Zhao Xian, a high minister of the state of Chu, was staying in Yangdi when the Lord of Zhou intended to send his prime minister to Chu. The prime minister was reluctant to go. Su Li, speaking on behalf of the prime minister, said to the Lord of Zhou: "The King of Chu and the King of Wei have met at the place of Yue, and the four states of Qin, Zhao, Han, and Wei have all gone to pay homage to the King of Chu. Only Your Majesty has not gone—this is your way of treating Chu as an object of service. Now Zhao Xian is in Yangdi, and Your Majesty sends the prime minister there—this too is your way of treating Chu as an object of service. It would be better for Your Majesty to send the prime minister, but also summon Zhao Xian to come, so that while you appear to serve Chu, Chu will surely treat Your Majesty with great generosity." The Lord of Zhou said, "Well said." He then sent the prime minister to Chu and simultaneously summoned Zhao Xian. When Zhao Xian arrived, the Lord of Zhou said to him, "I wish to entrust the affairs of state to you, sir." Zhao Xian declined, but the Lord of Zhou insisted, and only then did Zhao Xian consent.
💡 商战启示录
This strategy exemplifies the wisdom of "defense through offense" and "leveraging momentum in strategic gamesmanship." The Lord of Zhou outwardly submitted to Chu, yet by proactively inviting Zhao Xian to court, he transformed passive diplomacy into active control—averting the humiliation of dispatching his own prime minister while elevating his own standing. In modern business, similar tactics are frequently deployed in negotiations and co-opetition. For instance, when a startup faces market pressure from an industry titan, rather than passively accepting the terms set by the giant, it may proactively invite the titan's executives for visits or joint project participation, thereby upgrading the dialogue platform and vying for more equitable partnership standing. Likewise, in supply chain management, if a buyer is perpetually constrained by suppliers, it can reverse the dynamic by inviting suppliers to engage in product design or customized services, shifting them from mere transactional counterparts to strategic allies—thus strengthening the buyer's own leverage. The essence lies in avoiding direct confrontation, instead altering the interaction context and agenda-setting to convert passivity into initiative and achieve a rebalancing of interests. This demands from managers acute situational insight and creative diplomatic finesse, drawing the counterpart's key figures or resources into one's own rhythm to seize the advantage in the game.