Strategems Revisited

I have been rereading the Art of War by Sun Tzu. It has become required reading in many business schools – and I can see why. Over the years I have developed my own strategic principles and I started to bring them together recently from scattered note books. They have progressively informed all my business dealings – as have several general “life principles” that have come down to me from my philosophical mentors – Plato, Socrates, Marcus Aurelius, Sun Tzu, Wáng Jìngzé,Nichiren, Pascal, Pope, Defoe, Jean-Jacques Rousseau ,Keats,Darwin, Mary Ann Evans, JS Mill, Einstein and Paul Bowles.

The book of Qi by Wáng Jìngzé is just as important as the Art of War. Its thirty-six strategems include wonderful notions such as “deceive the heavens to cross the ocean”, “Wait at leisure while the enemy labours” and “Inflict injury on oneself to win the enemy’s trust”. These strategems are particularly useful in the field of labour relations – if only to recognize the tricks being played on yourself.

In modern politics the obvious disciple of Wáng is the Russian President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin. At every turn a particular strategy is evident – particularly the device “Befriend a distant state while attacking a neighbour” – which is well illustrated by the attacks by proxy on Ukraine at the same time as overtures are being made to India and Egypt.

The problem with following published and widely read precepts is that they can be recognized by others and then the game is over. Far better, I have found, to develop your own list. You could even borrow mine – such as my “Do not build – show the house”,“Act as if you know nothing, but know everything” and “Bid to lose in order to get what you want”. Watch this space and I will tell you when my little book of precepts is available.