Sun Tzu's Art of War, Turned Into a Strategy System You Use Every Morning
The classic book on strategy, read carefully and put to work: a three-minute daily practice, a weekly check before big moves, a war-room workbook and every template a leader needs to compete hard and fairly.
- A 10-chapter e-book that maps all thirteen of Sun Tzu's articles to modern work, with quotations verbatim from Calthrop's 1908 translation
- Strategy War Room workbook: five factors, seven weighted comparisons, a Go, Prepare or Avoid verdict, terrain classifier, hollows map and campaign cost calculator
- A 52-card practice deck, 52 short team emails and a 13-week programme calendar, one article a week
- 36 scripts for strategic moments plus a guide to 20 manipulation tactics and calm counter-moves
Sun Tzu's Art of War for Leaders · Bodhih Pro Kits · 137 by Bodhih Training, trainers to 2,000+ companies since 2008.
How can business leaders use The Art of War?
Treat it as a method, not a book of quotes. Before any big move, score yourself on Sun Tzu's five factors and compare yourself with the other side matter by matter. Choose the cheapest route to winning, make your team hard to beat first, and read signals daily. Bodhih Training's Art of War for Leaders kit gives you the tools to do all of it.
Want the full free guide first? Read The Art of War for Business Leaders: Strategy Lessons That Work.
You already feel the problem. Here is what it is costing you.
Big moves decided on adrenaline
A tender lands, a rival cuts prices, a project slips, and the reflex is to work harder and hope. Nobody stops to count advantages, so the weak spot is found by the client, not by you.
Campaigns that never end
Projects drift past their dates while the weekly cost and the team's belief quietly drain away. Without a number for burn and delay, stopping or splitting always feels premature.
Fighting the expensive way
Price wars and head-on pitches against an entrenched rival are tempting because they feel decisive. They are usually the costliest option on the table.
Quotes, not practice
Most Art of War material offers famous lines and loose metaphors. Leaders finish inspired and change nothing on Monday morning.
Picture the next few weeks with the kit open beside you.
Picture Monday at 8.15. Before you open your inbox, you write three lines: what a customer told you, what a rival did, what you noticed in your team. You pick the one that matters and one move for the day. Three minutes. By Friday the pattern is visible, and you see the re-tender coming four weeks earlier than you would have.
When the big decision arrives, you open the Strategy War Room and score it before anyone starts rewriting slides. Purpose, timing, ground, leadership, discipline. Seven comparisons against the other side. The verdict says Prepare, and you leave the meeting with two named actions instead of a panic.
When the pressure is on, you already know the words: the message that closes the side channels, the one-line reply to the anxious senior leader, the honest note that names a crunch and gives it an end date. When the dust settles, you run a 13-question after-action review and thank people by name, including for the problems that never happened.
Whether you start with the card on your desk tomorrow or the five factors audit this afternoon, the kit holds the whole practice in one place, so you can stop reading about strategy and start doing it.
21 files that do the work for you
The e-book shows you how. The tools make it happen. Here is exactly what you download.
Sun Tzu's Art of War for Leaders (e-book, PDF)
The guide: methods, worked examples, scripts and exercises
Start here map
The kit on two pages: the daily engine, twelve leadership moments with the file to open for each, your first hour and a 30/60/90 day use plan.
Art of War Leadership Command Centre workbook
Ten-sheet master workbook: settings, the 52-principle library, daily terrain read with streak, weekly five factors review, situations log, team pulse, unbeatable check, 13-week programme and a dashboard with a chart.
Strategy War Room workbook (signature diagnostic)
Nine-sheet diagnostic: five factors readiness, seven-comparison move scorer with Go, Prepare or Avoid verdict, terrain guide and classifier, hollows map, campaign cost and break-even calculator, and a dashboard with a chart.
Five factors strategy audit
Three-page fillable audit for any big move: the five factors with evidence, the seven comparisons against a rival or obstacle, and a campaign cost and speed check.
Know yourself, know the other: competitor and self brief
Three-page brief with the same questions for the other side and for your own team, plus the strategy ladder and a lawful-sources check.
