Teaching The Art of War
by Sun Tzu (-500)
Why Teach The Art of War?
The Art of War is the world's most influential treatise on strategy, written over 2,500 years ago by the Chinese military general Sun Tzu. Despite its age, its principles remain startlingly relevant to modern competition—in business, careers, relationships, and life itself. Through Intelligence Amplifier™ analysis, we explore how Sun Tzu's ancient wisdom about warfare translates directly to navigating competitive environments, managing conflicts, leading teams, and achieving goals when the odds seem stacked against you. Whether you're building a startup, climbing the corporate ladder, or simply trying to handle difficult people, The Art of War provides a strategic framework for winning without fighting—and fighting only when you must.
This 13-chapter work explores themes of Leadership, Systems Thinking, Decision Making—topics that remain deeply relevant to students' lives today. Our Intelligence Amplifier™ analysis helps students connect these classic themes to modern situations they actually experience.
Major Themes to Explore
Strategy
Explored in chapters: 1, 2, 3, 5, 12, 13
Leadership
Explored in chapters: 7, 8, 9, 10, 11
Deception
Explored in chapters: 1, 6, 9
Wisdom
Explored in chapters: 2, 3, 12
Preparation
Explored in chapters: 4, 10, 13
Victory
Explored in chapters: 4, 5, 11
Adaptability
Explored in chapters: 6, 7, 8
Skills Students Will Develop
Honest Self-Assessment
The ability to evaluate your actual position—strengths, weaknesses, resources, circumstances—without wishful thinking distorting the picture. Most failures come from not knowing where you really stand.
See in Chapter 1 →Competitive Sustainability
Understanding the economics of competition—recognizing when extended fights will drain you regardless of outcome, and finding ways to compete that don't exhaust your resources.
See in Chapter 2 →Strategic Positioning
Learning to win through positioning rather than fighting—making competition unnecessary through strength of position, attacked alliances, and disrupted strategies.
See in Chapter 3 →Positional Security
The discipline of securing your position against defeat before pursuing victory—recognizing that staying in the game is prerequisite to winning it.
See in Chapter 4 →Force Concentration
Learning to accumulate advantages and release them together at focused points of maximum impact, rather than spreading effort across too many fronts.
See in Chapter 5 →Strategic Attack Selection
The discipline of choosing where to compete—attacking weakness rather than strength, imposing your terms rather than accepting the enemy's.
See in Chapter 6 →Strategic Execution
The ability to translate strategic intent into operational reality—coordinating diverse elements, managing pace, and making complex execution appear simple.
See in Chapter 7 →Character Self-Awareness
Identifying your own character flaws before opponents can—and recognizing that these weaknesses are predictable patterns that can be exploited.
See in Chapter 8 →Behavioral Intelligence
The discipline of reading what people and organizations actually do rather than what they say—building intelligence from behavioral observation.
See in Chapter 9 →Environmental Assessment
Understanding the characteristics of competitive environments before committing—and auditing your organization for calamities that could destroy outcomes regardless of positioning.
See in Chapter 10 →Discussion Questions (39)
1. Why does Sun Tzu say 'all warfare is based on deception'? Is this ethical?
2. Think of a competition or conflict you lost. Which of Sun Tzu's five factors did you misjudge?
3. How do you balance thorough assessment with the need to act quickly in fast-moving situations?
4. Why do companies still engage in price wars even though everyone knows they're destructive?
5. What 'prolonged campaigns' are you currently in—at work or in life? Are they worth the cost?
6. How could you 'forage on the enemy' in your current competitive situation?
7. What's an example of a company or person who 'wins without fighting'—whose position is so strong that competition seems pointless?
8. Why do most people skip to level 3 or 4 (direct fighting) rather than trying level 1 or 2 approaches first?
9. In your current competitive situation, what would 'attacking the enemy's strategy' look like?
10. Why do people often pursue offense before securing defense? What psychological drives are at play?
11. What would 'invincibility' look like in your current career or business situation?
12. How do you balance patience (waiting for enemy mistakes) with the need to act proactively?
13. What's the difference between 'direct' and 'indirect' approaches in your field?
14. When have you seen someone with fewer resources win through concentrated force?
15. What momentum are you building right now that you could release at a decisive moment?
16. Why do so many companies and people insist on competing where others are strongest?
17. What competitor weakness could you attack that you're currently ignoring?
18. How can you become more 'formless'—less predictable—in your competitive approach?
19. What's the difference between strategy and execution? Why do many organizations do well at one but poorly at the other?
20. How do you 'turn devious into direct' in your work—making complex things appear simple?
+19 more questions available in individual chapters
Suggested Teaching Approach
1Before Class
Assign students to read the chapter AND our IA analysis. They arrive with the framework already understood, not confused about what happened.
2Discussion Starter
Instead of "What happened in this chapter?" ask "Where do you see this pattern in your own life?" Students connect text to lived experience.
3Modern Connections
Use our "Modern Adaptation" sections to show how classic patterns appear in today's workplace, relationships, and social dynamics.
4Assessment Ideas
Personal application essays, current events analysis, peer teaching. Assess application, not recall—AI can't help with lived experience.
Chapter-by-Chapter Resources
Chapter 1
Laying Plans
Chapter 2
Waging War
Chapter 3
Attack by Stratagem
Chapter 4
Tactical Dispositions
Chapter 5
Energy
Chapter 6
Weak Points and Strong
Chapter 7
Maneuvering
Chapter 8
Variation in Tactics
Chapter 9
The Army on the March
Chapter 10
Terrain
Chapter 11
The Nine Situations
Chapter 12
The Attack by Fire
Chapter 13
The Use of Spies
Ready to Transform Your Classroom?
Start with one chapter. See how students respond when they arrive with the framework instead of confusion. Then expand to more chapters as you see results.