There are five ways to predict victory. The one who knows when to launch an attack and when not, he will win. The one who knows how to vary the size of his troops according to battle situations will win. Whoever is able to unite his entire army as one will win. He who is well prepared and farsighted and waits for his enemy will win. Whoever is capable and does not have to deal with interference from their ruler will win. Here are the five ways to decide if a win can be secured. – Chapter Three, Sun Tzu’s Art of War.

As seen from the lines above, there are circumstances in which one can ensure victory. And they are:

1) The general knows when to attack and when not to attack. Such a general could engage his enemies when there is a higher chance of victory, so he will not easily wear down his troops and reduce the burden of war on the nation.

business application

Applying this to business is that management needs to know when to take action and when not to take action on certain decisions that they have made. For example, maybe a new factory is in the plans, but building it where and when is important because a factory is a fixed asset and one wrong move could affect the company’s cash flow. Also, the factory can only add manufacturing capacity to the company after a certain amount of time.

2) The general must know when to vary the size of his troops according to battle situations. Knowing the ideal troop size for each battle situation could reduce the resources and supplies needed for the military campaign, again reducing the burden on the nation. The general must also know what kind of troops he is bringing.

business application

The leader of a particular department or team must be able to know the strengths and weaknesses of each and every individual in his department or team. From there, she must know who will complete each individual project with the best result, which person should partner with whom to achieve synergy. This form of human resource management would be analogous to managing troops during a military campaign.

3) The general who is able to unite his entire army as one will win. As mentioned in the first chapter of Sun Tzu Art of War, unity is mentioned as one of the determining factors of success in executing strategy.

business application

This is simple. Again we see the mention of unity again. So the team leader needs to unite his entire team. If the team is not united, synergy cannot be created, and what is worse, the skills of individuals may not be able to achieve the best result due to constant bickering.

4) The general must be well prepared and farsighted and awaits his enemy. The far-sighted general would be able to anticipate and use to his advantage the surprise of enemies who want to pounce on them. This would render the plans of his enemies ineffective, which is the first and best form of strategic attack as mentioned in the same chapter.

business app

In all companies, planning and executing plans are an integral part of every working day. So, in business, he who is far-sighted and detailed in his planning has a greater chance of success in achieving his goals. The more detailed he is in his plans, the better he will be able to anticipate and resolve any emergencies that the volatile business environment presents. A far-sighted general would also be able to launch any plan or counter-strategy that his rival executes rendering them useless. As mentioned in LeadershipRudolph W. Giuliani was able to plan all the contingency plans for any emergency that happened in New York City, for example, he has contingency plans for sarin gas attacks on the subway, bombings, and building collapses.

5) The general does not have the ruler interfering in every decision he made during the military campaign. Because no matter how capable a general is, if the ruler interferes with the general’s orders and planning, the general would be tantamount to working with his hands tied. He would not be able to give his best because his best has been limited by the ruler.

business application

So, as mentioned, you have the foresight to hire the best available talent for the position, but have you ‘handcuffed’ talented staff? Has it given you space to explore as well as possible or has the culture of the organization placed limitations on you? Take a look at your company’s systems and culture. Give your talents room to grow and explore.