Ilustración de Capture the ringleader first
Military / Strategy / Classical Texts
Military / Strategy / Classical Texts

Capture the ringleader first

Break the strong point and seize the head so the rest falls apart.

Alias
擒賊擒王 / Set 3. Offensive Stratagems
Dominios
Strategy, negotiation, positioning, competition, conflict

Chinese Maxim

  • Chinese title: 擒賊擒王
  • Chinese maxim: 摧其堅，奪其魁，以解其體。
  • Plain-English rendering: Break the strong point and seize the head so the rest falls apart.

How It Works

  • Simple definition: Target the controlling center.
  • Simple explanation: Whole systems often depend on a few critical people or nodes.

Usage Example

  • Win over the key distributor, platform owner, or executive sponsor rather than chasing every smaller actor.