26. Point at the mulberry tree while cursing the locust tree

This title does not translate well from the original Chinese. It is a stratagem about gaining ground or advantage despite having to face someone who is too strong to be attacked directly

You may have a competitor who has a strong and dominant position in your market sector or an individual who holds a very senior position in your client’s company or in government. If you attack them directly you are likely to loose and suffer significant long term damage in the process.

However you could point to a business practice, for which your competitor is well known and, without naming them attack them sufficiently to put them off balance. It is also possible to select a protégé of a powerful person and question their competence which again can have the effect of calling into question the competence of the more senior person.

This can be a high risk stratagem and needs careful and individual planning.