What Is Strategic Thinking based on The Art Of War?

Strategic thinking is a mindset, a principle and a process.

Let's look at,

1. The Mindset: 

The strategic thinker does not wait for something to happen and then react; they anticipate before something happens. Everything is observed, planned, and prepared. Strategic thinking is all about anticipating.

Here is an insightful quote from Jiang Ziya, an ancient royal advisor and strategist from over 3,000 years ago, who assisted King Wu in overthrowing the Shang Dynasty and establishing the Zhou Dynasty. He said,

The eyes are valuable in seeing things clearly; the ears are valuable in listening to opinions sensitively; and the mind is valuable in thinking things through.

If you rely on the eyes of the world to observe things; you can see everything; if you use the ears of the world you can hear everything; if you use the mind of the world you can know everything.

A strategic mindset is able to step back and view things in a broader picture and also see things in great detail instead of having tunnel vision and blindly doing everyday tasks.

If you want to master The Art of War, you need to frame yourself in the right mindset: the strategic mindset.

2. The Principle: 

Strategic thinking is about analyzing before making a decision. It revolves around asking "what and why," then following through with "how."

If you want to accomplish something, an average person might ask, "How do I do that?" However, someone with a strategic mindset will first consider "what and why" before exploring how to proceed.

A strategist takes the time to analyze before executing.

3. The Process: 

The strategic mindset is a structured process of studying all possible variables before a decision is made. It involves continually gathering data, understanding systems, and identifying gaps between the current situation and the desired goal.

As Sun Tzu stated in his book, The Art of War,

The Art Of War is ruled by five heavenly factors to be appraised in one's actions when determining the situation on the battle field. These are Politics, Weather, Terrain, The Commander and Rules and Guidelines.

Strategic thinking is a process of thinking, analyzing, planning, and execution. That is what The Art of War is all about.

Get your Art Of War strategy today. Click "Learn more" now!

What is the difference between strategic thinking and conventional thinking?

Typically, conventional thinking suggests that individuals set their goals and then work diligently, concentrate, and persistently take action to reach those goals. Then, success will eventually come.

Basically, work hard and in a matter of time, success will be yours.

However, strategic thinking is different. What sets strategic thinking apart from conventional thinking is,

Strategic thinking focuses on analyzing the factors that influence your goals. This is to identify the most efficient and probable ways to succeed while reducing resource requirements. This approach drives decision-making throughout the preparation, planning, and execution stages. 

Strategic thinking is not a concept of modern times. It has been documented as far back as 2,500 years ago.

The book "The Art of War," written by Sun Tzu 2,500 years ago in the form of bamboo strips, shares the use of strategic thinking in winning battles during the beginning of the Warring States Period in ancient China.

Here is a perfect example quote to explain what strategic thinking is by Sun Tzu in his "The Art of War" book. He said,

If you know the enemy and know yourself, your victory will be undoubted; if you know Heaven and know Earth. you may make your victory complete.

In this quote from The Art of War, "know your enemy" implies that we should examine and comprehend every detail about our adversary or competitor.

"Know yourself" refers to analyzing your own capabilities and resources.

"Knowing Heaven" involves understanding the factors beyond your control, such as the weather, economic conditions, or social trends.

"Knowing Earth" is related to understanding your battleground, which means being aware of the advantages and disadvantages of the location where you are competing with your rival.

By making a comparison between you and your competitor, you are able to know your advantages and disadvantages.

By studying the factors you can have no control and factors your can control you will already know your chances of winning.

Can Strategic Thinking Be Learned?

Absolutely, yes. Strategic thinking is both a principle and a process that can be learned. However, the level of skill in strategic thinking relies on knowledge and practice.

As Sun Tzu remarked on this topic,

One may know how to conquer without being able to do it.

Strategies and tactics are boundless, and it is the experienced individual who can apply the right strategy and tactics at the appropriate time.

So, how can you master the art of strategy?

Mastery can be achieved by following the correct approach.

The strategic theory from "The Art of War" has been utilized by renowned leaders and generals both in the past and present. Be an Art Of War Strategist.

Today I will become a Master Strategist. Click "Learn more" now!