Asakura Clan House Code - Law #13 | Part 13 of 17 Article Series
ORIGINAL TEXT:
Regrettable is the practice of selecting an auspicious day or considering a lucky direction in order to win a battle or take a castle, and even shift the time and date accordingly. No matter how auspicious the day may be, if you set sail your boat in a storm or confront a great host alone, your effort will come to naught. No matter how inauspicious the day may be, if you can discern between truth and falsehood, prepare for orthodox and surprise attacks secretly, be flexible in all situations, and depend on a good stratagem, then your victory is assured.
MODERN INTERPRETATION:
Strategy and preparation trumps “luck” and “omens.”
Truth-Based Strategy is Essential for Survival
Samurai understood that to stay alive in competition with numerous highly skilled, trained, warrior clans who all shared a common dream of being excellent, survival depended on the clan’s ability to operate on a highly developed strategy that was yet malleable and flexible to reality.
Focus on what’s true, prepare for problems, adapt as appropriate, and rely on an excellent plan.
There is no room for optimism or pessimism. Truth is truth.
Murphy’s Law was a Samurai Law
Murphy’s Law states: “Whatever can go wrong, WILL go wrong.” So plan for it! Problems will occur, both from ethical and unethical sources. Don’t deal with them as they come. Think about them in advance, make plans, and prepare. When the time comes, you’ll be ready and able.
”All Plans Fail, but Failing to Plan is Planning to Fail”
Often we start with a good plan, but that plan fails. Then we give up on the plan and act WITHOUT an actual plan. But the Samurai believed strongly in the power of strategy, which can be looked at as the ability to predict likely possibilities, and create plans that will ACTUALLY work to increase the likelihood of desired outcomes, decrease the likelihood of unwanted outcomes, and maintain a balance of short term vs long term.
Miyamoto Musashi was a STRATEGIST, and NOT a Swordsman
Miyamoto Musashi actually looks down, seemingly with disgust, at Samurai who are “just sword-fencers.” Mushashi believed the TRUE way of the sword was as a gateway to the higher art of Strategy. He referred to himself as a “Strategist” before a “Swordsman.”
Musashi states, in his Book of Five Rings / Go Rin No Sho:
“In China and Japan practitioners of the Way have been known as "masters of strategy." Warriors must learn this Way.
Recently there have been people getting on in the world as strategists, but they are usually just sword-fencers. The attendants of the Kashima Kantori shrines of the province Hitachi received instruction from the gods, and made schools based on this teaching, traveling from country to country instructing men. This is the recent meaning of strategy.
In olden times, strategy was listed among the Ten Abilities and Seven Arts as a beneficial practice. It was certainly an art, but as a beneficial practice it was not limited to sword-fencing.
The true value of sword fencing cannot be seen within the confines of sword-fencing technique.”
Strategy as a Way of Determining How to Proceed, not Which Way to Go
Be intent on doing what works. Sticking to a plan which is obviously failing is a horrible idea. There is a saying that every plan fails, but yet, having a plan is better than having no plan at all. Bruce Lee says “Absorb what is useful, Discard what is not.”
Something may sound good “on paper” but fail miserably in “real life.” Be flexible in how you approach obstacles, think from different angles, different points of view. Ask questions, new questions. Think “what is important?” “what is NOT important?” Think “what can I remove?” and “what can I add?” Sometimes, taking action is even better than thinking! Getting started, with “default aggression” @JockoWillink often does more to solve problems than standing around thinking about them. This is not to say that planning is not effective, it is the successful combination of thinking and action that overcomes problems.
What is involved in Excellent Strategy?
Observing truth
Knowing how things work
Knowing how things relate with each other
Living in maximum harmony with nature and what is
Planning and adapting, planning and adapting, forever and ever, focusing on perfecting one’s strategy and approach
An excellent plan must be developed based around solid principles, vision, values, and operating restrictions. You must work with what you have, but yet aim to create a better way. You must accept that which you cannot control, but yet figure out how to achieve your aim despite the uncontrollable factors.
NEXT ARTICLE IN THE SERIES: A PREVIEW
The next article, Law #14, is regarding how to maintain a true sense of what’s happening in your organization, particularly as it gets larger and people are not necessarily going to be honest with you.