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"One who, prepared, awaits the unprepared will win."
- Sun Tzu Resilience is a popular term these days. It connotes the ability to withstand or bounce back from tough situations. To keep one's head, one's composure, even in the face of crisis. While resilience may be an important attribute to have, the Sun Tzu Way is ultimately not a philosophy of resilience. Rather, it is a philosophy of readiness. Readiness involves the ability not simply to withstand tough situations, but to anticipate them - and to use them essentially to determine one's response. For Sun Tzu, this quality is crucial in war. It is not enough for an army simply to bounce back from a bad situation. To keep its head when times are tough. That may keep the army in the fight, but it is not enough to secure its victory. Rather, the army, led by a wise general, must be prepared to respond in all types of situations. This is why Sun Tzu details so many different scenarios in The Art of War - from easy situations where the army has a clear advantage to vague situations where it is difficult to get a read on what's going on to seemingly dangerous situations where it seems like there is no option but to fight, even to death. It is through understanding these different possibilities and knowing how and when to respond that the army is ready to use every situation as a means to secure total victory (quan sheng). In life, the same idea is true. Being resilient is not enough for you to achieve a sense of security (an). It's not enough to able to withstand or bounce back from a bad situation. You must learn to anticipate danger or risk, to prepare for it, to know how to respond a situation so that you end up in a better place than before. It's not just about keeping your head; it's about using it to get ahead.
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In the world of strategy, we spend a lot of time focusing on what a person should do. How should they respond? How should they react? What is the game plan?
But, for Sun Tzu, equally important is knowing when not to act. Knowing when not to respond, when to stay put or shut up or hold back or even withdraw. In war, this knowledge is critical. Not all opportunities are equal. Because mobilizing an army can be very expensive and dangerous, a general must make careful calculations if he's going to send his troops out. For Sun Tzu, we should only act when we have the advantage, when the moment is right. Timing is everything. In life, the same idea is true. Success in life depends not on constantly doing, doing, doing. That is a recipe for burnout. Rather, it comes from knowing when to say yes to certain opportunities and when to say no, or when not to respond. But how do you know when not to respond or act? How do you know when to say "no"? How do you develop this knowledge? Sun Tzu offers us four situations where it's better not to respond:
These situations apply equally to the armies of Ancient China as it does to us. Let's go into each situation in greater detail. IF THERE IS NOTHING TO GAIN "If there is no advantage, do not move." - Sun Tzu For Sun Tzu, mobilizing an army to gain an advantage requires using resources. It requires coordination, money, food, and time. It also opens up an army to dangers, such as disease or fatigue. Thus, moving an army when there is no advantage to be gained is a huge waste of resources. While this reasoning may seem like common-sense, in our culture, it is very easy to get caught up in FOMO, or "fear of missing out." How many times do we subscribe to newsletters, websites, blogs, channels that end up just taking up space in home, phone, inbox, etc.? How many times do we accept an invite to an event or webinar that ends up just being a waste of time? How many times do we click on a news article or watch a video based on a scintillating headline, only to find out that it wasn't as exciting or interesting as we hoped? Take Sun Tzu's advice to heart: if there is nothing to gain, don't act. Don't respond. Don't subscribe. Don't attend. Don't read. Don't participate. Value your time and attention. Spend them on things that align with and support your purpose and help you along the Way (Tao). Ask yourself: Will this move me forward on the path I want to be on, or will it move me away from it? If it's away from it, you need to seriously reconsider whether you should give your time and attention to it. IF THERE IS NO DANGER "If there is no danger, do not fight." - Sun Tzu War is by its nature an intense and emotional endeavor. It is easy to get defensive and pitch battle when you see an enemy force nearby. But for Sun Tzu, this only makes controlling your nerves even more critical. Battles can be expensive - not just in terms of money, but lives. One should only engage in battle if there is a real danger, a real threat, to the army. Likewise, in life, especially in times of great social and political tension, it is very easy to get caught up in arguments and fights. Someone says something we disagree with, and we feel the need to speak up and argue with them. Someone criticizes something we said, and we feel the need to defend ourselves. Someone calls into question our idea or reputation, and we immediately try to attack them. These conflicts, arguments, and debates can suck up our mental and emotional energy, not to mention our time. The issue, though, with these situations is that often times, they can easily be avoided by simply not responding. Often times, they will go away by themselves. The next time you hear someone say something you disagree with or criticize