Today’s Sun Tzu
“Hold out baits to entice the enemy. Feign disorder, and crush him.”
利而诱之，乱而取之
Incentives and misdirection shape behavior.
What it means
People and opponents move toward incentives and react to appearances. Sun Tzu advises using bait — an attractive option, an apparent weakness — to pull the other side into a position of your choosing. Shape the game before it is played.
Use it todayIn a negotiation, think about what incentive would genuinely move the other side toward the outcome you want.
Today’s questionWhat incentive could I offer that changes the other side’s calculus?