A Question Asked in the Middle of a Sun Tzu Lesson

We were halfway through a session on Leadership with Sun Tzu Art of War.

The room was quiet. Not the polite kind of quiet—but the kind where people were actually thinking.

One of the participants raised his hand.

He was a Director in the public service, late 50s. Calm. Sharp. Not the type who asked theoretical questions.

He said, 

“Andy, I’ve read Napoleon Hill.

• Rendering service without expecting reward.
• Cause and effect.
• Definite aim.
• Auto-suggestion.
• Acting as if success is already achieved.”

He paused. “Are these ideas Western…

or were they already known in Chinese wisdom?”

I smiled.

Because this question always comes when the room is ready.

Same Laws, Different Language

I told him, “Napoleon Hill didn’t invent those laws.  He observed them.”

Then I pointed to the Yijing diagram on the screen.

“The Chinese didn’t write success books. They studied nature.”

Sun Tzu, Yijing, Daoist thinking—none of them asked, ‘How do I win?’

They asked, ‘What must be aligned so winning becomes natural?’

1. On Service Without Expecting Reward

He mentioned Hill’s line about rendering service daily without expecting reward.

I said, “In Yijing, when you help others without calculation, you are not being kind.

You are creating flow.”

Sun Tzu would call it winning hearts before battles.

When leaders serve without agenda, people respond without resistance.

That is why some leaders never need to push.

2. Cause and Effect, Seed and Fruit

He nodded and asked about cause and effect.

I replied, “Yijing is one long lesson on cause and effect.

But with one difference.”

Timing.

You can plant the right seed and still fail—if you plant it at the wrong time.

That’s why some capable leaders burn out.

Not wrong action.

Wrong timing.

Sun Tzu warned about this constantly.

3. Helping Others Get Ahead

Then he quoted Hill again:

“Put yourself ahead by helping others get ahead.”

I said, “That is Hexagram 42 Yi (Increase).”

In Chinese thinking, lifting others creates structural advantage.

In leadership, when your people grow, your authority becomes unquestioned.

No politics needed.

4. Accurate Thinking

He asked about separating facts from information.

I said, “Yijing teaches that not all facts are equal.”

A fact can be true and still be irrelevant.

Sun Tzu called this knowing what not to fight.

Leadership isn’t knowing everything.

It’s knowing what matters now.

5. Definite Aim and Desire

Then he leaned forward.

“What about definite aim?”

I said, “Desire without direction is dangerous.”

Sun Tzu never admired passion.

He admired clarity.

In Yijing, when direction is clear, power gathers automatically.

When direction is confused, even talent becomes destructive.

6. Auto-Suggestion and Thought

Finally, he asked about auto-suggestion.

“Does Yijing talk about that?”

I said, “Yijing talks about stillness.”

If your mind is scattered, repeating affirmations only creates noise.

But when the mind is still, one thought is enough.

Thought is creative—but only when energy is gathered.

7. Acting As If You’ve Already Succeeded

His last question: “Act as though success is already achieved?”

I smiled again. “Sun Tzu agrees—with a warning.”

Confidence must be internal, not loud.

The strongest leaders feel settled long before results appear.

They don’t announce victory.

They behave like it’s inevitable.

The Room Went Quiet Again

Then he said something interesting.

“So Napoleon Hill explained the rules…

but Yijing and Sun Tzu govern the timing.”

I nodded. “Exactly.”

Western success teaches effort.

Chinese wisdom teaches alignment.

When alignment is right, effort drops.

That’s when leadership becomes calm.

Decisions become clean.

And results come without force.

The session continued.

But I knew—that question had already done its work.