Chapter 42
The Art of Strategic Deception
On November 1 Kutúzov had received, through a spy, news that the army he commanded was in an almost hopeless position. The spy reported that the French, after crossing the bridge at Vienna, were advancing in immense force upon Kutúzov’s line of communication with the troops that were arriving from Russia. If Kutúzov decided to remain at Krems, Napoleon’s army of one hundred and fifty thousand men would cut him off completely and surround his exhausted army of forty thousand, and he would find himself in the position of Mack at Ulm. If Kutúzov decided to abandon the road connecting…
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Critical Thinking Exercise
Map Your Own Impossible Situation
Think of a current challenge where all your options seem bad. Write down the situation, then list what your 'opponents' (whether people, circumstances, or obstacles) assume about you or your capabilities. Look for the gap between their assumptions and reality - that gap is where your opportunity might be hiding.
Consider:
- •What do others take for granted about your situation that might not be true?
- •How might their overconfidence or underestimation of you create an opening?
- •What would a 'desperate' solution look like that you've been too comfortable to try?
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you found an unexpected solution only after conventional options were exhausted. What did that experience teach you about your own resourcefulness?
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