The Thirty-Six Strategies: Winning

Studying the Thirty-Six Strategies could provide modern day generals of industry with another way of looking at situations they face. In a time of crisis, survival in the business world often depends on finding an unorthodox solution to even common problems. The Thirty-Six Strategies could rightly offer ancient Chinese wisdom to help you succeed in the modern-day battlefield of business.

Here we present the first six strategies for winning.

Cross the sea without heaven's knowledge. (Simplified Chinese: 瞒天过海 Pinyin:Mán tiān guò hǎi)

The more routine and commonplace things are, the less attention they draw. This strategy refers to an episode in the life of the Emperor Tang Gaozong of the Tang dynasty. During a war against Koguryu, the emperor refused to cross the ocean. One day, his general told him that he had been invited to the house of a wealthy subject for supper. Emperor Tang agreed and soon left with his retinue. When he entered the house, the Emperor noticed that it had begun to shake. Emperor Tang had been lured onto a ship. Upon discovering the trickery, the emperor decided to continue with the journey and soon won the campaign.

The general in the story deceived the emperor to mask his goal. Emperor Tang did not see anything wrong with entering what he thought was a house, who would? It's something we do everyday. By not revealing his plans, the general was able to accomplish his goal.

In the business world, according to the Pocket Interpreter for Business Trip, trying to continually impress with a stream of proposals and ideas would accomplish less. A few well-timed moves often has more dramatic effect and greater chance of success. If you're trying not to be noticed, don't do anything extreme or out of character, the book advises.

Besiege Wei to rescue Zhao. (Simplified Chinese: 围魏救赵 Pinyin: Wéi Wèi jiù Zhào.)

This strategy comes from the Warring States Period. The state of Wei attacked Zhao, laying waste to its capital Handan. Zhao asked help from the state of Qi, but Qi General Sun Bin realized it would be too foolhardy to face the Wei army head on. Instead, he went and attacked the Wei capital Daliang. The Wei army, tired from its campaign in Zhao, hurried back to defend the capital only to be ambushed at the Battle of Guiling.

The point of the strategy is simple. When faced with a stronger enemy, head to head confrontation is not the best solution. Instead, find a chink in the armour, a weakness that can be indirectly used to attack the enemy.

In business, instead of trying to topple the established giants of industry, find a niche market that you can develop. The Pocket Interpreter cites the example of Sun Microsystems, that, rather than challenge IBM in the personal computer market, succeeded in carving out a niche for itself by specializing in workstations.

Murder with a borrowed knife. (Simplified Chinese: 借刀杀人 Pinyin: Jiè dāo shā rén.)

The strategy can be crudely interpreted to mean letting someone else do the dirty job. In business, this means using other's resources to achieve your own gains. Remember the time of leveraged buyouts in the 1980s? People were using what was essentially borrowed money to buy companies.

Wait leisurely for an exhausted enemy. (Simplified Chinese: 以逸待劳 Pinyin: Yǐ yì dài láo.)

In the Battle of Maling, Wei outnumbered the Qi troops. The Qi general Sun Bin ordered his troops to retreat. The Wei troops naturally pursued them. The Qi troops were able to set up an ambush and the march-weary Wei soldiers were an easy target.

Being able to choose the time and place for a battle gives immeasurable advantage. That way, you know when and where the battle will take place, while your enemy expends energy on futile quests. The added advantage, of course, is that you and your troops are well-prepared for battle, are able to conserve your strength as the enemy has to rush to meet you.

In business, the biggest risks are often taken by the smaller firms. According to The Pocket Interpreter, large firms often let small entrepreneurial firms explore speculative innovations, thereby shielding themselves from expenses and risks. Once the feasibility of a plan has been proven, that's when the big companies move in.

Loot a burning house. (Simplified Chinese: 趁火打劫 Pinyin: Chèn huǒ dǎ jié)

A long war between the Han and Chu forces had just ended in a peace treaty. As the Chu forces were retreating out of Han territory, Han Xin and Zhang Liang advised the Han general Liu Bang to attack Chu. Even within Chu, they said, many governors would prefer to have Liu Bang rule. Letting the Chu general Xiang Yu escape, they said, would be like “letting a tiger go so it can kill its owner later.” After some thought, Liu Bang decided to attack Xiang Yu and brought an end to the Chu.

According to The Pocket Interpreter, there are investment banks and financiers who specialize in finding undervalued and improperly managed companies.

Make noise in the east then attack from the west. (Simplified Chinese: 声东击西 Pinyin: Shēng dōng jí xī)

A person who can use the element of surprise gains the advantage. One way to use the element of surprise is to make your opponent believe that you are preparing an attack from one point when the true attack comes from a totally unexpected, and therefore vulnerable, place.

This strategy is one of many that Sun Tzu advocates in the classic The Art of War. Let your enemy expend resources and distract him from your true objective.

Credit card companies are experts at employing this strategy. They attract people with their low annual fees, while hiding the high finance charges that consumers can incur when using the card.