The 36 Ancient Chinese Strategies for Modern Business
Stratagem 1 : Deceive Heaven to Cross the Sea
False perception leads to distracting actions.
Normality slackens vigilance.
An open situation hides secrecy.
Let your plans be dark and inscrutable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt.
—Sun Tzu
Stratagem 2 : Besiege Wei to Rescue Zhao
Avoid a head-on attack and wait until your enemy is dispersed.
Subdue your opponent indirectly by attacking his weak spot.
“Is there a stratagem that can use one to attack ten?” asked the king.
"Yes. Attack the enemy's weak point: attack the enemy where he least expects it," replied Sun Bin.
"If the enemy prepares for a frontal attack, his rear will be weak; If he defends his rear, his front will be fragile. If he strengthens his left, he will weaken his right. If he strengthens his right, his left is ignored. If he tries to prepare in every direction, he will be weak everywhere!”
—Sun Tzu
Stratagem 3 : Kill with a Borrowed Knife
When your enemy’s situation is clear and your ally’s stance is uncertain, entice your ally to destroy your enemy thus preserving your strength.
We cannot enter-into alliances until we are acquainted with the designs of our neighbors.
We are unfit to lead an army on the march unless we are familiar with the country’s geography—its mountains and forests, its valleys and precipices, its marshes and swamps.
We shall not be able to turn natural advantage to account unless we use local guides.
—Sun Tzu
Stratagem 4 : Conserve Energy While the Enemy Exhausts Himself
To subdue the enemy, it is not necessary to make a direct attack.
Use the weak force to maneuver him into exhaustion; in the process, his strength is impaired, and your force is reserved intact.
Stratagem 5 : Loot a Burning House
When the enemy is in crisis, exploit his misfortune and attack in full force. This enables the strong to conquer the weak.
When the enemy is thrown into disorder, crush him.
—Sun Tzu
Stratagem 6 : Clamor in the East, Strike in the West
In any battle, the element of surprise can provide an overwhelming advantage.
Even when face to face with an enemy, you can still use surprise by attacking where he least expects it.
To do this, create an expectation in the enemy's mind through the use of a feint.
Weakness comes from having to prepare against many possible attacks; strength, from compelling your rival to make these same preparations against you.
—Sun Tzu
Stratagem 7 : Create Something from Nothing
Create a false front to conceal your real intentions.
When the enemy takes the bait, switch the false front with something real.
Thus, your enemy is put into confusion. Now it is time to launch an attack.
“Being and nonbeing give birth to each other. Difficult and easy accomplish each other. Long and short define each other. High and low depend on each other. Before and after follow each other.”
—Lao Tzu
Stratagem 8 : Sneak Through the Secret Passage of Chen Cang
Pretend to expose part of your movement, and then launch a surprise attack somewhere else, where the enemy is not prepared to defend himself. So, in warfare be alert, and you can penetrate in all situations, like the wind.
To obtain victory, one should vary his plans according to the enemy Enticing the enemy into battle, one may appear as shy as a young maiden. Then, when the enemy shows arrogance, one must move as fast as a hare and catch him by surprise.
—Sun Tzu
Stratagem 9 : Observe the Fire on the Opposite Shore
When disorder and conflict break out among the enemy's forces, wait patiently while the bad situation builds up.
When conflict intensifies, the enemy's strength is weakened and he begins to self-destruct.
Seize the opportunity to conquer with minimal effort.
Knowing the place and time of the coming battle, we may be able to concentrate from the greatest distances in order to fight.
—Sun Tzu
Stratagem 10 : Hide a Dagger Behind a Smile
Win the trust of your enemy to disarm him while secretly preparing an ambush.
To win the war, prepare the ambush well and launch it when your enemy least expects it.
Soft words and flattering expressions are rarely paired with real humility.
—Confucius
Stratagem 11 : Sacrifice the Plum Tree to Preserve the Peach Tree
When loss is inevitable, make sacrifices to gain potential victory.
