06 - The Sun Tzu Archive

EVERY MARKETER should study Sun Tzu. Many of our most “forward” thinkers in business and academia reject military thought in contemporary business - which is to be expected. At face value, military thought invokes bloodshed and violence. But is unfortunate because there is much contemporary business might learn from traditional military disciplines. And ironic, because in the case of Sun Tzu winning is not defined by bloodshed or annihilation, but by winning without fighting. Which is a lesson every business can profit from. Sun Tzu is the father of modern day maneuver theory.

The Sun Tzu Brief is a synopsis of nine different translations of Sun Tzu’s Art of War. The synopsis is organized according to the thirteen chapters of the Art of War and provides a summary of the content found in each chapter. Additionally, the title of each chapter as translated by the various “editors” is provided.

The brief is designed as an introduction to Sun Tzu’s Art of War as is not meant to be a replacement for the actual text. The first version of this brief was written in 1989 and continues to evolve as of this writing. A bibliography of the nine translations can be found at the end of the briefing.

There are two ways to read the Sun Tzu Brief. Click here to download a complete digest and read it offline. Or read the chapter summaries below and click on a chapter of interest for more detail. Each chapter has a one page PDF for quick reference.

CHAPTER 1: SURVEY. War is a vital matter of state and as such the commanders ability to survey, assess, calculate, plan and lead is of the highest importance. There is no substitute for leadership. The commander is supreme.

CHAPTER 2: WAGING. Waging war is expensive. Always leverage and exploit. Prolonged conflict even when you are winning is failing. A good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan executed next week. A rapid fire series of small containable conflicts is preferable over a single large conflict.

CHAPTER 3: OFFENSIVE. When planning an offensive, direct conflict with the enemy is avoided. Instead offensive strategy driven by foreknowledge and focused on exploiting strategy is preferred. “So to win a hundred victories in a hundred battles is not the highest excellence; the highest excellence is to subdue the enemy’s army without fighting at all.”

CHAPTER 4: FORMATION. Prepare. Enter only those battles having first won the victory. Never allow yourself to be drawn into a battle that you are unprepared for. Adopt only those formations which allow you to become invincible.

CHAPTER 5: FORCE. Formations which project force can have infinite variations. Compelling the opponent to move to their disadvantage and while generating momentum to your advantage is necessary in order to achieve victory.

CHAPTER 6: ADAPTATION. The ability to change and adapt according to threats and opportunities is strategic genius.

CHAPTER 7: MANEUVER. The ability to systematically convert strategic vision into global action faster than the opponent is necessary in order to successfully shape and maneuver.

CHAPTER 8: VARIABLES. Know all variables and adaptations. Know terrain, ritual and culture. Know strengths and weaknesses. Knowledge prevents surprise and assures victory.

CHAPTER 9: MARCHES. Marches require supreme vigilance and experienced judgement. Prime intelligence is necessary to respond accurately to changing terrain and evolving situations.

CHAPTER 10: TERRAIN. The ability to prosecute campaigns on varying terrain is of utmost importance. The ability to maneuver adversaries to terrain least advantageous to their strengths and most exploitative of their weaknesses allows the commander to win with little or no conflict.

CHAPTER 11: NINE. When conflict is inevitable, and fighting unavoidable, then the terrain upon which the conflict is prosecuted and the motivation and bearing of the troops is of utmost importance. Effective leaders create hope from despair and convert fear into action.

CHAPTER 12: FIRE. UTILIZE EXTREME POSITIONING. When fighting, the incendiary Campaign is effective in its ability to quickly and decisively alter the terrain by converting a difficult situation into an advantaged situation. Fire accompanied by surprise is the most effective tactic.

CHAPTER 13: ESPIONAGE. Foreknowledge is the ultimate competitive advantage.

Here are the nine translations used in the Sun Tzu Briefing. Each one is linked to Amazon.

Ames, Roger T. The Art of Warfare. Translated With an Introduction and Commentary. New York: Ballantine Books, 1993.

Clavell, James. Sun Tzu, The Art of War. New York: Delacorte Press, 1983.

Cleary, Thomas.The Art of War. Boston & London: Shambhala Publications, Inc., 1988.

Griffith, Samuel B. Sun Tzu, The Art of War. . Oxford University Press. Oxford. 1963.

Hanzhang, General Tao. Sun Tzu’s Art of War: The Modern Chinese Interpretation. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc., 1990

Huang, J.H. Sun Tzu, The Art of War. New York. Quill - William Morrow.1993

Krause, Donald G. The Art of War For Executives. New York, NY: A Pedigree Book. The Berkley Publishing Group, 1995.

Sawyer, Ralph D. The Seven Military Classics of Ancient China. Boulder, San Francisco and Oxford: Westview Press, 1993.

Wing, R.L. The Art of Strategy. New York. Doubleday. 1988

Perhaps the best translation of Sun Tzu is the recent contribution by the Denma Translation Group. Click the link to visit their web site and find out more about their book and where to purchase it. The folks at Denma have undertaken a rigorous translation of the Art of War and their commentaries and scholarly approach makes this the most valuable version of the Art of War in my library.

Another resource for Sun Tzu is SONSHI an online resource dedicated to the Art of War. They have a free online translation located here. They also have a vibrant online community with many interesting threads dedicated to Sun Tzu and business.

(+) Comprehenisve Online Sun Tzu Resource - Compiled by Janet L. Seymour Bibliographer, Air University Library, Maxwell AFB.
(+) The Art of War. Sun Tzu. Translated by Lionel Giles. One of many free online versions of the Giles translation.
(+) Chinese Strategy Bibliography. Online bibliography for classic Chinese strategy books and resources.
(+) Robert Cantrell's site dedicated to Sun Tzu including information on his card decks.

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