you about something, ask yourself: Is there really any danger here? Or is it just my ego that wants to respond? Oftentimes, it is just our ego feeling threatened. Don't let it take control over your decision-making! You should respond defensively only if there is something real at stake - that is, if something or someone is threatening your ability to your ability to progress forward. IF YOU FEEL ANGRY OR RESENTFUL "Anger can return to happiness. Resentment can return to contentment. [But] a destroyed nation cannot return. Those who are dead cannot come back to life." - Sun Tzu For Sun Tzu, the one of the worst times to attack is when one is angry or resentful. This is for two reasons. First, anger and resentment tend to disconnect us from reality. Behind every feeling of anger or resentment is a feeling of disbelief - disbelief at what someone has done or is able to do. Such a disconnection in war is very dangerous, as it allows us always to be surprised by our enemies. The second reason is because anger and resentment lead us towards destructive behavior. For Sun Tzu, destruction often costs more than simply getting over a perceived attack or grievance. We risk the lives of our soldiers, and thus the security of our nation, when we act from anger or resentment. For this reason, one should never act out of anger or resentment. A ruler should never dispatch troops or a general throw soldiers into battle out of anger or resentment. In your own life, the same principle is true. How many times have we said something out of anger, only to regret it later? How many times have we broken someone's trust or confidence in us by responding this way? How many times have we disappointed, scared, or hurt someone we loved because we responded from anger or resentment? Never act from anger or resentment, even if there is something to gain (for example, someone complies with what you want). In most cases, you'll end up cancelling out whatever gains you make. Doing this often just builds anger or resentment in the other person - not true cooperation. Instead, ask yourself: What will I gain from acting out of anger or resentment? What could I lose from doing so? In almost all cases, it's not worth the cost, and in most cases, it won't really get you anywhere. IF BY RESPONDING THERE WILL BE GREATER DANGER "If I know the troops can attack, but do not know the enemy cannot attack, my victory is half. If I know the enemy can be attacked, but do not know the troops cannot attack, my victory is half. If I know the enemy can be attacked, and know the troops can attack, but do not know the ground in battle, my victory is half." - Sun Tzu For Sun Tzu, total victory (quan sheng), the ultimate goal of the general in war, is achieved through having complete knowledge or understanding of the situation. Knowing only whether you can attack, or if the enemy can attack, or if the ground is favorable, and not knowing all the others, puts your army at greater risk. Thus, for Sun Tzu, it is important to have a complete picture of the situation before committing troops to battle. Of course, this doesn't mean that the general will not act at all. Rather, he may try all sorts of things to get a better read on the situation. He may send a small skirmish to test the enemy. He may send spies to report back. He may try to build alliances with neighboring rulers. But when it comes to sending his soldiers into battle, it is only when the general has a complete understanding that he can confidently put his troops in danger. In your own life, this principle is the same. We are taught to act, act, act. To try our best, even if we fail. To be persistent and fight like hell and get back up if we are knocked down. But oftentimes, we can overextend ourselves. We get excited about some opportunity that turns out to be a wash. We are told by friends or experts to invest in some new scheme and end up losing our money. We burn ourselves out trying to make a certain career path or relationship work. While uncertainty and risk are natural parts of any endeavor in life, our role is not simply to accept them. Our role is to gain a complete understanding of our situation. We do not compete for half-victories. Of course, this doesn't mean that we simply do nothing. We can always do more to improve our situation. We can always learn more skills, gain more knowledge, acquire more resources or connections. But we should never compete for half-victories. So whenever an opportunity arises on your path, ask yourself: Do I have a clear understanding of how successful or helpful this opportunity would be? Is this something I can honestly say will benefit me, whether or not it ends up successful? If answer no to either question, you should definitely reassess. ~ All four of these situations have one thing in common: they are all distractions. Keeping to the Way (Tao) means being able to tell the difference between what will help you on the path or distract you from the path. So heed the advice: If there is nothing to gain, if there is no danger, if you are simply angry or resentful, or if it presents a greater cost or risk to you if it's not successful - then stop. Wait and assess. It's most likely not worth it. In trying to understand the Sun Tzu Way (TSTW), I like to use the metaphor of a path or journey. This is in keeping with the Chinese word for "the Way" (Tao), which translates to mean "road," "direction," or "path." TSTW is not simply a bunch of tools or techniques for solving the challenges you may face, but a continuous process of cultivating a sense of security, peace, and fulfillment (an) throughout one's life.