Do not stay on desolate ground.
—Sun Tzu
Stratagem 12 : Steal a Goat Along the Way Attacking Stratagems
Exploit your enemy's small lapses for your gain. Be alert, and turn opportunity to your advantage.
Turn all your enemy's minuscule negligence to your benefit.
In battle, there are direct and indirect methods of attack, yet these two in combination give birth to a series of maneuvers.
Have you exhausted the possibilities?
—Sun Tzu
Stratagem 13 : Hit the Grass to Startle the Snake
Before making the next move, ascertain the enemy’s circumstances. Make sure you know his situation. Repeated surveillance is the best way to discover the hidden enemy.
—Lao Tzu
Stratagem 14 : Borrow a Corpse to Resurrect a Soul
Since the weak needs help, he is easier to approach than the powerful. Exploit and manipulate the weak, for you give him your strength at his request.
—Sun Tzu
Stratagem 15 : Lure the Tiger from its Mountain Lair
Use unfavorable natural conditions to trap your enemy.
Create deception to lure him out.
In an attack that involves great risk, draw your enemy out of his comfort zone; then destroy him.
In war, do not repeat the tactics that have gained you one victory. Rather, let your methods be determined by the infinite variety of circumstances.
—Sun Tzu
Stratagem 16 : Release the Enemy to Recapture Him
Drive the enemy into a corner, and he may retaliate fiercely Do not destroy him, but let him go, and his morale will falter.
Tire him out, and his fighting spirit will waver.
Then you will be able to capture him without bloodshed.
Once your enemy does not believe he can win, it is time to claim victory.
An army suffers from flight, rebellion, collapse, ruin, disorder, and rout.
These six calamities are not attributable to natural causes.
They are the fault of the general
—Sun Tzu
Stratagem 17 : Toss Out a Brick to Get a Jade
Use a bait to entice the enemy.
Get his mind muddled, and he will fall into the trap.
Thus, one who is skillful at keeping his enemy on the move, and maintaining deceitful appearances on which the enemy will act, sacrifices something that the enemy may snatch at it.
By holding out baits, he keeps the enemy on the march.
Then, with a body of handpicked men, he lies in wait for him.
—Sun Tzu
Stratagem 18 : Disband the Enemy by Neutralizing its Leader
Capture his leader and your enemy's strength will break down.
His situation is as dire as that of a sea dragon fighting on land.
The leader of armies is the decider of the people's fate, the man who determines whether the nation shall be in power or in peril
—Sun Tzu
Stratagem 19 : Remove the Firewood from Under the Pot
When confronted with a strong opponent, do not fight him head-on, but try to find the spot that initiates a collapse, destroying his morale.
This is how the weak can conquer the strong.
Stratagem 20 : Muddy the Water to Catch the Fish
In warfare, when the enemy is in chaos, exploit his weakened position and gain control when he has no direction.
Crisis gives birth to heroes.
—Chinese proverb
Stratagem 21 : Slough off the Cicada’s Golden Shell
Preserve the original formation of the army and hold on to your position, so that your allies will not suspect your intention and the enemy will not will be roused to attack.
Then withdraw and divert your force to attack from a different direction.
Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must seem inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near.
—Sun Tzu
Stratagem 22 : Shut the Doors to Trap the Thief
When dealing with a weak but agile enemy, surround him to trap him. Don't exhaust yourself by pursuing him, since you may be ambushed.
Stratagem 23 : Befriend the Far and Attack the Near
Because of geographical constraints, it is more advantageous to attack a nearby enemy than another far away.
Ally yourself with your distant enemy temporarily, despite your differences.
Stratagem 24 : Borrow a Road to Conquer Guo
When a smaller state, located between the enemy and yourself, is being threatened by the enemy state, immediately send support to the smaller state, thereby exerting your influence over him.
