Sun Tzu’s The Art of War—What’s In It For Women?

Contributed by Becky Sheetz-Runkle

The Art of War. If you’re like most women in business, you haven’t read it. It probably never appealed to you. In fact, if you’re like many smart and accomplished women I’ve met, you may believe it to be completely contrary to your nature.

There are certainly women who’ve read The Art of War and applied it to their lives and their businesses. But if you’re like most, you may wonder how you can possibly adapt the wisdom of a Chinese military strategist from 500 B.C. to your daily business challenges.

That’s a fair question.

The answer is in an approach to business and life that is both time-tested and innovative. Sun Tzu’s classic has had profound influence the world over. It’s shaped Eastern military and business thinking, and in the West, its popularity continues to grow as managers and leaders apply its principles to their business challenges.

The book is about how to seize the advantage in all battles, including those you choose not to fight. While The Art of War is quite literally about warfare, assuming it’s about seeking combat as the best option is very far from the real Sun Tzu. In fact, a major theme of The Art of War is “He who knows when to fight and when not to fight will win.”

For most business readers, waging war doesn’t mean mobilizing forces to take a city. It means mobilizing ourselves or our teams to win a big contract, seize a market opportunity, dominate an industry, or reposition a company. Sun Tzu says a great deal about the traits and characteristics necessary for this type of victory. To be successful, Sun Tzu calls for careful strategy and expert perception, superior subtlety and technique, and skillful application of your assets and attributes. He demands that you understand yourself, your adversary and the conditions of the battlefield, however you define that field. Below are just a few ways to apply Sun Tzu to business challenges that plague many women.

Ditch the Rules

Too many women fall into the trap of assuming that success will be found in following prescribed standards. This mistaken belief has its genesis in childhood when most girls are rewarded for playing by rules and being patient and polite. While times have changed, you were probably conditioned to be reactionary. You waited to be asked to dance and maybe even to get married. There’s a time for patience and politeness, but in business, waiting your turn will often result in missed opportunities. Sun Tzu calls for the perception to move with intensity when the time is right: “An army superior in strength takes action like the bursting of pent up waters into a chasm of a thousand fathoms deep.”

Overcome Mistakes

Writing of ideals, Sun Tzu had no regard for mistakes. But the rest of us live in a very different reality. Conditioning often extends to how differently men and women regard mistakes. Women, in general, have a more difficult time with mistakes, largely because we’re socialized to feel differently about mistakes. Boys are raised to be respected by their team if they learn from what they did wrong. Mistakes are an opportunity to do better next time. But when girls make mistakes, they’re consoled, reinforcing the idea that they should feel badly about making them.

In How Men Think, Adrienne Mendell demonstrated how this plays out today in a comparison of two partners in an architectural firm who made a mistake on a contract. The woman was devastated and wanted to give up. The male partner wasn’t ready to give in. He believed that even though the problem was severe, it could be solved. He worked through the night, resolved the issue, and they got the contract. We can wallow in our mistakes, we can try and fix them, or we can simply learn and move on if nothing can be done.

Take the Right Risks

Risk taking is another area where men and women tend to operate very differently, but where Sun Tzu delivers clarity. A student of war, taking calculated risks is fundamental to him. He recognizes that we’re the architect of our victories, which means we need to define winning on our terms, and when necessary, change the game entirely. Sun Tzu writes repeatedly of manipulating circumstances. Many women (and men, too) find themselves on career paths or within organizations where their skills and strengths are painfully limited. Victory demands excellence and the only way to excel is to be positioned to achieve. If this doesn’t describe your circumstances, a game change is in order.

So what’s in The Art of War for women? For one thing, it provides insight into how to gain a decisive business advantage by leveraging your strengths and assets to craft and execute effective strategies. It will help you understand and develop the characteristics and tenacity necessary to make major achievements. And importantly, the Chinese philosopher-general will show you to do it in ways least expected: “Take advantage of the enemy’s unpreparedness, make your way by unexpected routes.”

In a competitive world, the currency of the people, businesses, products and ideas that are victorious is innovation. For Sun Tzu, and for you, winning requires careful preparation and the opportune launch of unexpected strategies and tactics.

Becky Sheetz-Runkle is the author of Sun Tzu for Women: The Art of War for Winning in Business, from Adams Media.