The five "you's"

For Sun Tzu, there are five roles that are crucial to the army's success:

1. The ruler, who must unite the people with common purpose and who gives orders to the general.
2. The general, who provides security to the nation by commanding the army.
3. The officers, who distribute the general's commands and manage the soldiers.
4. The soldiers, who execute the general's commands (via the officers), including fighting the enemy.
5. The informers (i.e. spies and guides), who provide critical information about the army's situation (Heaven, Ground, and enemy) to the general.

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:

1. As ruler, you need to understand your purpose - your values, aspirations, mission.
2. As general, you need to protect your interests (economic, professional, spiritual) and evaluate your options.
3. As officer, you need to implement effective methods (systems, techniques, practices) for executing results and ensure you're sticking to them.
4. As soldier, you need to commit to your plans, trusting them to guide you.
5. Lastly, as an informer, you need to listen to changes in your situation and be honest with yourself.

​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:

1. For rulers, the value is purpose.
2. For general, the value is protection.
3. For officers, the value is effectiveness.
4. For soldiers, the value is commitment.
5. For informers, the value is honesty.

​Keep these values always in mind and you'll steer in the right direction.