5.9

"Therefore, the skilled warrior seeks [victory] through force, not through reproaching his soldiers. In this way, he is able to select soldiers and allow for force."
- Sun Tzu

For Sun Tzu, victory is achieved when the army is settled in a position of overwhelming power over the enemy. This position is what we may call a position of shih, or force. Achieving shih is not done through demanding more from one's soldiers, making them work harder and harder, but from a series of calculations in which the army has accumulated a number of key advantages over the enemy.

Thus, the general's focus is never, "How can I make my soldiers work harder to defeat the enemy?" - but rather, "What position must we occupy that will give us a huge advantage over the enemy?" Once the army is in this position, then the general need only select a few key soldiers and let the position itself do the majority of the work in defeating the enemy.

This is a key principle to remember in your own life. Success is not simply a matter of working hard. It is a matter of working hard at attaining a few key, yet hidden or unnoticed vantage points - a certain relationship with a powerful figure, a certain reputation for credibility in the marketplace, a certain position at work that gives you key information about the company.

It's from these key positions that you can take simple actions to increase your chances of success.