This process can be understood in three distinct phases, with each phase carrying the one before it, reiterating itself in a continuous cycle. These phases, each starting with the letter P, are
Let's look at each phase in greater depth. PURPOSE "The Tao is commanding the people according to a higher, shared purpose. They can be given death or life, but they will not fear danger or betrayal." - Sun Tzu For Sun Tzu, war is the path (Tao) of survival or destruction for a nation. A nation can only really survive war if its people are united and in harmony with the intentions of the ruler. This is what allows soldiers to act with courage and trust, not fearing death. To unite the people requires the ruler to develop and communicate a clear sense of purpose (what Sun Tzu calls yì) to the people - a compelling vision for the future. This purpose or vision is not simply about economic prosperity. Nor is it about developing a feeling of patriotism or nationalism. Rather, this purpose is spiritual in nature, guiding people in developing an elevated and deep understanding of their place in the universe. Thus, for Sun Tzu, the ruler is not simply an administrator, but a spiritual guide. As such, the first phase of following TSTW is developing a clear understanding of your purpose - what you want or were meant to do or achieve in life and why. This is something you must think deeply about for your life. Cultivating peace and fulfillment in your life will be difficult, if not impossible, unless you have a clear sense of the direction (Tao) you want to go in life. You must ask yourself: What am I here to do? What am I trying to accomplish? What change am I trying to make? What do I want for myself and others? Why do I want this? The clearer you are about this higher purpose, the clearer you understanding will be of how to manage the day-to-day situations, allowing you to better decisions that align with your overall sense of purpose. PREPARATION "Therefore, one who does not fully know the dangers of using the army cannot fully know the advantages of using the army." - Sun Tzu For Sun Tzu, developing and communicating a higher sense of purpose is only the first step. It may help establish harmony between the people and the ruler, allowing the ruler to command the people as a unified force against a powerful enemy, but that in itself is not enough. War, by its very nature, is an economic affair. It sucks up valuable resources, including soldiers, weapons, time, money. The longer a war goes on, the more people will suffer and the weaker morale becomes. For Sun Tzu, it is the general's responsibility to understand and evaluate the dangers of going to war and to prepare the army against these dangers. This responsibility is reflected in Sun Tzu's word for preparation, yú, which means "to worry" or "to anticipate." The role of the general is to worry about the dangers, to contemplate them, and to ready the army to deal with them. This involves understanding the strengths and weaknesses of the army as well as the enemy and planning how the army will get the resources and capabilities it needs to defeat the enemy. Similarly, the second phase of following TSTW - preparation - involves understanding the dangers involved in pursuing your purpose (yì). As I've written before, a core tenet of TSTW is that life is war. In a universe governed by chaos and competition, the universe will not simply stand aside so that you can achieve your life's purpose. It will provide obstacles to your path. Your role, as general of your life, is to understand and evaluate these obstacles and prepare yourself in dealing with them. You must understand what your strengths and weaknesses are. You must understand what difficulties will likely arise if you take action to pursue your purpose. And you must develop a strategy that allows you to navigate these obstacles so that you can advance forward. Ask yourself: What are the risks involved? What skills, resources, capabilities do I need to be successful? What do I need to know? It is only by taking these precautions that you can take your sense of security (an) into your own hands, allowing you to cultivate it as long as you are on the path. PROGRESS "Therefore, [the army] is as swift as the wind; as gentle as a forest; as invasive and plundering as fire; as unshakeable as a mountain; as difficult to see as the shade; as stirring as a thunderclap." - Sun Tzu For Sun Tzu, preparation is what keeps the army protected, allowing it to conserve resources and build up a strong defensive position against the enemy. However, preparation is not enough to achieve a skillful victory over the enemy. To do that, the army must accumulate an overwhelming set of advantages that tip the balance of power in its favor. This set of advantages gives the army momentum (what Sun Tzu calls shih), which it can use to surprise and overwhelm the enemy. For Sun Tzu, there are many ways the general can accumulate advantages over the enemy. These include building alliances with neighboring rulers; plundering the enemy's fields for food; capturing the enemy's soldiers, weapons, and equipment; taking control of territory the enemy has ignored; converting the enemy's soldiers, officers, officials, and even spies into his own spies; and luring the enemy with false baits (for example, misinformation) that take the enemy off his original course. Using these advantages, the general effectively weakens the enemy's position, creating multiple avenues for attack. As a result, the winning army has such an overwhelming advantage that it is as if the enemy is already defeated. As Sun Tzu famously tell us, "the winning army first wins, and later seeks to do battle. The defeated army first battles, and later seeks to win." Thus, for the third and final phase of following TSTW, our focus is on progress. Continual, unrelenting progress. Sun Tzu's term for progress is jìn, which means "to advance" or "to move forward." By continually accumulating advantages and eliminating obstacles in one's way, one continually moves forward on the path. No advantage is too small. Every new connection you make, every relationship you strengthen, every client you acquire, every skill you develop - these all help you move forward in your path. Therefore, the quicker you can accumulate these advantages, the more momentum (shih) you can build, and the greater your chances of success. For this reason, speed (su) is an important factor - both for Sun Tzu's winning army and for you. As a result, you want to continually ask yourself: What little advantages can I gain for myself right now? What opportunities can I jump on to help my situation? What obstacles can I remove from my path right away? What can I do immediately or in the near future to improve my situation? What can I be doing on a regular basis to gradually move forward? The most important thing to remember is that progress is essentially about control, what Sun Tzu calls zhì. This refers to the ability to create positive outcomes and/or prevent negative ones. What you are after is a greater sense of control in your situation. The more positive outcomes you can create in your life - e.g. wealth, love, health, joy - and the more negative outcomes you can prevent - e.g. poverty, resentment, anxiety, sickness, frailty, etc. - the calmer, more peaceful, more serene your life will be. In other words, if you are not able to generate more positive outcomes in your life or prevent negative ones, then you are not progressing. So ask yourself: What am I able to do now that I wasn't before? Am I in a better position than I was before? Do I feel more in control of my situation? ~ In short, the three phases here describe the path of the Sun Tzu Way. Living a life of an - of peace, serenity, calm, security - is essentially a result of clear purpose, obsessive preparation, and an unrelenting focus on increasing one's sense of control. Walking this path may not be easy, but with a 2,500 year old battle-tested philosophy to guide you, you cannot go wrong. In Western culture, there is usually a separation between risk and reward. One strives for the reward despite the risks. One braves the journey despite the dangers. One strives to win that marathon despite the risk of exhaustion. One strives to climb the mountain despite the risk of death due to injury, climate, starvation. One strives to publish one’s book despite the risk of no one wanting to buy it.
