8/10/2019 On Sun Tzu

1/3

Sun Tzus Art of War

To subdue the enemy without fighting is the supreme excellence

- Sun Tzu

Mankind has been fighting wars for millennia and it has driven the evolution of the methods for

organizing, training, leading, and motivating vast numbers of people. Business, like war, is a

conflict of human interests and activities. It is in business being the reincarnation of the old

wars that we relive the battle for supremacy.

The struggle of armies in the battlefield can be likened to that of the intense competition of

business in the highly globalized corporate world. Thus, it is not surprising that an ancient

treatise of war Sun Tzus Art of War has been used extensively to create perspective for

business strategists by correlating the basic features of military strategy with the contemporary

theories and practices of business. What the business firms aim at this war is to get and

maintain a competitive advantage among the firms (i.e., to gain more customers and a better

position to manoeuvre).

In laying plans or in order for business firms to truly put themselves in a good position, they first

have to master themselves. This requires a keen awareness of ones own capabilities and

surroundings by making the necessary calculations, the ability to adjust plans to suit the

available resources, and to monitor operations against possible deviations from the original

plans. Once the ball starts rolling, subtly outwitting the competition is a must. All warfare is

8/10/2019 On Sun Tzu

2/3

based on deception, business competition is not an exemption. Before one wages in any

business ventures, the focus must be on logistics and maintaining organizational morale while

keeping the costs down. Sun Tzu advised that one must forage and capitalize on his

competitorsweaknesses to augment his strength. Let your great object be victory, not lengthy

campaigns. Sun Tzu gave emphasis to knowing oneself and ones enemy; that the ability to

prevent defeat lies on oneself while the opportunities of victory depend on the enemy. One

must raise the standards by aiming for excellence so that no other firm would even there

compete, for the skillful leader subdues the enemys troops without any fighting.In the business

setting, dominate the market by innovating and expanding to demotivate potential

competitors. Also, Sun Tzu has warned against having insufficient vision, poor allocation of

resources, indecisiveness, and poor communication with your constituents. In energy and

direction, a firm must mask its strengths to outwit and force competitors to show their true

intentions. The firm must not rely too much on any individual but instead must focus on

encouraging synergy. The clever combatant looks to the effect of combined energy. After

looking for weak points of the enemy, one must expose them and hasten to do better in these

areas. One must also be aware of markets where competitors has no presence to be able to

exploit those gaps. In manoeuvring, if one is to emerge unscathed from the competition he

must maximize his tactical advantage. In doing so, ensure that everyone gets a share of the

profit or bonus, that there are clear lines of supply for sustenance, and that you have a good

working knowledge of your market. Moreover, one must be careful not enter into a partnership

until you are certain as to the motive of your partners. In the midst of difficulties we are always

ready to seize an advantage, we may extricate ourselves from misfortune.

8/10/2019 On Sun Tzu

3/3

Sun Tzus military treatise, in all of its aspects, is superb. It can be applied into business

strategical planning fluidly and can even be expanded. The Art of War offers an array of ways to

analyse the market and competitors, which is something that business people should emulate.

In a continuously evolving, working world one must not lose focus of the basic principles.