Theme: Understand the Ground or Be Buried in It
I. Brutal Truth: There Is No “Best” Strategy. Only the Right Strategy for the Ground
“He who knows the terrain and the weather will never be at a loss in war.”
This chapter is the battlefield codex.
Sun Tzu makes one thing clear:
If you treat every situation the same, you will lose.
You don’t need a new playbook
You need to know when to use which page.
II. The Six Types of Ground (Position Determines Tactic)
Each terrain type demands a different response. Misread it, and you're tactically exposed.
Accessible Ground – Open to both sides
→ Don’t engage unless you hold a positional or resource advantage
Entangling Ground – Difficult to advance, harder to retreat
→ Only enter with commitment and contingency plans
Temporizing Ground – Neither side benefits from movement
→ Wait, conserve, observe, strike only if they misstep
Narrow Passes – Easy to defend, hard to pass
→ Only engage if you arrive first and can fortify
Precipitous Heights – High ground
→ Control it—or stay away entirely
Positions at Great Distance – Long supply lines
→ Only move if logistics and morale are unbreakable
This is not metaphor. This is operational.
In business, warfare, and leadership, read the ground before you move.
III. The Nine Variable Factors
Sun Tzu expands terrain reading with nine dynamic considerations:
Leader’s skill
Morale
Enemy preparedness
Supply lines
Team cohesion
Weather (literal or metaphorical)
Terrain control
Discipline
Momentum
A great general doesn’t memorize tactics.
He calculates conditions.
IV. Leadership Discipline: Only Act When You Hold Positional Advantage
“Do not fight unless the position is critical and the advantage is clear.”
You must:
Delay action until it’s decisive
Exploit enemy error, not ego
Maintain calm when others scramble
Your silence is a weapon.
Your stillness is a signal.
High-Leverage Insight: You Win by Playing the Ground, Not the Opponent
The elite don’t chase opponents, they dominate space.
Why?
Terrain shapes movement
Movement shapes decision
Decision shapes outcome
If you control the ground, you don’t need to chase the enemy, they’re forced to walk into your trap.
Direct Challenge
Reclassify Your Current Battlefield
Where are you?
Open terrain (vulnerable)
Narrow pass (choke point)
Precipitous (dominant)
Change your posture based on real position, not assumption.
Design a Terrain Advantage Move
What can you build, fortify, or occupy this week that:
Limits your opponent’s options
Protects your downside
Creates positional leverage
Kill All Terrain-Agnostic Tactics
Stop applying the same offer, funnel, or pitch in every environment.
Customize per context, or be outflanked.
Next Chapter Preview:
The Nine Situations – Sun Tzu now maps nine real-world scenarios a commander must navigate, from full advantage to certain collapse, and the exact posture required for each.