With this mindset, it is the commitment to achieving the reward that is seen as the primary reason for success. It’s the commitment to getting to that finish line, reaching the top of that mountain, getting on that bestsellers list. For Sun Tzu, on the other hand, there is an important relationship between risk and reward. As Sun Tzu tells us, “One who does not fully know the dangers of using the army cannot fully know the advantages of using the army.” In other words, risk and reward, danger and advantage, are inversely related. It is by calculating and managing or eliminating the risks that one actually reaps the reward. This is what Sun Tzu refers to as "contemplating the dangers." So, for example, it is by running daily, working one’s way up to running multiple marathons in practice, understanding the dangers involved and mitigating these dangers, that one actually is able to get to the end of the marathon. It is by imagining and predicting all the potential disasters of climbing a mountain, studying all that one can of the territory and what has stopped people before, and creating a plan that deals with those potential disasters, that one actually has a much greater chance of making it to the top. It is by understanding one’s market intimately, garnering enough committed interest in one’s book before one publishes, that one actually creates a bestselling book. With this mindset, the commitment to achieving the reward isn’t the primary reason for success. Rather, it’s the commitment to creating a strong plan. Such a plan must be guided by the risks and dangers you may face on your journey to success. In short, the idea behind good planning is not to achieve success, but to make success feasible. Once it’s feasible, then all that’s required is the commitment (and willingness to adapt) to make success happen. We've talked before about the importance of purpose as a fundamental principle of the Sun Tzu Way. Purpose - or what Sun Tzu calls Tao, or the Way - is about understanding and articulating your aspirations, values, and priorities - what you want to achieve and why. It sets the path (or Way) forward, and is essential in developing unity and focus.
But in truth, purpose is not a singular concept. According to Gary Gagliardi, a well-known translator of The Art of War and commenter on Sun Tzu's work as it relates to business, there are actually three levels to purpose. The first, and lowest, level is economic. This is the level of getting the resources needed to survive and maintain a relative state of stability and comfort in one's life. The second level is professional. This is the level of developing our unique skills and talents, building pride and confidence in ourselves, and gaining recognition, credibility, and success. The idea is to understand and prove what we are capable. The last level is spiritual. This is the level of improving, impacting, or transforming our lives and the lives of those we care about. This level is the strongest level because it extends beyond yourself. It demonstrates compassion (ren) - your ability to see other people's struggles and your desire to make the world a better place. In general, the higher your clearest level of purpose is, the more meaningful that purpose is -that is to say, the more enlightening and thus guiding that purpose is. Thus, your professional purpose, if clear, will naturally enlighten and guide your economic purpose, and your spiritual purpose is more meaningful than professional purpose. All of us operate on the three levels of purpose. The problem is that most people are only clear about level one (economic) or two (professional). Most of us understand that in order to survive and live a decent life, we need to have a consistent job that pays the bills. This is economic purpose. Some of us who are lucky also understand that having a job that we enjoy and feel pride in involves choosing a career that engages and supports our unique skills, talents, and interests. This is professional purpose. But it is a rare few of us who have a clear understanding for what change we want to have on others. For how we want to transform a field or industry. For how we want to impact the world. It is this last level that gives us genuine fulfillment in life. In your own life, think about these three levels. Ask yourself in this order:
The goal, though, is to be clear on these spiritual purposes. It is through clarity on each level that the Way becomes apparent. The Sun Tzu Way is, at its core, a philosophy of life. It provides a practical framework that users can use to not only overcome the challenges they face in life, but live a better life - one that is filled with greater calm, serenity, and happiness.