Unbeatable first: monthly resilience check
Two-page monthly check: six lines of resilience with evidence, your status, one fix, a pre-mortem for the next big move and the quiet wins to recognise.
After-action review (13 questions)
Three-page after-action review with one question for each of Sun Tzu's thirteen articles, plus keep, change, thank and an action table.
Commander's five faults self-check
Three-page self-check on Sun Tzu's five dangerous faults: your own ratings, a page to hand to two colleagues, and a 13-week counter-habit plan.
Leadership scripts, messages and counter-moves
36 scripts and messages with exact words for strategic moments, plus the guide 'Recognising manipulation: 20 tactics and counter-moves'.
Team workshop facilitator guide
A 90-minute launch session and a half-day workshop on the Art of War for leaders, with timings, a 12-slide outline, five exercises and debrief questions.
Strategy brief and team leadership code templates
Two one-page templates: a strategy brief for any competitive move (main object, five factors, ground, ladder rung, surprise, cost, 90-day follow-through) and a team leadership code to adopt.
Principle of the week: 52 team emails
52 short ready-to-send team emails or posts, one per principle, each with a subject line, the principle, a question and one action.
AI prompt pack for strategic leaders
29 tool-agnostic prompts grouped by leadership moment, each with what to paste in and what to check before using the output.
Worked example pack: Lerato's contract campaign
The main forms and templates completely filled in for one composite leader defending a major contract, so you can see what good looks like.
All principles on one page
The thirteen articles and fifty-two principles on one reference, with the text's main frameworks and where each lives in the kit.
Situation finder: if this happens, use this
Decision card for 30 leadership situations: the principles to use, the file to open and the first move, plus the nine team states.
About the source, misreadings and mistakes
How to read the kit's sources (text, dating, Calthrop's 1908 translation and his terms) plus 12 common misreadings and 10 mistakes when applying them.
Strategy practice card deck
52 illustrated cards to print and cut, four for each of Sun Tzu's thirteen articles, plus a how-to page: principle, source line or plain words, a question and one action.
13-week programme calendar
96 calendar events: weekly article kick-offs, weekday terrain reads, Friday five factors reviews, monthly unbeatable checks and a closing review. Import into a new calendar.
13-week programme task board import
48 programme tasks as a CSV ready to import into Trello, Asana, Notion, Planner or Jira, with week, phase, file to open and due date.
Chapter by chapter
Each chapter opens with a real situation, gives you a method and ends with something to do today, using the tools in your kit.
- Format
- PDF e-book + XLSX + fillable PDF + DOCX + printable PDF + ICS + CSV
- Files
- 21 files plus a one-click ZIP
- E-book
- 70 pages
- Source
- E. F. Calthrop, The Book of War (London, 1908), public domain; all other wording Bodhih's own
- Works with
- Excel, Google Sheets, LibreOffice, Word, Google Docs, Acrobat Reader, GoodNotes, Google Calendar, Outlook, Apple Calendar, Trello, Asana, Notion, Planner, Jira
- Best for
- Managers, founders and heads of function who compete for customers, budgets or attention, alone or with their team
The Classic Book on Strategy, Put to Work
Why a 2,000-year-old text still helps leaders compete, the sources used, and the daily engine that runs the kit.
Reckon Before You Move
Calthrop's five indispensable matters and seven comparisons, turned into a strategy audit for any big move.
Count the Cost of the Campaign
Burn per week, cost of delay and the energy drain of long campaigns, with a method to shorten, split or stop.
Win Whole
The strategy ladder: out-think, win alliances, compete, and treat the head-on siege as the last resort.
Unbeatable First
Make yourself hard to beat first: six lines of resilience, a monthly check and the pre-mortem.
Momentum, Surprise and Strength Against Emptiness
Core force and surprise, combinations, momentum, and aiming at the hollows nobody serves.
Manoeuvre and Signals
Leading a live push: one signal system, clear roles, calm voice, the crooked way and a proper close.
