… The ninth plague, three days of complete darkness, was most alarming for a kingdom that worshipped the sun and dreaded a persistent eclipse. Like the third and the sixth, this plague was quite unannounced. It was a warning that the time for negotiation was over… The loss of the slaves was a serious blow to Pharaoh. He changed his mind one last time and decided to chase after them with chariots, horsemen, and his army… Initially, it appeared that the Hebrews had been caught. They cowered on the edge of the Red Sea, fearing that they were to die in the wilderness, with the Egyptians about to come upon them. There was no time for threats to coerce Pharaoh. This time God’s intervention was more direct. STRATEGY A HISTORY
A talented leader identifies one or two critical issues in a situation – pivot points that multiply the effectiveness of effort. The core strategy is to discover critical factors in a situation and design a way to coordinate and focus action to deal with those factors. To be simply ambitious is no strategy, a leader needs focus and concentration of action and resources. A good strategy does more than urge us forward toward a goal or a vision.
The most important responsibility is to identify the biggest challenges to forward progress and devise a coherent approach to overcome them.
The Egyptians followed the same route but the “host of Pharaoh” was drowned as the walls of water engulfed them. The Actual methods employed in this case were quite unique, but the strategic logic reflected a turning of a screw. Commentators have even noticed the pattern of graduated escalation – the first four plagues were mere nuisances, the second four caused real pain, and the last two took the Egyptians into the realm of absolute dread. Others have noted that the escalation progressed in pairs – the first pain connected with the Nile, the second involving insects, the third attacking life, the fourth destroying crops in a two-stage assault, and the last two conveying the full extent of God’s power. STRATEGY A HISTORY
Reverse The Threat
- Sending a short, threatening message to indicate that you are capable of a lot worse
- Capable of a ruthlessness the opponents had not seen before
- No need to go too far – inflict a little pain
- Show that you are not afraid
- Algorithm – If that infuriates them and makes them attack you
- Then back off for a moment
- Hit again when they are not expecting it
- Enemy Perception – If they see you as someone to be pushed around
- Turn the tables with a sudden move – however small
- Designed to scare them – Threaten something they value
- Hit them where you sense they may be vulnerable – make it hurt
- Actionable credibility – Has much more than mere threatening or fiery words
- Hitting back – Even some small, symbolic way, will show that you mean what you say
Still, others have stressed the significance of every third plague arriving without warning. We may note the importance of subtle variation in the way the pressure was applied, playing on the psychology of Pharaoh and his court. The most striking feature of this story, however, lies in the difficulty of persuading Pharaoh to respond positively to threats of such palpable credibility and potency. Why did he take so long to let the Israelites go? Threats might fail because they are not believed or are suspected to be bluff. Initially, Pharaoh may have assumed he was witnessing just an unusually accomplished version of the sort of magic produced in his own court. A critical turning point came when his magicians realized this magic was beyond to theirs. But this point was reached quite early on in the escalatory process. Moses could always demonstrate that he was not bluffing. STRATEGY, A HISTORY