In studying The Art of War and developing my own understanding of the Sun Tzu Way, I've come to realize that there are five core tenets of the Sun Tzu Way. While belief in these tenets is not necessary by any means in order to utilize the principles and strategies, these tenets help provide a foundation for understanding why the Sun Tzu Way is so powerful and relevant to our lives. These five tenets, in short, are
Each tenet relates in some way to one of the five factors that influence or determine your situation. Let's review each tenet in greater depth. Tenet 1: Change is inevitable. For Sun Tzu, change is a natural, inevitable feature of life. Indeed, the word Sun Tzu gives for the factor that governs change is Tian, or Heaven. Thus, the forces of change are like ordained by the gods - completely beyond our control. It is responsible for the rotation of the seasons, the weather, the temperature, and the time of day. In your own life, change is also inevitable. Every day, you grow older, and so do the people around you. The habits, thoughts, and opinions you had when you were younger will certainly transform as you get older. The tastes or fads that were popular in your culture will eventually be replaced or transform. For Sun Tzu, change can either be the source of weakness, if you're not prepared, or opportunity, if you are. Thus, the skilled warrior (shàn zhàn zhě) of life not only accepts change, but embraces it. She sees in it the opportunities for growth and security - but only if she is prepared. Tenet 2: Life is war. The nature of change leads us to our second tenet: that life itself is war. Because change is the source of opportunities, competition is a natural consequence. People will always compete for better opportunities, especially if their situation has been worsened by change. In addition, we are naturally resistant to change. While change is natural and the source of opportunities, it also brings with it danger and risk. Not all change is good, even if it is inevitable. Thus, conflict is also a natural consequence to change. As such, the factor that governs this tenet is the Ground. The Ground, for Sun Tzu, encompasses both what we compete on and what we compete for. It influences our situation and determines the quality of our options. In your own life, it is easy to see that life is full of struggle. We struggle with the people in our lives, our circumstances, even our own selves. We struggle to learn, to change our attitudes, to advance our careers. Everything is a struggle in life. This is inescapable. The skilled warrior of life embraces this fact. He prepares his mind to deal with the challenges he inevitably is going to face. He knows that with every struggle he overcomes, another one is around the corner. So he is always vigilant, always careful about the struggles he faces. Tenet 3: There's no such thing as absolute control. For Sun Tzu, in war, one can never have absolute control over anything - one can only have more or less control in a situation than the enemy. Even more, if one has the ability to control what the enemy perceives, then one has greater control, or influence, over the enemy's decision-making. Thus, for Sun Tzu, control is a matter of degree and largely a matter of perception. We cannot completely control our situation, but we can gain advantages that give us more control or influence over our situation. To whatever degree we can increase our control, the better the outcome will be for us. The factor that guides this tenet is the General. Because the General controls the decision-making of the army, he must continually evaluate his options and make choices that gradually increase the army's ability to control its fate. He must constantly look for opportunities brought on by Heaven and calculate the best time to move forward. In your own life, the same idea runs true. While your actions and thoughts are, to a degree, within your control, this control is not absolute. Your thoughts, your actions, your emotional responses, your values - these are heavily influenced by forces beyond your control. These forces are biological, social, psychodynamic, cultural, historical, institutional, and economic. Your choices are never completely your own. On the flip side, you have more control or influence over your environment than you think. The things you say and do can affect others in profound ways. You are as much a part of your environment as it is a part of you. The skilled warrior of life does not seek absolute control, not even over herself. Rather, she accepts that the vast majority of forces in her life are outside of her control. What she focuses on is how to exercise the control she knows she has so that she can gradually increase it. The motto she follows in life is: "Strive to end up better than before." Tenet 4: Every action bears a cost. For Sun Tzu, running and mobilizing an army costs resources. Not just money, but time, effort, equipment, weapons, and even lives. This is another reason why life is war: resources are limited. This increases the need for competition. For Sun Tzu, the factor that governs this tenet is Methods. The wise and disciplined general understands how to manage his resources, including money, lines of communication, and his soldiers. His organization is focused on efficiency and effectiveness, using the enemy's resources when possible to not only supply his men, but to make war more expensive for the enemy. He uses training and simple communications to avoid confusion. And he avoid direct conflict with the enemy as much as possible. Likewise, in your own life, you need Methods that support what you are trying to do. You need efficient and effective practices, systems, principles, and techniques that you can rely on in different situations. Developing the efficient and effective methods requires education. It requires study and access to information. Thus, the skilled warrior of life understands that information is an expense that is always worth paying when it comes to reducing costs. He always seeks intelligence before making decisions and uses the appropriate methods based on this. Tenet 5: Strategy is the Way. The need for increasing control and managing costs is what makes strategy an essential tool for moving from where you are to where you want to be. For Sun Tzu, strategy is the bridge between aspiration and action. It outlines not only what you're trying to achieve, but how you understand you will get there. It determines your priorities and guiding principles. The factor that governs this tenet is Tao, or the Way. The Way guides the Methods as well as the General's understanding of the Ground and Heaven. It is the unifying principle that brings the soldiers, officers, general, people, and rulers together, giving meaning to the war they are facing and what is at stake. In your own life, strategic thinking is just as important for you as it is for Sun Tzu's general. You are the leader of your life. You need to make choices that maximize your control and serve your overall aspirations. You need to understand what is at stake with every struggle you face. You need to take strategy seriously. The skilled warrior of life understands that to achieve her goals and aspirations, she needs to think strategically. She always strives to understand the obstacles in her path and is willing to be ruthless in trying to eliminate them. She doesn't make excuses for why she is not progressing. Rather, she adjusts her understanding and adapts to the situation. That is the way of the skilled warrior. The SPAR Approach - my Sun Tzu-inspired operating system for dealing with daily challenges9/17/2022 At its core, The Art of War is a book of principles to be adapted to one's specific situation. It serves as an operating system for making strategic decisions. Utilizing this operating system involves asking the right questions.