Adapt, and Guard Against the Five Faults
Knowing what you will not do, weighing both sides, and naming your own dangerous fault.
Read the Signals and Know the Ground
Reading customer, competitor and team signals every morning, and naming the six kinds of ground.
Lead the Team's State
The nine grounds as team states, from comfortable to crisis, and the move that fits each.
Disrupt With Care, Know Through People
Bold moves with a follow-through, never in anger, and intelligence gathered lawfully through people.
The Hour Before the Move
What the old text adds up to: the hour before the move, repeated until it becomes a habit.
Recognising Manipulation Used Against You
Twenty manipulation tactics you may meet, with a calm counter-move for each.
The 13-Week Programme
The 13-week programme, one article a week, with the practice and file for each week.
Not just reading. Tools you will actually open again.
E-book
- Sun Tzu's Art of War for Leaders: 10 chapters, 2 appendices and 6 hand-drawn figures (PDF), about 10,500 words
Start here
- 00-Start-Here-Map: the daily engine, twelve leadership moments with the file to open for each, your first hour and a 30/60/90 day use plan
Spreadsheets
- Art of War Leadership Command Centre (10 sheets): Start here, Settings, Principles library of 52, Daily Terrain Read with streak and 7-day averages, Weekly Five Factors with verdicts, Situations Log, Team Pulse, Unbeatable Check, Programme tracker and a Dashboard with 20 live measures and a chart
- Strategy War Room (9 sheets): Start here, Settings with weights, Five Factors readiness, Move Scorer with seven weighted comparisons and a Go, Prepare or Avoid verdict, Terrain Guide, Terrain Classifier, Hollows Map, Campaign Cost with break-even and cost of delay, and a Dashboard with a chart
Fillable PDF forms
- Five factors strategy audit: five factors with evidence, seven comparisons, and a campaign cost and speed check
- Know yourself, know the other: the same questions for both sides, the strategy ladder and a lawful-sources check
- Unbeatable first: monthly resilience check with one fix, a pre-mortem and quiet wins
- After-action review: 13 questions, one per article, plus keep, change, thank and actions
- Commander's five faults self-check: your ratings, a page for two colleagues and a 13-week counter-habit plan
Word templates
- Leadership scripts, messages and counter-moves: 36 scripts and the guide 'Recognising manipulation: 20 tactics and counter-moves'
- Team workshop facilitator guide: 90-minute and half-day versions, 12-slide outline, five exercises, debrief questions
- Strategy brief and team leadership code: two one-page templates
- Principle of the week: 52 short team emails or posts, one per principle
- AI prompt pack for strategic leaders: 29 prompts, each with what to paste in and what to check
- Worked example pack: the main forms completely filled in for one composite leader
Cheat sheets and cards
- All principles on one page: thirteen articles, fifty-two principles and the text's frameworks
- Situation finder decision card: 30 situations with principles, file and first move, plus the nine team states
- About the source, misreadings and mistakes: Calthrop's translation and terms, 12 misreadings and 10 mistakes
- Strategy practice card deck: 52 illustrated cards to print and cut, plus a how-to page (14 printable pages)
Calendar and import
- 13-week programme calendar (ICS): 96 events for Google Calendar, Outlook or Apple Calendar
- 13-week programme task board (CSV): 48 tasks for Trello, Asana, Notion, Planner or Jira
When you have worked through it, you will be able to…
Every outcome is practised with a worked example and a tool, not just described.
- You will be able to score any significant move on the five factors and seven comparisons and explain the verdict in two minutes
- You will be able to put a weekly cost and a cost of delay on any campaign and decide whether to continue, shorten, split or stop
- You will be able to choose the cheapest credible route to a win before anyone proposes a price war
- You will be able to run a monthly resilience check and a pre-mortem before big moves
- You will be able to lead a live crisis with one signal system, clear roles and calm words
- You will be able to name your own dangerous leadership fault and practise a counter-habit for thirteen weeks
- You will be able to read customer, competitor and team signals daily and spot patterns early
- You will be able to recognise twenty manipulation tactics and respond without losing your temper
Know your starting point. Prove your progress.
