When we were children, we learned many things about life through fables . But these short (and ancient) stories with animals or things as protagonists also teach lessons to adults, particularly entrepreneurs . Here we share those of five well-known fables:
1. The lion and the mouse
A lion was sleeping when a mouse began to play on top of its body. The lion woke up and caught him. About to be devoured, the mouse asked him to forgive him, promising to repay him in the future. The Lion laughed and let him go. Days later, some hunters captured the king of the jungle and tied him with a rope. When the mouse heard the lion’s cries, he ran to the place and gnawed the rope, leaving him free. “Days ago,” he said, “you made fun of me thinking that I could do nothing for you in gratitude. Now it is good for you to know that we little mice are grateful and fulfilled.”
Lesson: Never underestimate your size or that of others. It is likely that as an entrepreneur, you feel that you are small compared to large companies, and that there is nothing you can do to compete against them or offer them value. The key is to satisfy the needs of a market and take advantage of opportunities to gradually gain traction. Get to know yourself and discover what you can do for others.
Likewise, never belittle someone because of their size, position, or status. In your company, consider the opinions of your collaborators, regardless of their area or position, since you never know where your next great idea may come from; Don’t judge someone by their condition or name either, the person you least expect can become your next great client or partner. And finally: always keep your word.
2. The fox and the grapes
A fox who was very hungry, seeing some delicious bunches of grapes hanging from a vine, wanted to catch them with her mouth. Since she couldn’t reach them, she walked away saying to herself: I don’t even like them, they are so green…!
Lesson: Don’t blame others (or the situation) for what you can’t achieve. This is a very common evil in terrible managers and ineffective managers: Blaming their team for the lack of results to avoid getting hurt. The truth is that the results of your collaborators are the result of your management skills; so accept your responsibility and make those grapes your next goal.
Also, this fable can apply to entrepreneurs who look for “excuses” and reasons for their failures. If your business doesn’t take off and you fail, never say that you weren’t really interested or that the market wasn’t ready or that the investors didn’t deliver. If you reach the delicious grapes it is only because you made an effort to do so, investing time and money in your strategies; In the end, everything will depend on you.
3. The hare and the tortoise
Once, a hare made fun of the short legs and slowness of a tortoise. She said to the hare: “You may be very fast, but I am sure I can beat you in a race.” Surprised, the hare accepted the challenge. The day of the race arrived and while the tortoise did not stop walking, although at a slow pace, the hare ran quickly and, seeing that he was sure of her triumph, decided to take a nap. Shortly after, the hare woke up and she saw the tortoise reach the finish line and win.
Lesson: The entrepreneur’s career is a marathon, not a speed test. There are no shortcuts or magic formulas to reach the goal; Only those who are persistent and hardworking are the ones who manage to succeed in the business world. Don’t try to skip stages or look for easy success; The only recipe is hard work. And also: never rest on your laurels. You don’t know when a competitor, no matter how small it may seem, can surpass you and win over consumers.
4. The cicada and the ant
Summer arrived and an ant was eagerly collecting grains to store and feed during the winter. The cicada, who spent the day singing, was surprised to see the ant working so hard at a time when animals indulged in fun. When winter came, the cicada was hungry and went to ask the ant for a few grains. The ant said to him: “If you had worked at the right time, you would not have a shortage of food today. Now sing while I eat.”
Lesson: Plan, anticipate and organize. Never allow leisure to enter your life and leave for tomorrow what you can do today. Learn to be an efficient entrepreneur who has anticipated what the “slow” months will be like and what the “busy” ones will be like. Distribute your daily workload so that you don’t waste time today only to regret it tomorrow. Only self-discipline will allow you to create positive habits that make you a productive and high-performing person. Additionally, this way you can reduce stress and better balance your personal and professional life.
5. The milkmaid
A milkmaid carried a bucket of freshly milked milk on her head and walked daydreaming. She thought: “This milk will make a lot of cream, which I will churn until it becomes a butter that will pay me very well in the market. With the money I will buy a basket of eggs and soon I will have chicks. When they grow up I will sell them at a good price, and with the money I will buy a new dress. I’ll wear it on the day of the festival, and the miller’s son will want to dance with me. But I’m not going to say yes the first time. I will wait for him to ask me several times and, at first, I will shake my head no.” The milkmaid started shaking her head to say no, and then the bucket of milk fell to the floor and the milkmaid was left with nothing.
Lesson: Don’t wait until you have to act. Many times, entrepreneurs “sin” for being dreamers; That is, they imagine everything they can do… once they have money, once they position themselves in the market, when they get their first hundred clients, when they beat the competition, the day they raise capital, etc. Don’t let yourself fall into these illusions and wait until you have what you dreamed of to act. A true entrepreneur dreams, but he has his feet on the ground, and he knows that to achieve what he has always wanted he has to act… now.
What do you think of these fables? In addition to being entertaining, they surely left you with some learning about what you can improve in your daily life to achieve success in your venture.
Since inspiration and learning can be found everywhere, in addition to this series of fables, we share with you:
Muhammad Ali8 phrases and lessons from the ring for entrepreneurs.
Lessons of war that you can apply in business.
Indra Nooyi: 12 lessons to improve our lives