HEXAGRAM 7 

AT WAR

KEY:    COMPETITION

MESSAGE:  A CHALLENGING SITUATION

 

MAIN COMMENTARY

 

Hexagram 7 gives the analogy of an efficient mature general whose soldiers rally around a common goal. You need a winning strategy in challenging situations where two or more people or groups are clashing and hostile with each other. Someone is acting like a general in an army. They are an authoritative disciplinarian.

 

Fight for the things you care about, but do it in a way that will make others want to join you in the fight. It’s to your advantage to recruit the right people as friends or partners, who are loyal, like-minded and have common interests. Seek dedicated and trustworthy people who will support you and rally around you to fight your wars. 

 

Hexagram 7 shows a challenging situation. It’s important that you surround yourself with people who have the same goal and are striving towards the same purpose in life. It’s to your advantage to have structure; a set of priorities and moral standards as guidelines or rules in any partnership or group. People should have established fixed behaviours and expectations in a variety of situations. 

 

A business should have a workable system and organized structure that contribute to the company's overall mission and goals. Leaders should build an organized environment and have guidelines and rules for company success. It’s also important to recruit experienced professionals and team players and reward people for good performance. Above all everyone should be on the same agenda and have a common goal.

 

Above all you need to be with people who are willing to cooperate. It takes an experienced and mature leader to gain people’s trust and loyalty. It’s not easy for people to collaborate and comply readily to requests and orders when there is no common goal or common agenda. 

 

Here’s the winning strategy:

 

1)    Be disciplined - Know when to advance and when to retreat. 

2)    Recruit - Seek qualified loyal and dedicated people to support you.

3)    Reward - Offer promotions and gifts for good behaviour and merit.

4)    Be organized - Establish a clear agenda and have fixed goals,  assignments and instructions.

    

HEXAGRAM 7

AT WAR

 

LINES ANALYSIS

 

LINE 1

It’s not known whether it’s possible to win this battle. The most important thing when leading people is discipline. Here there is no discipline. Misfortune is caused when corrections aren’t made in time during a crisis. Supervision and management is mandatory at this stage.

 

LINE 2

A qualified skilled and sincere leader puts together a team and trains them. They are rewarded and promoted three times for good performance and loyalty.

 

LINE 3

There is great loss and defeat. The metaphor of an army returning with a wagon full of corpses is used to describe failure due to interference by an incompetent leader and confusing orders.

 

LINE 4

When there is no certainty of winning the battle the best strategy is to retreat to avoid further calamity. Someone has been demoted, dismissed or removed from power. Advance and retreat are both strategic and prudent manoeuvres. 

 

LINE 5

When launching a battle people need a reason to fight.There must be clear rules and leadership so that people know whose instructions to follow as confusion in leadership will lead to defeat. The metaphor of an enemy invasion or mutiny is given to describe an incompetent and unqualified leader. When people interfere and disrupt authority it becomes risky and defeat is eminent. 

 

LINE 6

The battle is over. Merit should be recognized. It’s time to reward people according to their worth. The leader is rewarded twice and promoted. Troublemakers and offenders should be paid and let go.