People who measure before and after improve faster and can show it. AssessAll, our sister assessment platform, has AI-graded assessments that pair with this kit. Take one now, work through the kit, then re-take it.
Strategic Thinking & Business Judgment
Take the assessment →AssessAll assessmentDecision-Making Under Uncertainty
Take the assessment →AssessAll assessmentNegotiation & Value Creation
Take the assessment →JobularyLearn by doing: the 70-20-10 model explained (Jobulary)
Make it a growth plan →A taste of Chapter 1
On Tuesday Lerato scores the move with Sipho, her operations lead, and Anaya, her finance partner. Purpose 4: the team cares and the chief executive is behind them. Timing 3: the tender lands in budget season, which favours price. Ground 4: Coldline has refrigerated depots near most stores; Kestrel does not. Leadership 3: Lerato has never run a formal re-tender. Discipline 2: service reporting is a mess of spreadsheets and the client has complained twice. On the seven comparisons, Coldline is ahead on terrain (+2) and on purpose (+1), level on leadership and skill, and behind on resources (minus 2) and systems (minus 1). The workbook shows an edge of about 13 percent and readiness of 64 percent. Verdict: Prepare. Her two changes: fix service reporting within four weeks (Sipho), and bring a senior client sponsor to a depot visit before the tender closes (Lerato). A panic has become a plan with two named actions.
The honest comparison
| Free templates and typical advice | This kit | |
|---|---|---|
| Source | Unattributed quotes, often from modern translations | Every quotation verbatim from Calthrop's public-domain 1908 translation, with plain-words renderings |
| Method | Inspirational lessons and metaphors | A daily, weekly, monthly and 13-week practice with a file for each step |
| Before a big move | "Know your enemy" in general terms | Five factors, seven weighted comparisons and a calculated verdict |
| Ethics | Deception presented as cleverness | Competition, not cruelty: a 'what this does not mean' line on every principle |
| Team use | Nothing to share | Workshop guide, 52 team emails, card deck and a leadership code template |
| Evidence of practice | None | Streaks, situations log, pulse trends and dashboards |
Made for you if…
- Managers and team leads competing for customers, budgets, talent or attention
- Founders and heads of function facing a larger or faster rival
- Sales, commercial and bid leaders who want a disciplined way to decide which battles to fight
- HR and L&D leaders running a strategy or leadership programme for managers
- Senior professionals preparing for bigger decisions and wanting a daily strategic habit
- Readers who admire Sun Tzu and want to use the text, not just quote it
Probably not for you if…
- Anyone looking for a book of tricks to mislead customers or colleagues: this kit rules that out
- Military history readers wanting scholarly commentary on the Chinese text
- People who want legal advice on competition law: the kit teaches good practice and tells you when to ask your legal team
Built by trainers, tested in real rooms.
Bodhih Training has designed and delivered corporate programmes since 2008. Bodhih Pro Kits package what works in those workshops into a guide plus the exact tools we use, so you can apply it the same day without a facilitator in the room.
From here to using it in three steps
- STEP 1
Tap Get the kit
Name, email and country. UPI, card or netbanking in India; international cards everywhere else. No account to create.
- STEP 2
Download instantly
Your download page opens at once, with every file and a one-click ZIP. A permanent link lands in your inbox too.
- STEP 3
Open the first tool
Start with the quick-start chapter, then the main spreadsheet or planner. Most buyers use something from the kit the same day.
Strategy is a habit, not a document
Start small: write your three signals tomorrow before you open your inbox. Whether you begin with the card on your desk or the five factors audit on your next big move, the whole practice is ready the same day.
Personal licence for the buyer's own use (and use with your own team or clients where the kit says so). Please don't share or resell the files. Team and company licences: solutions@bodhih.com.
The Bodhih family, when you are ready for more
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Ten philosophies for everyday life.
AssessAll
250+ AI-graded assessments to measure skills and earn verified credentials.
Jobulary
Individual development plans that start from evidence and stay yours.
Bodhih Training
Run this topic as a live workshop for your team, in person or online.
