Cross-Cultural

Sun Tzu’s The Art of War: Two Teachings for Family Advisory

Weekly Edition • September 18, 2024

The Art of War by Sun Tzu outlines theories of battle, emphasizing the importance of strategy, positioning, and information over purely military strength.¹

Sun Tzu was a Chinese military strategist and philosopher born in 544 BCE who argued that victory is not determined by fighting alone. His teachings, which cover all aspects of war, have lasted over 2,000 years.²

Part of the reason behind The Art of War’s enduring appeal is its influence and relevance beyond the battlefield. Sun Tzu’s principles have been applied to business, politics, sports, and interpersonal relationships. This article explores two of Sun Tzu’s teachings when applied to the family advisory context.

Applying The Art of War to Family Advisory

Certain terms have been adapted to apply The Art of War to family advisory. In the article, “warfare” does not refer to armed conflicts, but rather to the challenges that the consultant and/or family members need to work through during the advisory process. “Enemy” does not refer to a hostile opponent, but to a force or obstacle that prevents the family from reaching their desired outcome. In studying Sun Tzu’s teachings, advisors can learn how to plan for and apply strategy towards supporting changes.

Teaching 1: Laying Plans (始计)

In “Laying Plans,” Sun Tzu directs attention to five fundamental factors that influence warfare:

The Art of War posits that in assessing and comparing the five fundamental factors, a commander can calculate the chances of victory. It stresses that war is a grave matter and must not be engaged in without due consideration. Sun Tzu’s teaching suggests that the consultant should consider whether to accept the client engagement after evaluating these five fundamental factors.

Teaching 2: Attack by Stratagem (谋攻)

In “Attack by Stratagem,” Sun Tzu contends that strength comes from unity, not size. According to the teaching, five factors are needed to succeed in war:⁸

Running family strategic workshops, presenting problems, providing feedback, and curating action plans can be considered part of the consultant’s “strategic attack.” Consultants need to plan how to get the family’s commitment and agreement to move forward with a strategic plan.

Case Study

David is the youngest son in the family group. He has been working as a specialist surgeon in a large hospital for ten years. Though David is hardworking, his father and sister perceive him as spoiled because he enjoys luxury items and a lavish lifestyle. David obtains financial benefits from the family business, but he only works there one day a week. He also receives financial support from his father. David’s entitled behavior has prevented proper succession planning.

“The Way,” or the shared objective between the consultant and the family, was smooth succession planning. Part of the “Strategy” was to raise David’s self-awareness, including helping him see that his conflict with his father was negatively impacting the family business, and to have David acknowledge how much the family had been supporting him financially and non-financially. The “Attack,” in the form of a family strategic workshop with multiple points of discussion, was conceived. During the workshop, the following plan was enacted:

The plan of “Attack” addressed David’s entitlement while presenting it as one of many topics in the workshop—an indirect approach. If the approach was too direct, David might have felt too confronted or unfairly targeted. The consultant also built trust with David beforehand by seeding agenda items in conversations leading up to the workshop; this way, David was not caught off guard during the workshop.

In the one-on-one session, David confirmed the side benefits he was receiving from his family and agreed he should reassess his roles and responsibilities in the family business. Momentum was maintained by referring to meeting minutes where action items and deadlines had been set. David’s action items included reviewing his skills matrix, remuneration, and job description, and formalizing the separation of family and business benefits for family employees. By the end of the session, David had made new agreements.

Soon, David’s father reflected on how he had been blurring the lines between David’s relationship to him as a son and as an employee through the benefits he was giving David. David’s sister began to rethink her perception of David as spoiled because she had been enjoying similar benefits as David. Slowly raising one family member’s awareness increased others’ too. When this happens, enacting successive parts of the “Strategy” or “Attack” can help the consultant continue to capture momentum and drive change.⁹

The principles from The Art of War remain timeless and are not bound to a specific culture, with as much relatability for Eastern families as for Western ones. Advisors will find Sun Tzu’s lessons on maneuvering through conflict and adversity with poise, vision, and efficiency a helpful addition to their toolkit.

References

¹ Sun Tzu. The Art of War. Translated and introduced by Samuel B. Griffith and with a forward by B. H. Liddel Hart. Oxford University Press, 1971.

² National Geographic, “The Art of War,” last updated March 6, 2024, https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/art-war/.

³ Sun Tzu et al., The Art of War, 63.

⁴ Sun Tzu et al., The Art of War, 64.

⁵ Sun Tzu et al., The Art of War, 64.

⁶ Sun Tzu et al., The Art of War, 65.

⁷ Sun Tzu et al., The Art of War, 65.

⁸ Sun Tzu et al., The Art of War, 77.

⁹ Habbershon, Timothy G., and Joseph H. Astrachan. “Research Note: Perceptions Are Reality: How Family Meetings Lead to Collective Action.” Family Business Review 10.1 (1997): 37-52. Print. Accessed via https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3129&context=facpubs.