Overview
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.
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