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Sun Tzu
The Art of War (classical strategic doctrine)
Sun Tzu was a Chinese general and philosopher, traditionally dated to the 5th century BC. His 13-chapter treatise The Art of War remains the most widely cited classical text in military strategy, business competition, and game theory. Core concepts include winning without fighting, exploiting enemy weakness, and aligning strategy with situational reality.
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Frameworks
Attributed to Sun Tzu
Mental models, principles, and operating frameworks extracted from sources where Sun is the credited author or speaker.
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Economy of Force and Speed
Victory through swift, decisive action that preserves your resources
Productivity·from The Art of War
Know Yourself, Know Your Enemy
Double knowledge of self and opponent eliminates uncertainty in competition
Mindset·from The Art of War
Leadership Through Disciplined Compassion
Treat soldiers as your children but command with iron discipline
Leadership·from The Art of War
Momentum and Timing Mastery
Build overwhelming energy then release it at the decisive moment
Productivity·from The Art of War
Terrain-Based Decision Making
Match your strategy to the specific conditions of the ground you occupy
Leadership·from The Art of War
The Deception Doctrine
All strategic action is based on controlling what the opponent perceives
Strategy·from The Art of War
The Five Dangerous Leadership Faults
Five character flaws that guarantee defeat regardless of other advantages
Self-Mastery·from The Art of War
The Five-Factor Strategic Assessment
Evaluate five constant factors before any competitive engagement
Strategy·from The Art of War
The Intelligence Supremacy System
Invest disproportionately in intelligence because foreknowledge decides outcomes
Strategy·from The Art of War
The Invincibility-First Doctrine
First make yourself unbeatable, then wait for the enemy to become beatable
Mindset·from The Art of War
Water Strategy: Adaptive Formlessness
Shape strategy like water: avoid strength, exploit weakness
Mindset·from The Art of War
Win Without Fighting
Supreme excellence is breaking resistance without direct conflict
Strategy·from The Art of War
Domains
Framework distribution
12frameworks
Strategy4 frameworks · 33.3%
Mindset3 frameworks · 25%
Leadership2 frameworks · 16.7%
Productivity2 frameworks · 16.7%
Self-Mastery1 framework · 0%
Bibliography
Sources by Sun Tzu
1source
Appears alongside
Top neighbors of Sun Tzu
8people
01
Adam Brandenburger
Co-opetition, value nets, game-theoretic strategy
1shared list
02Alfred Chandler
Strategy and Structure ("structure follows strategy")
1shared list
03Andrew Campbell
Parenting Advantage, corporate-level strategy
1shared list
04Andy Grove
Strategic Inflection Points, Only the Paranoid Survive
1shared list
05Anita McGahan
Industry change trajectories (radical, progressive, creative, intermediating)
1shared list
06Annabelle Gawer
Platform Leadership, industry platforms (with Cusumano)
1shared list
07Barry Nalebuff
Co-opetition, game theory in business
1shared list
08Bharat Anand
Content Trap, connections-over-content strategy
1shared list
Last updated
10 May 2026