Mere talk without action will not win the trust of a small state in a precarious position.
Stratagem 25 : Replace the Beams with Rotten Timbers
Make your enemy change his battle array frequently, so that his main force is weakened.
Wait till he exhausts himself; then go and destroy him.
If you control the front wheel of the barrow, you can take control of its direction.
Stratagem 26 : Point at the Mulberry Tree While Scolding the Locust Tree
A stronger force can sound a warning to rule over the weak.
One's uncompromising display of power will earn support, and resolute action will demand reverence.
Stratagem 27 : Feign Madness While Remaining Smart
Sometimes it is better to pretend to be foolish and take no action than to show off and rush into a situation recklessly.
Be self-composed and plot secretly.
When the enemy has a low opinion of you, encourage his arrogance even more.
—Sun Tzu
Stratagem 28 : Entice the Enemy onto the Roof, and Then Remove the Ladder
Expose your weaknesses purposely, enticing your enemy to penetrate your line.
Then destroy him by surrounding him and cutting off his supply routes.
Stratagem 29 : Deck the Tree with False Blossoms
Create a deceptive appearance to make your battle array appear stronger than it is.
Just as with the flock of wild geese soaring across the sky—the grandeur of their flying formation is greatly enhanced by the display of their extended wings.
Water is fluid, yet it can take any shape and cut through everything. In warfare, he who can adapt his tactics to his enemy’s situation thereby succeeds.
—Sun Tzu
Stratagem 30 : Make the Guest Become the Host
Try to put afoot through the crack in the door. Control the brain of your enemy by gradually entering into his body and exerting influence. Eventually you will take full control.
Stratagem 31 :
When faced with a strong enemy, try to tame its leader.
When dealing with a resourceful leader, try to take down his morale.
Exploit his indulgence in sexual pleasure to cripple his fighting spirit.
When his fighting spirit falters, his men's morale will shatter and their force will be greatly weakened.
To conserve your strength, take advantage of your enemy’s weakness.
Know yourself and your enemy.
One hundred battles, one hundred wins.
—Sun Tzu
Stratagem 32 : The Open-City Scheme
At times, it is better to display deliberately your weakness to confuse the enemy so that he is puzzled or tricked into putting his guard down.
When your force is desperately inferior to your enemy’s, this stratagem can turn the tide.
Though the enemy is stronger in numbers, we may prevent him from fighting.
—Sun Tzu
Stratagem 33 : The Double-Agent Ploy
When the enemy lays traps, set a trap within his traps to create internal discord.
Use the enemy’s spies to spy for you, and you will not lose the battle.
What enables the wise sovereign and the general to strike and conquer and to achieve things beyond the reach of ordinary men is foreknowledge.
Now, this foreknowledge cannot be elicited from spirits; it cannot be obtained inductively from experience, nor by any deductive calculation.
Knowledge of the enemy's dispositions can be obtained only from other men.
Hence, there are five types of agents that can be used: local agents, inside agents, double agents, doomed agents, and surviving agents.
Be subtle! And use your spies in every kind of business.
—Sun Tzu
Stratagem 34 : The Self-Injury Scheme
People seldom inflict injuries on themselves intentionally, so when someone gets hurt, it is perceived as real.
Exploit this naïveté to gain your enemy's trust, thus sowing discord among his troops.
This is how you trick him, just as if he were a babe in the woods.
Stratagem 35 : Linking Stratagem
If the enemy has a powerful army, do not attack head-on.
Instead, use a combination of different stratagems to weaken his power.
Good leadership and clever plots play a critical role in winning a battle, as if a clever commander had heaven’s blessings.
Stratagem 36 : The Escape Ploy
Avoid engaging an obviously stronger enemy. Retreat and wait for the right moment to advance again.
According to military principles, it is best to avoid confronting a stronger enemy when you are in a desperate situation.
Retreat is another form of advance. A smart man does not fight a losing battle.