In applying The Art of War to my own life, there is a simple four-step process I rely on when encountering a challenge or stressful situation. I call it the SPAR approach, which stands for Situation, Principle, Action, and Results. To be more specific you must:
Just as in martial arts, where you develop your skills through continually sparring, the SPAR approach represents a continuous loop. The more often you go through the steps, the deeper your understanding of your situation, how the principles apply, and which actions to take, and gradually your situation will improve. Let's look at each step in greater depth. SITUATION Sun Tzu painstakingly describes many types of situations one can face, but generally, there are three kinds of difficult or challenging situations you will face in life, all of which start with the letter "C": conflicts, competitions, and confrontations. Conflicts are situations where there is a lack of agreement, consensus, or alignment between you and some other party. In general, there are external conflicts (either with one person or multiple people) and internal conflicts (a conflict within yourself). An example of an external conflict would be a disagreement with your significant other, or a difference in vision between you and your business team. An example of an internal conflict would be your desire to eat that second piece of chocolate cake after dinner when you know you shouldn't. Competitions are situations where you must contend with one or more parties for some sort of advantage or reward. A sports competition is an easy example, but other forms of competition could be over a client or a job position. You could also compete with yourself, trying to do a better performance than you did before. Confrontations are situations where you must invest or risk resources (time, energy, effort, goodwill, money, etc.) in trying to resolve a critical issue, or else things won't get better (and most likely will get worse). Confrontations can be with people (an employee you have to fire, a family member who has a drug problem), but not necessarily. A burst pipe in your basement is an example of a confrontation. You can also have a confrontation with yourself - for example, if you have a drinking or gambling problem. These three situations are not mutually exclusive; often, you'll have a combo of two or three. For example, a disagreement with your spouse can lead to a confrontation. Or a confrontation with a coworker can develop into a competition. Interestingly enough, when it comes to the Sun Tzu Way, each of these situation relate directly to the core phase you are in. So conflict situations, for example, deal with issues in the purpose phase. They deal with a lack of shared purpose between you and the other party. Competitions, on the other hand, signal a potential issue with the preparation phase. If you are properly prepared (that is, protected and ready), then you will not need to worry about any competition. However, if you are not properly prepared - if you don't have a clear understanding of the risks and are protected against them - then the competition can be very real and can threaten your ability to achieve your goals. Lastly, confrontations are typically a sign of an issue in the progress phase. The reason why you have to confront someone or something is because it is impeding your ability to move forward, and may even be threatening or hurting your current status. The employee whom you have to confront for their poor performance might be keeping operations from running smoothly. The family member with the drug problem is continually adding strain and worry to your and your loved ones' lives, not to mention their own. Once you've determined what kind of situation(s) you're in, you can determine the guiding principle or principles to pay attention to. PRINCIPLE As I've talked about elsewhere, there are three core principles of the Sun Tzu Way: cohesion, concealment, and control. Like the three types of challenges, these principles also start with the letter "C." Cohesion relates to understanding and articulating your key aspirations, values, and priorities. Concealment relates to keeping one's intentions and capabilities hidden from other people in order to protect one's goals. Control relates to focusing on increasing your sense of control over your situation through adding advantages or resources and eliminating barriers that may be keeping you from advancing. Coincidentally, the three situations we described before relate directly to these three principles. So, for example, resolving conflict situations typically requires using the principle of cohesion. This is because these situations tend to be the result of a lack of a shared sense of purpose - of vision, values, or priorities. A disagreement with your spouse on finances, for example, betrays a lack of shared alignment and commitment on how money should be dealt with - saved, spent, earned, etc. Resolving competitive situations usually requires using the principle of concealment, that is, with controlling people's perceptions so as to hide one's intentions and capabilities. This allows one to protect one's interests and maximize the element of surprise. And resolving confrontations typically requires applying the principle of control. Confrontations are, essentially, battles for control. One party is trying to exert dominance in a specific area that intersects with the other party's path forward. Thus, the situation tells you which principle to focus on. If you are in a conflict situation, then you need to focus your efforts on understanding and articulating a shared sense of purpose. If you are in a competition, then you need to focus on concealment. And if you are in a confrontation, then you need to focus on gradually taking control of the situation. ACTION Knowing the primary principle we should focus on allows us to determine the best plan of action for addressing the situation at hand, whether it be a conflict, a competition, or a confrontation. Focusing on purpose in a conflict situation, for example, means striving to develop and articulate a shared understanding of the purpose of the task or area that all parties are participating in. Doing this requires asking others about their feelings, opinions, or perspective and trying to reach a consensus that all parties are clear on and satisfied with. Focusing on concealment in a competition includes identifying the key critical points where you can dominate and making yourself appear as a natural fit for dominating in those areas. For example, let's say you are applying for an open job position for a well-known company. Being hired for this company will likely be a very competitive process. One strategy would be to do as much research as possible on where that company may be weak with regards to that position. Ask yourself: What pain points may the company have? Why is this position needed? How may contributing in this position give the company a competitive advantage? In fleshing this out in the cover letter, resume, and interview, you are making yourself look like a natural (and positive) fit for the position, which is how your interviewers want to feel in hiring a candidate. Focusing on progress in confrontation situations involves identifying and accumulating advantages in your situation (e.g. allies, key information, money, etc.) that you can use to help you as well as identifying and addressing key barriers that may hinder your attempt to move forward. For example, confronting your employee about poor performance might involve:
