Preface

It’s About the Art,
Not the War

In the West, when we think of war, we imagine opposing generals turning loose troops to conquer one another. At the end of the battle, the winning side is the one with the greatest number of soldiers still standing. So, not surprisingly, when we hear about a book called The Art of War for Women we think of battle, casualties, brutality.

But Sun Tzu (Sun is his last name, Tzu means Mr.), the man who wrote The Art of War some 2,500 years ago, was Chinese, and the Chinese think of war differently than we do in the West. To them, war does not revolve around fighting. It is about determining the most efficient way of gaining victory with the least amount of conflict.
 
This distinction between the eastern and western philosophies of warfare is important to keep in mind. Indeed, it goes to the very heart of my book. Sun Tzu’s Art of War, which has been studied by military leaders, politicians, and businessmen around the world for hundreds of years, is not about war at all. It is a set of strategic thinking skills designed to help you achieve your objective in the most efficient way possible.
 
That objective can be a military victory, but it can also be winning on the business battlefield—whether you are trying to outsmart the competition or “simply” working to gain a promotion at work.
No matter what your goal is, Master Sun’s principles remain the same and so do his strategies: His advice is always designed to produce the best result with the least amount of conflict.
 
That’s why Sun Tzu’s Art of War is particularly appropriate for women. Let’s face it: As intelligent and accomplished as we may be, there are very few of us who are comfortable with either direct confrontation or situations where our triumph means someone else’s defeat. We are natural negotiators and problem solvers; most of us prefer win-win situations to winner-takes-all.
 
But there is another reason The Art of War is particularly appropriate for us. Although Sun Tzu’s book is about the application of strategies, every one of those strategies begins with having a deep understanding of the people we will be dealing with and our environment. But most important, it also requires us to understand ourselves—our strengths and weaknesses, our goals and fears. In other words, this book is not about applying a series of rules coldly and dispassionately, but rather about integrating ourselves into the strategies we will employ. It is about building naturally on who we are and embracing our own unique personalities and talents to achieve what we want. Just as Master Sun recognized that you cannot separate what you do from who you are, this book will teach you how to use what you have to get what you want.
 
Unless you are willing to examine your personal, philosophical, and emotional issues, you cannot fully comprehend the application of Sun Tzu’s ideas. He makes no division between the tangible and abstract or the emotional and the rational. This book will teach you to assess your liabilities and devise strategies to turn them into strengths. Similarly, you will explore how your greatest strengths can become your biggest weaknesses.
 
This is not a feel-good book. (But I am confident you will feel good after reading it.) It is not a motivational book. (But I promise you will be motivated to achieve what you want, once you are done.) Ultimately, its purpose is to provide women with the strategies we all need to overcome the obstacles that stand in the way of our achieving everything we want.
In the pages ahead, you will learn how to:
 
Win without confrontation.
 
Fully integrate your ethics into the practical demands of earning a living. (You can succeed without compromising your integrity.)

Develop the crucial ability to see the “big picture” and master strategic thinking in its entirety.
Become more innovative, adaptive, and creative by integrating your own style and philosophy into every action you take.
 
And perhaps most important, you will learn to: 
 
Translate the universally applicable strategies of Sun Tzu’s Art of War into tools you can use to succeed in whatever you do.