Chin Ning Chu: Art of War

Do you know Chin -Ning Chu? I was very glad to listen to her on video streaming from her website today. Couple of years ago, I had read her first book Thick Face, Black Heart which was offered to me by one of my good friends.

The Art of War by Sun Tzu is a known theme and many authors have written thereon. Chin-Ning Chu now proposes The Art of War for Women. In her address to a women assembly in San Francisco, she confirms, like many other scholars who have studied Sun Tzu that the art of war is to win without ever going to war.

Some points that I have retained from her speech:

The weak can overcome the strong just like water can crack the hard rock.

Sun Tzu is a self taught philosopher who used his mind to devise strategies to win wars.

The Elements of Strategy

Before waging a war, the five elements that govern success must be examined. Only then can a proper assessment be done.

Those five elements are: 1. Tao (moral standing or ethics); 2. Tien (timing); 3. Di (terrain or

resources); 4. Jiang (leadership); 5. Fa (managing).

According to Sun Tzu, five elements govern success and must be understood in the planning stages of any action.

TAO: Your moral standing and the motivation that drives your actions. If your moral position is pure, colleagues will be willing to go to the mat for your cause.

TIEN: Timing. There are certain times when you should take action, other times when it is far better to wait. Tien lets you know which way to decide.

DI: “Earth,” “terrain,” or “resources.” Di refers to the obstacles that you face on your journey to success. Are you traveling over level ground? In other words, is everything going smoothly at work—or is each task akin to scaling a great mountain? Di also includes the distances you need to travel to accomplish your goal.

JIANG: “Leadership.” Sun Tzu believed that a leader must be wise, trustful, benevolent, courageous, and strict.

FA: “Method” or “how to”—what we today would call managing. Your “army” must be well organized, disciplined, and responsible, and as a leader you must be strong, and merciless in your attempts to maintain order.

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