a marketing campaign, a client meeting, or performance review, honour the moment by being fully present in it, and let your sense guide you through it to victory.
3. Use your enemy’s strength against them
Strengths are blindspots. And blindspots are liabilities.
Up against a dynamic, feisty challenger? Let them exhaust themselves before you even get started.
Facing a rival of unprecedented scale? Size will make them slow and sluggish, while you remain agile and footloose.
Up against an intellectual powerhouse? Let them keep thinking while you act.
Know your enemy. When you do, it’s far easier to let them revert to type while you plan a select number of strategic moves. Quite often, stepping back and letting them do their natural thing will uproot their demise. You won’t have to do much. Let them throw their punch, step back, and watch the momentum carry them away.
A fight is always exhausting. The more you let your opponent do to take themselves down, the better.
If you look at your competition and you see threat, look again. See them for who they are and look for the strengths you can use to turn the tables.
Final thoughts
To act truly in your own best interest, in pursuit of your objectives and goals, you must remain in a zen-like state. You must not be swayed by impulses. Your emotions have the power to derail anything you put your mind to and turn you into your own biggest liability. Anger and fear are incredibly dangerous.
Learn to rise above it or risk losing everything.
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