Sun Tzu's Art of War Chapter 11: The Nine Situations (九地) – 5

“ 聚三軍之衆, 投之於險, 此謂將軍之事也 。”         

- Chinese Character Analysis (by vocabulary)

• 聚 (jù): To gather, to assemble.
• 三軍 (sān jūn): The entire army (all forces).
• 之衆 (zhī zhòng): That multitude, troops.
• 投 (tóu): To throw, to cast into.
• 之於 (zhī yú): Into.
• 險 (xiǎn): Perilous place, dangerous place, crisis situation.
• 此 (cǐ): This.
• 謂 (wèi): To be called, to be said.
• 將軍 (jiàng jūn): Commander, leader.
• 之事 (zhī shì): The business of, the responsibility of.

- Meaning: "Gathering all the troops and throwing them into a perilous situation, this is precisely the duty of a general."

This passage asserts that a general's essential role and responsibility go beyond simply commanding troops; it involves making decisive decisions in crisis situations to commit soldiers to danger, thereby accomplishing the mission. .

1.     聚三軍之衆: A general must possess the ability to efficiently gather and organize a large force, beyond merely having excellent individual combat skills. This implies the ability to integrate and operate human resources and assets.

2.    投之於險: A general must not keep gathered troops in a safe place but bravely commit them to the most dangerous and decisive battlefield (Deadly Ground, Encircled Ground, Difficult Ground, etc.) to break through difficulties and achieve victory. This implies decisiveness and courage to find opportunities amidst danger, rather than avoiding it.

Sun Tzu's Art of War emphasizes the core role and responsibility of a leader, and their ability to take risks.

1.      Decisiveness and Execution: A leader must possess the resolve to make bold decisions and execute them even in perilous situations.

2.      Risk Management and Opportunity Seizure: Instead of blindly avoiding risks, one must accurately analyze them and boldly break through within a controllable range to create new opportunities.

3.      Role of the Supreme Commander: At the most difficult and crucial moments, the true duty of a leader is not to avoid responsibility but to directly lead the resolution of problems.

4.      Determining the Fate of the Organization: Such choices and actions of a leader determine the fate and success or failure of the entire organization.