Pewple
Book a vetted coach for career, leadership or communication. Pay per session.
Bodhih.org pathways
Certification pathways in Applied AI, Workplace English and management.
Sun Tzu's Art of War for Leaders: FAQs
Read the free guideAlready bought? Resend my linkIs this a religious book?
No. The Art of War is a classic of Chinese strategic thought, and this kit treats it as philosophy and heritage put to work in everyday leadership. There is no devotional practice and nothing about the divine. We quote the text accurately and respectfully, knowing that many readers value it as part of their heritage.
Which translation do you use and why?
Every quotation comes word for word from E. F. Calthrop's The Book of War, published in London in 1908 and now in the public domain. Calthrop worked from Japanese editions, so some of his terms differ from later versions, and the kit explains them. Each quotation is followed by Bodhih's own plain-words rendering, and two short lines are Bodhih's own fresh renderings from the Chinese.
Is this kit about deception or manipulation?
It is about competing well. The kit reframes the old advice on deception as surprise, differentiation and keeping confidential plans confidential, and rules out misleading customers, colleagues, investors or regulators. Intelligence means lawful research only. Appendix A and the counter-moves guide help you recognise manipulation used against you.
How do I measure my starting point?
Take one of the AssessAll assessments linked on the Start Here map: Strategic Thinking & Business Judgment, Decision-Making Under Uncertainty, or Negotiation & Value Creation. Repeat it at week 13 and compare it with your Dashboard.
How do I turn this into a development plan?
The kit is built on learning by doing. Jobulary's guide to the 70-20-10 model explains how to make most of your growth come from real work, with coaching and courses in support. Use it with your Situations Log and five faults counter-habit to write a plan that lasts beyond the thirteen weeks.
What is the best way to apply The Art of War at work?
Use it as a routine rather than a reference. A three-minute morning signal read, a twenty-minute weekly five factors review before key moves and a monthly resilience check will change more than any number of quotes. The kit gives you a file for each.
Do I need to have read The Art of War first?
No. The e-book explains each article in plain words and quotes only what you need. If you have read another translation, the About the Source card shows how Calthrop's terms map to the ones you may know.
Can I use the kit with my team?
Yes. The facilitator guide has a 90-minute launch session and a half-day workshop, the 52 emails give you a message for every principle, and the leadership code template turns the ideas into team norms. Your personal licence covers use with your own team. For company-wide use, contact solutions@bodhih.com.
Does the kit give legal advice on competition law?
No. It teaches good practice and warns where the law matters, for example that agreeing prices, customers or bids with a competitor is illegal in most countries. For any partnership or conversation with a rival, ask your legal team.
Which software do I need?
Excel, Google Sheets or LibreOffice for the workbooks; Word or Google Docs for templates; any PDF reader that supports forms; and any calendar or task board that imports ICS or CSV files.
What is the refund policy?
Digital kits are non-refundable once downloaded. If a file is corrupted and we cannot fix it within 3 working days, if you were charged twice, or if delivery failed, contact us and we will put it right.
How much does Sun Tzu's Art of War for Leaders cost?
₹1,299 including 18% GST for buyers in India, or $34 for buyers outside India. One-time payment, no subscription, with an automatic invoice.
How do I get the files after paying?
Instantly. Your download page opens the moment payment succeeds, and a permanent download link is emailed to you. Download each file separately or everything in one ZIP.
What software do I need?
Any of the usual tools: Excel or Google Sheets for spreadsheets, Word or Google Docs for templates, Adobe Acrobat Reader, Preview, Xodo or GoodNotes for the fillable PDFs, and Google, Outlook or Apple Calendar for the calendar plan.
Can I get a refund?
Because it is a digital download, kits are not refundable once downloaded. We always refund a duplicate charge or a failed delivery, and if a file is corrupted and we cannot fix it within 3 working days. Full terms: bodhih.org/refunds.
Can my company buy this for a team?
Yes. Team and company licences, and workshops on this topic run by Bodhih Training, are available. Write to solutions@bodhih.com or call +91 99000 11601.
