五間俱起莫知其道是謂神紀人君之寳也
Sun Tzu
When a military employs five types of spies (presumably those who gather information, create confusion, sow discord, cause defections, and bring news), their activities are so varied and unpredictable that they can effectively conceal the military’s plans and strategies. Sun Tzu describes this as “divine manipulation of the threads,” indicating that it is a highly effective and almost supernatural ability that is valuable to a sovereign or leader.
When these five kinds of sources are all at work, none can discover the secret system. This is called "divine manipulation of the threads." It is the business leader's most precious asset.
In this context, the “five kinds of sources” could refer to various sources of information or intelligence that a business uses to gather information about its competitors, the market, or other relevant factors. These sources could include industry analysts, market research, customer feedback, insider information, and other forms of intelligence. The idea is that when a business is able to effectively utilize a diverse range of sources and keep its plans and strategies secret, it has a significant advantage over its competitors. The phrase “divine manipulation of the threads” could be interpreted to mean that the business is able to effectively manage and control the various factors that influence its success, almost as if by magic.