We normally think that momentum is created by winning. We say that people who have won in the past have momentum. However, Sun Tzu offers a deeper vision. He teaches that winning, if it is expected, doesn't create momentum. He teaches that momentum comes from overthrowing expectations and surprising our opponents. For example, in a political election campaign, a surprisingly close loss in a primary can give an underdog a powerful boost of momentum, even though he or she technically lost.

In this chapter, Sun Tzu addresses how to generate momentum when we meet our opponents or a challenge directly. We look for strategic ways to advance our position without direct confrontations, but sometimes confrontations are unavoidable. Unavoidable battles include political elections, negotiations, sales situations, contests for job openings, and so on. Sun Tzu defines battle as action that directly opposes the movement of a competitor. Battle is still not direct conflict, but it is one step closer. In meeting our opponents, we still want to avoid conflict if possible. Even when we meet opponents in battle, we have a tool to discourage them from fighting. This tool is the momentum of surprise.

The nature and effects of surprise are the topic of this chapter. Sun Tzu describes surprise in terms of innovation, finding new and creative ways to address old problems. Remarkably for his time, Sun Tzu saw the world as an endless potential stream of inventions and innovations. Everyone makes unconscious assumptions about what is possible. Innovation changes the rules about what is possible. Surprise is shocking because it challenges our assumptions, creating fear and uncertainty. When surprise is first used, the emotional impact it creates is more important than the innovation itself.