Sun Tzu
the Power of Influence
An easy maxim of Sun Tzu to understand is Never, ever attack or argue with your boss, this is essentially attacking uphill. The dynamic referred to here is taking on a superior power in a superior position to yours. It is a high-risk strategy with low or no worthy outcomes. We experience problem-solving sessions as war zones, we view competing ideas as enemies, and we use problems as weapons to blame and defeat opposition forces. No wonder we can't come up with real lasting solutions! says Margaret J. Wheatley, sound familiar?
7.33 It is a military axiom not to advance uphill against the enemy, nor to oppose him when he comes downhill.
Bosses rely on their power and the power of the position they hold. They become used to it and therefore less focused on getting things done without it. Sun Tzu refers to siege situations as being the worst situations, taking on those higher on the food chain or corporate ladder reflects you being in a siege situation. “It is a military axiom” indicates that this piece of knowledge was around a long time before Sun Tzu, so for it to last such a long time there has to be something to it.
13.17 Without subtle ingenuity of mind, one cannot make certain of the truth of their reports.
13.18 Be subtle! Be subtle! and use your spies for every kind of business.
Being subtle is a challenge to all of us. However, the outcomes and the satisfaction of achieving these outcomes can be worth more than initially imagined. Subtle is using the least amount of force required to get the outcome desired. To know this precisely is one of the toughest challenges you will ever take on and get right consistently. Subtle is having the ability to take information and turn it into an advantage. It is also letting others disseminate information we want out there to bring the influence we want to bear, without us being attached to it in any way. There are times you want others to shine for their shining makes them targets and leaves you invisible to do what it is you want. Not having the spotlight can be a huge advantage.
10.24 The general who advances without coveting fame and retreats without fearing disgrace, whose only thought is to protect his country and do good service for his sovereign, is the jewel of the kingdom.
The biggest barrier to us achieving subtlety and becoming better at indirect attacks is our egos. Getting our egos under control can be the biggest challenge we ever overcome. Not the out-of-control “I am a god” kind of ego. The ego referred to here is the small one, the one where we want others to know that we are this good and we did that. While it is required at times to have a reputation that is both respected and in certain circumstances, feared. Reputations can precede and that means your enemies know you are coming. It also gives them information about you that you might not want them to know. Many have been brought to an early end by overestimating the weight and power of their reputation. False humility can impose limits on you. If you are good or even great at something, then you should accept it. You don’t have to shout it from the rooftops. Once you accept it, your actions will show that you know and that you are what you believe yourself to be. If you believe you are something you are not, your actions will show this as well.
5.5 In all fighting, the direct method may be used for joining battle, but indirect methods will be needed to secure victory.
Any idiot can pick a fight, the master wins or gets what he wants without anyone, apart from the master, knowing there was ever a contest. A master does this by using their influence, either directly on others or on a situation. To use influence over power you need to understand the situation better than anyone else involved. At times to move the situation into a more controllable sphere you can introduce other factors not already in evidence. Another option is moving the focus, modifying the outcome, or introducing a new person into the considerations.
5.11 The direct and the indirect lead onto each other in turn. It is like moving in a circle—you never come to an end. Who can exhaust the possibilities of their combination?
There are always options to consider if at first you understand and believe the options are there. One option that is often overlooked is to change timelines. If your options are limited, then slowing things down or speeding them up can open up other options. You may have to take an indirect route. Instead of trying to go straight to the outcome you desire, you may have to go via an indirect route. If you want a pay rise, you may have to take charge of a specific task to prove you are worth the extra dollars. If you want a promotion, you may want to engineer a situation that highlights the fact that you have the skills or knowledge that makes you the perfect person for that particular job.
3.3 Thus the highest form of generalship is to baulk the enemy's plans. The next best is to prevent the junction of the enemy's forces; isolating him from his allies. The next in order is to attack the enemy's army in the field; when he is already at full strength and the worst policy of all is to besiege walled cities.
Using influence is most powerful when baulking the enemy’s plans and least powerful when besieging walled cities. If you argue with your boss, you are besieging a walled city. As soon as the argument starts, as with anyone, all their defenses are raised and they dig in, even if they know they are wrong and you are right.
