The Art of War is written on the topic of military warfare, but its lessons have since been applied to business and entrepreneurship. The ancient Chinese text, created over 2500 years ago and attributed to Sun Tzu, is divided into 13 chapters, each covering a different aspect of war but framed in such a way that the principles have broad application.
Thoughtfully and ethically using these principles will generate gains for your business on a whole new level. Here are five ChatGPT prompts to apply The Art of War to your business.
Apply The Art of War to your business
Know yourself and your enemy
“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles,” explained Sun Tzu. It’s advice that all entrepreneurs should heed. If you understand your own strengths, weaknesses, resources, and capabilities, you won’t be caught off guard. From this strong base, researching and understanding your competitors will bring insights into their strategies that allow you to make better decisions. Use this prompt to apply this sentiment.
“Help me know my company better, so I can understand our unique strengths. My company does [describe your company’s purpose] for [describe your ideal customer] and we have been [explain how long you’ve been running and any milestones you have achieved]. If a customer is really happy it’s likely because [explain your strengths in serving clients], if we lose a prospect or a customer it’s likely because [explain why someone may go elsewhere]. Act as a business coach and give a summary of the company’s strengths, weaknesses, resources and capabilities. Tell us how we could improve so competitors don’t overtake us.”
Strategic positioning and timing
“In war, the way is to avoid what is strong and to strike at what is weak,” is another powerful statement from the book. Where could you apply this? The idea is to find where you can dominate or provide unique value rather than compete in a sea of sameness, lowering your prices in a race to the bottom. Position yourself more strategically. Be the first to market, solve a problem in a different way, or simply deliver faster than everyone else.
“My company operates within the industry of [name your industry], categorized by [explain the nature of your industry in terms of other players and the niche you sit within]. Given what you know about our strengths, suggest where we are uniquely placed to dominate this industry or provide unique value for customers.”
Adopt a more flexible strategy
“Water shapes its course according to the nature of the ground over which it flows,” explained The Art of War. This premise makes sense for entrepreneurs. The foundation of business will always be rocky. Markets will change their demand, governments will change their laws, and your clients will change their minds. As long as you’re adaptable, you can thrive in any crisis and on any type of terrain. Especially in rapidly changing industries, a rigid plan will almost never work.
“I want to learn how my business can become more adaptable. Given what you know about our industry and what we do for our customers, act as an expert on economics and human behaviour and give predictions on what might happen within the next five years. Make calculated suggestions for how we could overcome any obstacles.”
Incorporate deception
“All warfare is based on deception,” puts forward the text. While this may be true of war, it’s not exactly true of business. Building in public, radical transparency and being open and trustworthy all have their time and place. Sun Tzu, however, emphasizes the importance of not revealing your full strategy. This means holding off public announcements until the right moment, or carefully crafting your story to share intentionally on your terms. Here’s how ChatGPT can help you think of ideas to keep your guard up and not give away your secrets.
“Act as a public relations consultant, tasked with ensuring we share the right information with the right people at the right time. Suggest elements of our business we should keep private, and what measures we should put in place to make sure they stay private. Give guidance on the right time to disclose this information, if at all.”
Lead by example
Within the value of leadership and morale, The Art Of War explains that “a leader leads by example, not by force.” Leaders are a big factor in a company’s success. A great CEO is often the reason a company flourishes or disappears. Get good at inspiring, motivating and guiding your team, rather than relying on intimidation or fear. Share the vision and keep motivation high. Save the scare tactics for everyone else. For those on your ship, steer them with love.
“When my team frustrates me it’s because they [describe the behaviour of specific team members that you believe is suboptimal]. Given that I want to inspire, motivate and guide my team, rather than berate and scare them, suggest how I might discuss these areas with them in order to effect change.”
How to apply the Art of War using ChatGPT
The lessons from The Art of War can have a profound impact on your business as long as they are applied in the right way. First and foremost, know yourself. After that, position yourself well and time your moves with precision, be flexible in your strategy to flow over obstacles, be strategic with the information you share, and lead your team into battle like one of the greats. Use these ChatGPT prompts to be guided down your entrepreneurial path by this classic text.
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