Sun Tzu was this old Chinese strategic genius. Absolutely nobody who is anybody in China or Japan (and practically nobody in the West) is ignorant of Sun Tzu. His tenet is something like "the battle is won or lost before the fighting begins" based mostly on planning and understanding your adversary, and having honest assessments of them and yourself. This short ancient classic is frighteningly relevant today. Better than, but see also The Book of Five Rings.