Even if you win the argument, the price paid will always be significantly higher than using your influence to baulk their plans. To truly understand this, you need to perform some reverse engineering. Think about the last really bad loss you had at work or in some other endeavour. Think back on what led to that defeat and what could have been done to prevent the final outcome at each step. Consider what options you had each step of the way. Keep moving back until you hit a point where you recognize when the least amount of energy applied properly would have avoided your defeat. Now apply this new knowledge to all you are doing at the moment. See past the actions and understand the effects or non-effects of the actions. Your enemy is always weakest when they are formulating their plans.
4.1 Sun Tzu said: The good fighters of old first put themselves beyond the possibility of defeat, and then waited for an opportunity of defeating the enemy.
4.2 To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.
These two lines must always be read as one. In modern parlance, protect yourself until you can seize the opportunity to be victorious. There are many ways to protect yourself. Working hard is one, working smarter is best.
5.21 The clever combatant looks to the effect of combined energy and does not require too much from individuals. Hence his ability to pick out the right men and utilise combined energy.
This is the secret to influence, do not expect too much from individuals or individual skills or individual plans. A combat soldier carefully chooses his weapons for each chosen battle. He does not want to bring a knife to a gunfight, although he might use a knife to avoid a gunfight. Less force to achieve the same outcome. He doesn’t want to bring a tank when a simple show of a large force will get the same outcome. Sun Tzu speaks of grindstones dashed against an egg and a ratio of ten to one. He speaks not of acts, he speaks of the effects of actions. The growth and successes of union movements around the world are based on this simple yet powerful dynamic. Sporting teams show us every game they win or lose, the dynamic of effective combined energy defeating ineffective, unorganized, and badly aimed combined energy. One star player can have the effect of many, however without the support of teammates, his effort usually will not deliver victory. Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it. General Dwight Eisenhower.
1.18 All warfare is based on deception.
When you set out to achieve a goal, you are effectively declaring a war has started. You set about making plans of what you need to do and set a timetable. Just like a general in the time of Sun Tzu and every general going to war ever since. All these famous magicians of the world, David Copperfield, Harry Houdini, Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin, David Blaine, P.C. Sorcar, Doug Henning, Penn and Teller, and Criss Angel all had one thing in common what made them so good at what they did. They were all masters of misdirection, in other words, masters of deception. Deception does not just mean lying or deceiving others with ill intent. Sometimes we use Throughout the annals of time, the mere suggestion of employing deception has perpetually evoked an adverse response. An array of words intricately linked to the art of deceit include dishonesty, trickery, ruse, sham, fraud, cons, cheating, and a myriad of others. In days of yore, parading with a sword in public held significance beyond mere social convention—it was a matter of paramount importance. The sword embodied a duality of purpose, serving as a means of defense and offense, capable of being wielded for both noble and nefarious ends. In the era of Sun Tzu, the sword stood as a symbol of protection, akin to the strategic employment of deception itself for good, like presents and surprise parties. Many have used deception on themselves. Remember the saying “fake til you make it”? Then there was “fake it till you are it”. Some think it sounds crazy, however, let us say whatever works for you may seem crazy to others. If it works, use it.
4.17 In respect of military method, we have, firstly, Measurement; secondly, Estimation of quantity; thirdly, Calculation; fourthly, Balancing of chances; fifthly, Victory.
4.18 Measurement owes its existence to Earth; Estimation of Quantity to Measurement; Calculation to Estimation of Quantity; Balancing of chances to Calculation; and Victory to Balancing of chances.
There is even a formula to be successful and there it is above. Write it down, study it, and plaster it all over your house and car. Learn it and learn how to use it, then learn how to use it successfully.
4.8 To see victory only when it is within the ken of the common herd is not the acme of excellence.
4.9 Neither is it the acme of excellence if you fight and conquer and the whole Empire says, "Well done!"
4.11 What the ancients called a clever fighter is one who not only wins but excels in winning with ease.
4.12 Hence his victories bring him neither reputation for wisdom nor credit for courage.
3.2 Hence to fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting.
To know and understand one line of The Art of War is a good beginning but the power of the book is when you can put two, then three, then four, and then many lines together. This is when you truly become able to make this book work for you. The five lines above lead to the last sentiment of Sun Tzu. It shows how much he wanted to avoid wars, battles, and fights. It is only through indirect methods can you break an enemy’s resistance to fight. History is littered with conquered peoples who never stopped fighting. You do this by attacking the mind and not the body. You attack the spirit, not their beliefs. Once you win the mental battle you win the war. The way you win without fighting is to influence how people think, you want them to come to the conclusions you want them to come to. Once you achieve this, you will have the fiercest allies anyone could hope for and the most complete victories.