It may also involve using effective tactics for addressing barriers that may occur in the conversation with the employee. For example, telling the employee directly that he or she has performance issues may put them on the defensive, not getting you anywhere. Instead, you may want to try the following:
This is just an example, but you can see how the process at least addresses the barrier of defensiveness the employee might have. RESULTS The last and probably most crucial step is reviewing the results of your actions. You need to know what works and what doesn't in your situation. The best way to evaluate the results is by looking at your current situation (after you've taken action) and comparing it to the ideal outcome for each kind of situation mentioned above. (Ironically, the ideal outcome for each situation also starts with the letter "C.") So for conflict situations, for example, what you are aiming for is consensus. You should feel like all parties are on the same page and have a shared understanding of how to move forward. Ask yourself: are you closer or further from reaching consensus? For competitive situations, what you are aiming for is confidence. You should feel prepared, like you have a strong chance of gaining the advantage you're looking for. Ask: are you closer or further from feeling confident? For confrontation situations, what you are aiming for is cooperation. All parties should feel that they are working together, not resisting each other or trying to undermine each other. Ask yourself: are you closer or further from a cooperative relationship? If the answer is closer, then you know to keep doing what you're doing. If the answer is further, then you have to change your plan of action. ~ As I said earlier, the idea is to use the SPAR approach as an iterative loop. The more you use it, the better things will gradually become for you. "Therefore, advancing not to seek glory, withdrawing not to avoid shame - but only to protect the people and benefit the ruler - [such a general] is the nation's treasure."
- Sun Tzu For many people reading The Art of War, they believe that the text is about how to defeat an enemy with deception and trickery - that is, how to play "dirty." For Sun Tzu, however, the cost of warfare - not in simply in terms of money, but in terms of valuable lives of soldiers and citizens - is too high not to use whatever means one can to avoid battle and overcome conflict. As Sun Tzu tells us later, "A destroyed nation cannot return. Those who are dead cannot come back to life." This is why Sun Tzu believes that only virtuous leaders can effectively use what some may consider "dirty" tactics - deception and espionage - in order to achieve victory. Without a strong sense of purpose (Tao) from the ruler and a strong general (Jiang) whose sole objective is to make sure the nation is protected and secure, the army and the nation will be in grave danger. In your life, the same principle is true. Your ability to lead yourself is key to maintaining a sense of confidence, peace, security, and happiness - what Sun Tzu calls an. But in order to do this effectively, you need to cultivate key traits, or virtues, that will allow you to make the right decisions at the right time with confidence. For Sun Tzu, a strong effective leader exhibits five key traits:
These five traits are critical. For Sun Tzu, any deficiency in even one of them can lead to disaster. In your own life, this is also the case. Try to advance in life without cultivating these virtues, and you'll find yourself having a difficult life. Let's take a look at each virtue below, including practices for how you can cultivate each virtue in your own life. (These are practices that I try to incorporate into my own life.) Wisdom For Sun Tzu, wisdom (zhi) is essential for making strategic decisions. It involves the ability to know not only what action to take, but when to take action. In your own life, there are a few ways to cultivate wisdom:
Credibility For Sun Tzu, credibility (xin) is essential to leading an army. If the soldiers do not trust you, they will not risk their lives for you. As a general, you have to demonstrate that you are trustworthy - that you keep your word. In your own life, try to follow these three practices in developing credibility:
Compassion For Sun Tzu, the general must have compassion (ren) in order to lead his soldiers and serve as protector of the people. The virtuous general sees the humanity in everyone, including his enemies, which is a very important reason why Sun Tzu values winning without battle. As such, only a compassionate general can use deception, since his ultimate aim is not to destroy the enemy, but to halt his will to fight. In your own life, to be an effective leader of yourself and others, you need to cultivate compassion for others as well as yourself. The following are a few ways to do this:
Courage In warfare, it is obvious that courage (yong) is an essential virtue to cultivate. For Sun Tzu, the general must be willing not simply to fight in battle, but to throw his soldiers, for whom he cares as if they were his own children, into harm's way, so that they unite together in defeating the enemy. You, too, need the courage to take action in the face of uncertainty. If you want to advance your situation and overcome the daily challenges in your life, you need to have the courage to make tough decisions - to have tough conversations. It is not easy, and I am first to admit that this virtue is hard for me. But the following are some practices to help cultivate courage in your own life:
Discipline Discipline (yan), for Sun Tzu, involves having high standards for oneself as well as one's soldiers. A disciplined general ensures the soldiers stay focused on the task at hand and do not cultivate bad thoughts or habits that would distract them from their mission. In your own life, you will have many things that will distract you from your overall purpose - from social media to news articles to text messages to TV shows. Indeed, you will also develop thoughts that will distract you - self-defeating thoughts such as "I'm a horrible person," "I will never amount to anything," or procrastinating thoughts such as "I can do that tomorrow," or "I'm not ready yet." Discipline is about staying focused on completing the important tasks that will serve your overall purpose. This doesn't mean you can't have time for fun or entertainment or enjoyment. Rather, it means that important things are put first. Like courage, discipline is very hard. I struggle with it as well. The following are some ways I try to cultivate discipline:
"Methods include the organization, the official code, and the management of expenses."
