Types of Spies
According to Sun Tzu, the knowledge of the enemies dispositions is only available from other men. What makes a leader have great outcomes and ability is their foreknowledge. This knowledge cannot be obtained by deduction or calculation. This intimate knowledge must be gained from a person. To get this foreknowledge, you should use five different kinds of spies. With the use of five different kinds of spies, it is nearly impossible for anyone person to discover the secret system. The five types of spies are 1- Local 2- Inward 3- Converted 4- Doomed 5- Surviving.
Local Spies
A local spy is someone who is an inhabitant of the district. In business, this would mean someone that lives in the area that can see the direct operations of the company. For example, if someone lived near the factory they could walk over and see how operations are performed. They might be able to learn about the company just from watching them. They might be able to discover sources of suppliers and governmental violations they can report.
Inward Spies
Inward spies are officials of the enemy. In business, the competitor may have governmental leaders that regulate them. These governmental officials may be a source of inward spies.
Converted Spies
When you catch an enemy spy, you may want to use them for your own spying work. One advantage is that the opponent will not suspect them. The hard part is knowing whether to believe their reports. They are often false.
Doomed Spies
Doomed spies are the spies that you use as bait. You might release some “confidential information” that you know the doomed spy will pass along. The spy is going to be doomed because the information was released falsely to trick the enemy. The enemy will blame the bad information on the spy and perhaps kill them.
In business, there are a lot of companies that release false information from time to time. A corporate leader may inadvertently leave a memo around for the “wrong person” to read. The result can be that the information can be taken to a competitor that may act on the false information. This is a good idea for a company that feels like they are being spied on. They can use the spy against themselves.
Surviving Spies
Surviving spies are the best. These are the spies that infiltrate the enemy and come back with some great information. They may stay with the enemy for quite some time until the time for battle is near. Thus, a good leader will notice people that disappear right before battle.
In business, some companies hire people and then pay them as they move onto other things. They want their past employees to share their valuable knowledge with the company. Some churches can call on members from all different companies and gain valuable insight that could never be purchased. Some of the largest and most successful companies plant people in high parts of the government and into organizations that they wish to influence or control. More importantly, having this superior network of information gives some of the best foreknowledge and that makes it much easier to have competitive advantage.
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