Seven Rules to Forecast Victory or Defeat
According to Sun Tzu, there are seven rules that will determine who will win.
1- Which of the two sovereigns is imbued with the moral law?
2- which of the two generals has the most ability?
3- With whom lie the advantages of heaven and earth?
4- On which side is discipline most rigorously enforced?
5- Which army is stronger?
6- On which side are officers and men more highly trained?
7- In which army is there a greater constancy for reward and punishment?
These rules seem simple and yet so many managers do not follow them. You may not be the brightest manager, but you can train people well, strictly enforce rules, and have a system of rewards and punishments in place. Much of being a good leader is like training a dog. You shall give rewards and punishments as necessary. The dog will be trained well and fed well to keep it strong. Dog training is mostly about rewarding them for good behavior that you like.
The moral law is very important. A good manager will hire people with a moral conscience. The good manager will get rid of people that are not moral. How carefully people are hired has a lot to do with how much moral law is in effect. Hiring well also has a lot to do with how strong the army will be. A manager that hires weak people is ineffective.
If you have the most ability, that is great. If not, you can still win the battle by having other things going for you. The great manager will always seek further knowledge and skill so that they can have the most ability. When a manager has great ability, they can get more done with less effort.
Understanding heaven and earth can also help a lot. For example, fighting an opponent uphill is always a way to decimate the troops. A good manager will only fight when heaven and earth are in their favor. That means they should know when the advantage is in their favor. Earth is about understanding your position in relation to the opponent and heaven is about knowing when to fight. The great manager will know when and where to place their resources.
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