- Sun Tzu For Sun Tzu, Methods (fa) operate in the realm of organization and execution. They encompass the principles, practices, and rules that help the army survive and achieve its objectives. The Art of War itself is designed to communicate "military methods" (bing fa) to rulers and generals so that they understand how to organize, mobilize, and win. In your own life, you need methods in order to move forward and create the life you want. You need rules, habits, practices, tactics, and techniques that are going to help you achieve your goals and improve your situation. In reading and applying Sun Tzu, I've identified four general types of methods that you should have in your life. These methods include:
These methods should support your overall purpose. Let's go into each in depth. Method 1: Principles Principles are general rules or guidelines that provide limitations on behavior. Based on experience, they are designed to help decision-makers avoid bad consequences. Principles are so essential to Sun Tzu that whenever he presents a set of principles or guidelines, he usually calls them bing zhi fa - which can be translated as "the military's method" or "the military's approach." In your own life, you need core rules or principles that guide your behavior. I've already outlined Sun Tzu's top ten rules for personal success that I try to follow in my own life, but some examples of principles or rules include:
The point of having core principles is not to put you in a straight jacket, but to guide you and save you from bad results. Method 2: Practices Practices are activities you do on a regular basis to develop your skills and keep your mind sharp and prepared for stressful situations. Sun Tzu calls them liàn, which means both "drill," which reflects regularity, and "training," which reflects learning. Officers and soldiers both need to be highly trained and drilled in order to be sharp and responsive to the enemy. Likewise, you need practices that keep your mind straight and prepared to deal with life's many challenges. In my own life, the following are three critical practices that I use on a regular basis:
The point of these practices is not to simply fill up time or make yourself feel "productive." It's not to make you "own the morning" or feel good about yourself for making your bed. It's to help get and keep your mind in a place where it can handle different challenges without feeling overwhelmed. For example, my high ground practices help to keep my mind calm if I'm handling a stressful situation. Reviewing my personal statement regularly helps to keep me focused on what's important and what's not. And actively reading helps to keep my mind sharp and open to new ideas. Method 3: Systems Systems are processes you implement in order to help make sure certain actions get done. The simplest example of a system is an alarm clock: you set a time on the clock, and when that time comes, the clock will alert you in order to wake you up. For Sun Tzu, systems, or zhì, are essential to make sure that an army's communication and management of expenses run smoothly. This allows the army to focus on their mission and adapting to the enemy. In your life, systems are in place to help make sure that the mundane, yet critical tasks are taken care of so that you can focus on the things that are really important. In my own life, I use a number of systems to ensure that I have this freedom. These include:
You can go crazy with building systems, so it's important to understand their place and purpose. Systems aren't there to ensure you don't have to do any work. They aren't there to manage your life. Systems are there to handle details that must get done, but that can take your valuable time and energy away from your top priorities if they aren't managed properly. Method 4: Tactics The last type of method is what I call "tactics." These are actions, techniques, or tools that, when applied, consistently give you the results you want or fix the problem you need solved. Sun Tzu's word for tactics is gong, which means "attack." It is the specific way in which an army takes action against the enemy. In Sun Tzu's time, there were a number of tactics the armies would use, from stealing from the enemy living off his land to using fire to destroy equipment or storehouses to using the ground to trap the enemy. But the number of military tactics are endless and must be adapted to the army's situation. In life, you also will need to have a number of tactics you can rely on to help deal with challenges and fulfill your purpose. The following are three tactics I try to use regularly that are inspired by Sun Tzu:
It's important to remember that no one tactic or tool is going to solve your problems. You need a number of tools in your toolbox in order to handle life's many diverse challenges. For Sun Tzu, there are five roles that are crucial to the army's success:
Weakness in any of these five roles dooms the army to failure. Without a strong ruler, for instance, the people, including the army, will not be united or supportive. Without a capable general, the nation will not be secure. Without effective officers, the soldiers will be confused and distrustful. Without trained and committed soldiers, the army's objectives will not be achieved. And without daring and credible informers, the army will be operating in complete darkness, guessing and groping at the path forward. To be successful and to overcome challenges in your own life, you too must take on each of these roles:
Like the army, weakness in any of these roles will likely lead to failure. Without clear purpose, you'll be easily distracted by the next shiny thing that promises you success. Without clear leadership, you'll fail to act when there's a threat to your position or status. Without clear, effective methods, you'll waste resources and lose motivation. Without a strong commitment, you'll quit when things get hard. And without honest information, you'll just be guessing at what the next move should be, not knowing when to keep going, change plans, or quit. While playing each of these roles might seem overwhelming, it's better to think of them as constant values to keep in mind:
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