Sun Tzu's Art of War | Episode 4: What are the Five Factors? - What was Sun Tzu looking at with Dao, Heaven, Earth, Commander, and Method? (Laying Plans Chapter)

What are the Five Factors?

— What is he looking at with Dao, Heaven, Earth, Commander, and Method? —

Sun Tzu says:

Assess them with the five factors,
Compare them with the plans,
And seek their true nature.

Before entering into battle,
organize, compare, and judge the situation from five perspectives.

These are the "Five Factors".

The Five Factors are not "tactics"

What is important is
the point that the Five Factors are not a checklist for how to fight.

・How to attack
・How to defend
・How to win

It is not about these.

What the Five Factors are looking at is

whether you have the qualifications to stand in that battle in the first place

— that one point.

In other words,
it is a framework for determining "whether you should actually fight."

Five Factors ①: Dao (The Moral Law)

— Why do people entrust their lives there? —

"Dao" means
philosophy, purpose, cause, and sense of conviction.

・Why are we fighting this battle?
・Who is it for?
・Are the people truly convinced?

In a battle where this is ambiguous,
no matter how superior the tactics are, it will collapse from within.

In modern terms,

・Who is this business helping?
・What are the employees working for?

These are the questions.

Five Factors ②: Heaven

— Is the timing an ally or an enemy? —

"Heaven" means
seasons, time, flow, and the external environment.

・Is now the right timing?
・Is it too late?
・Is it too early?

No matter how correct the judgment is,
if you misjudge the timing, you will lose.

In business,
there is a "time" to enter,
and a "time" when you must not step in.

Five Factors ③: Earth

— Are you really going to fight in that place? —

"Earth" means
distance, terrain, conditions, and constraints.

・Is it a place where we have the advantage?
・Is it a playing field where the opponent has the advantage?

In modern terms,

market, position, and environment.

・Market size
・Growth rate
・Number and strength of competitors
・Barriers to entry

Where will you fight?
From what position will you fight?

The ability to correctly read conditions
that are difficult to change through effort alone is what is required.

Five Factors ④: Commander

— Who is the person taking responsibility for the judgment? —

"Commander" is not about ability theory.
Is there a person who will take responsibility for the judgment?— that is the question.

Sun Tzu teaches that a commander needs five virtues:

・Wisdom - Judgment
・Sincerity - Trust
・Benevolence - Consideration for others
・Courage - Decisiveness
・Strictness - Leadership

An organization where these are ambiguous
will always be swayed by appearances, precedents, and atmosphere.

Even if the environment (Earth) is good,
if the commander is weak, you cannot win.

That is Sun Tzu's recognition of reality.

Five Factors ⑤: Method

— Is there a system that can be sustained? —

"Method" means
organizational structure, chain of command, logistics, and discipline.

・Division of roles
・Flow of decision-making
・Resource allocation
・Rules for rewards and punishments

In other words,
the structure for the organization to continue functioning.

Sun Tzu says:

Even if the commander is excellent, if the method is weak, the organization will collapse.
Even if the commander is mediocre, if the method is well-organized, it will be stable.

What the Five Factors indicate

Sun Tzu said to
line these five up and compare them.

If even one is missing,
it is a state of "before the battle."

The Five Factors are
not a theory for winning.

They are a judgment device for eliminating losing battles.

Next Episode Preview【Episode 5】
- Summary of Laying Plans - Have a judgment for not losing before winning
- Laying Plans is the technique for not fighting -

Sun Tzu,what criteria did he use to judge "can win / cannot win"?.
What was the entire Laying Plans chapter talking about?

— Why did Sun Tzu pour all his energy into "judgment for not losing"
rather than "methods for winning"?

We will now enter the summary of the Laying Plans chapter.

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