It’s almost a decade since Mark Zuckerberg invited Snapchat CEO, Evan Spiegel to meet him. I’ll assume that most of us would be excited about this invite. But not Spiegel. His response. “I’m happy to meet you…if you come here.” Thereby forcing Zuckerberg to fly Los Angeles to meet (and warn) Spiegel about his new photo sharing app, Poke, that would make Snapchat disappear. Spiegel’s first act on returning was to order a book for all his employees: The Art of War.
Fast forward a few months. Poke’s incredible debut is followed by a dramatic slump, soon followed by a second meeting involving Zuckerberg, Spiegel, and a $3 billion offer to buy Snapchat. An offer that seemed ridiculously good to be true given’s Snapchat’s young age, low revenues, and future uncertainties. And an offer that Spiegel would decline.
It may be unwise to believe that The Art of War held the secret to their triumph over Poke. But it seemed important to Spiegel that his team reads a copy of the text. An indication of its value. And a read will tell you the impact it can have not just in a competitive landscape, but on a personal one as well.
The Art of War – A 2500-year-old Guide for the Modern Age
Originally conceived as a document on military strategy and warfare, Sun Tzu’s ‘The Art of War’ remains a guiding text for modern society, over 2500 years after it was first written. One of the world’s oldest known texts on the subject, it is today a highly influential strategic guide in competitive endeavours across politics, sports, legal strategy, business boardroom, and battlefields.
Written for the battleground, its lessons can also be deployed in personal battles faced in a digital era. As opposed to what the title may suggest, The Art of War is not a strategic framework, but a guide. A guide to thinking in critical moments of conflict. And while we all hope and aim to avoid conflicts, they are nevertheless something we must endure from time-to-time. Whether your conflict is external with another individual, or with yourself, the advice this text delivers can be used to develop an approach that ensures you win.
If you avoid conflict to keep the peace, you start a war inside yourself
Cheryl Richardson
The Art of War – Or an Art and Way of Life
We’ve been hearing from a very young age that we’re growing up in a very competitive world. Our entire environment growing up in fact was designed to encourage competition. For all the good that the competition does in instilling certain values, competition invariably breeds conflict. Sometimes with the ones we compete against. Sometimes within our teams. And sometimes, within ourselves. Despite what we want to believe, there’s hardly anyone who isn’t faced by these conflicts. They are no longer an avoidable hazard. But very much a part of our lives today. A way of living. And when faced with such battles every day, it wouldn’t be unwise to reach out to a guide in your struggles. In this case, a guide in the form of a centuries-old military strategy text.
Lessons for a Lifetime
- Choose your battles
“He will win who knows when to fight. And when not to fight.”
Just as Sun Tzu urges armies to engage in a battle only when they have a clear advantage, you need to pick your battles in life with a similar approach. Life is largely about choices. Choosing a career path for instance is about choosing where you can make successful moves depending on your skills, and avoiding choices that don’t fit your skills. - Timing is key
“The quality of a decision is like the well-timed swoop of a falcon which enables it to strike and destroy its victim.”
Sun Tzu believed that the outcome of a move on a battlefield depends not only on the of its execution, but also on its timing. While a good strategy and plan is certainly key, its success will also depend on how well it suits a given situation. Don’t rush into anything, without ensuring the conditions favour your move.
Consider marketing campaigns for example. Especially in the digital age when you can reach millions, and trends can change within days, if not hours. Your idea needs to be executed at a time when it is relevant. - Know yourself. More importantly, know who you’re against
“It is said that if you know your enemies and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles.”
Perhaps one of the most important points Sun Tzu makes in The Art of War. Overcoming a rival is as much about your opponent and his strengths as it is about your own. Knowing your strengths, weaknesses, desires, and any tactics they may look to deploy is critical to swinging the outcome in your favour.
Businesses across sectors and scale understand (or at least need to) this as well. The increasing use of data and research about your competitors and customers – even though you wouldn’t categorize your customers as opponents – is what drives survival and growth in an increasingly competitive world. - The art of deception and disguise
“All warfare is based on deception.”
Sun Tzu believed that a plan is not enough to win a battle. The plan needs to be disguised by deploying means of deception.
Deception and disguise, or at least ‘confidentiality’ is quite common in today’s corporate environment. Whether it’s about an organization’s business mergers or deals, innovations, business launches, marketing campaigns, or even employee compensations. Secrecy and confidentiality is today a big part of running a successful business. - Change is an opportunity
“In the midst of chaos, there is opportunity.”
According to Sun Tzu, change and one’s ability to adapt to change is an important factor that will decide the outcome of any conflict.
As we have all witnessed at some point or another, change is an inevitable part of both, life and business as well. And the best way to adapt to change is to be calm, and prepared. Changes in the form of new laws, regulations, new innovations can all pose a challenge to any business. But a calm leadership can not only deal with these changes, but also use them as opportunities. - Everyone loses in a prolonged war
“There is no instance of a nation benefitting from a prolonged warfare.”
Sun Tzu’s simple advice on winning a battle is to make every strike count. Efficiency is key. A prolonged battle takes its toll on all camps involved in terms of manpower, resources, time, and energy.
The same holds true for businesses. A legal dispute for instance is bound to have a severe impact on the resources and finances of all parties involved. Not to mention what these long-drawn conflicts can do to their public reputation. - Move first
“Whoever is first in the field and awaits the coming of the enemy, will be fresh for the fight; whoever is second in the field and has to hasten to battle will arrive exhausted.”
Be first to the battlefield. Familiarise yourself with the environment where you will engage your opponent. And you will always have the upper hand.
Businesses have for long been taking this advice to the marketplace. Understanding a need in the market, and address it before any of your competitors. And by doing the right things, you’ll likely be ahead of anyone who follows. As one of my professors would often say, ‘If there is a gap in the market, find out if there is a market in the gap.’ - Drums and flags
“On the field of battle, the spoken word does not carry far enough: hence the institution of gongs and drums. Nor can ordinary objects be seen clearly enough: hence the institution of banners and flags.”
Whether in wars or businesses, leaders need tools to help share their plans, and committed teams of individuals to help execute those plans that are then seen by the world.
The modern-day leader doesn’t need drums to spread his message. Rather a simple mail, or a Zoom call serves as his banner. Similarly, a business’ name, brand logo and colours serve as flags to the modern-day leaders. - The greatest win is one where you don’t fight at all
“To win 100 battles is not the height of skill, to subdue the enemy without fighting is”
Wars of any kind and form are counterproductive. I think we’ll all agree to that. The best tacticians Sun Tzu believes are not the ones who defeat their opponents on the battlefield. But the ones who can manoeuvre a win through diplomacy, without fighting at all.
This is perhaps the best piece of advice The Art of War offers. For businesses, governments, groups, or individuals. Winning through diplomacy and negotiation is a bigger victory than winning any conflict. One of the reasons why merging with an existing player in a new market is beneficial to businesses as opposed to entering it as a competitor.
Life is too short to spend it at war with yourself
Ritu Ghatourey
Sun Tzu – The Artist behind The Art of War
A Chinese general, military strategist, writer, and a philosopher, Sun Tzu’s historicity is quite uncertain. And although he is revered as a legendary military figure and warfare tactician who has influenced military strategy in both Western and East Asian philosophies, a large part of his work focused on alternatives to battle, such as stratagem, the use of spies, making alliances and the use of deceit.
His work has over the years found more and more use in modern competitive endeavours, making Sun Tzu a common name among tacticians, strategists, business leaders, and even sports coaches. And although a lot of facts about his own life remain in the dark, perhaps even lost over the last 2500 years, one thing is certain. His legacy will not be forgotten any time soon.
The Last Word
Quite often when we think of war, we think of weapons, physical battles, destruction, and death. If our fortunes favour us, we may not have to witness such a war. But there are other battles, some hidden, and some in plain sight that we’re all fighting. Some by ourselves. Some as part of a group. The Art of War arms you for just that. Which is what makes this short book a highly recommended one even today. Especially today.
