The following story is a brilliant article that has been circulating online for a long time. I believe this story might originally have been a textbook case for MBA business strategy and marketing, perfect for entrepreneurs to study carefully.
An Animal’s Capability Depends on Who Its Boss Is
One day, a rabbit was writing an article in front of a cave. A wolf came by and asked, “Rabbit, what are you doing?” The rabbit replied, “Writing an article.” The wolf asked, “What’s the title?” The rabbit answered, “A Brief Discussion on How a Rabbit Eats a Wolf.” The wolf burst into laughter, not believing it, so the rabbit led the wolf into the cave.
After a while, the rabbit came out alone and continued writing. A wild boar approached and asked, “Rabbit, what are you writing?” The rabbit replied, “An article.” The boar asked, “What’s the title?” The rabbit said, “A Brief Discussion on How a Rabbit Eats a Wild Boar.” The boar didn’t believe it, and the same thing happened.
In the end, inside the cave, a lion sat among a pile of bones, contentedly picking its teeth while reading the article the rabbit handed over, titled: An Animal’s Capability Depends on Who Its Boss Is.
This story is about employees’ tactics, but it can also apply to startup entrepreneurs. In the market, compared to large corporations, it’s like the relationship between a lion and a rabbit. How to cooperate with them, coexist, or avoid being devoured by competitors is a profound skill.
How to Develop a Network of Animals to Provide Food for the Boss
The rabbit once carelessly told a rabbit friend about this, and the news gradually spread through the forest. The lion, furious upon hearing this, told the rabbit, “If no food comes into the cave this week, I’ll eat you.” So, the rabbit continued writing at the cave entrance.
A deer passed by and asked, “Rabbit, what are you doing?” “Writing an article!” “What’s the title?” “A Brief Discussion on How a Rabbit Eats a Wolf!” The deer laughed, “The whole forest knows this story. Don’t fool me, I’m not going into the cave.” The rabbit said, “I’m about to retire, and the lion is looking for someone to replace me. Don’t you want this article’s rabbit to become a deer?” The deer thought it over, couldn’t resist the temptation, and followed the rabbit into the cave. After a while, the rabbit came out alone and continued writing. A pony came by, and the same thing happened.
In the end, inside the cave, the lion sat among a pile of bones, contentedly picking its teeth while reading the rabbit’s article, titled: How to Develop a Network of Animals to Provide Food for the Boss.
This is actually about deception, not literally developing a network to provide food. But the title is inspiring and could be reframed as How to Develop Partners to Provide Resources for a Business. Without partners, a business cannot grow. In this era of competition and collaboration, no company can do everything alone and must rely on partners to find sufficient “food.”
How to Transition from a Passive to an Active Business Approach to Provide More Food for the Boss
As time passed, the lion grew bigger, and the rabbit’s food was far from enough to satisfy it. One day, the lion told the rabbit, “I need double the food. For example, it used to be one deer every four days; now it’s one every two days. If you can’t change this within a week, I’ll eat you.”
So, the rabbit left the cave entrance and ventured deep into the forest. He met a wolf and asked, “Do you believe a rabbit can easily eat a wolf?” The wolf laughed, not believing it, so the rabbit led the wolf into the cave. After a while, the rabbit came out alone and continued deeper into the forest. This time, he met a wild boar and asked, “Do you believe a rabbit can easily eat a wild boar?” The boar didn’t believe it, and the same thing happened. It turned out the animals deep in the forest didn’t know the rabbit and lion’s story!
In the end, inside the cave, the lion sat among a pile of bones, contentedly picking its teeth while reading the rabbit’s article, titled: How to Transition from a Passive to an Active Business Approach to Provide More Food for the Boss.
The lesson here is about finding where your customer resources are.
There Are Always Stronger Players Beyond the Strong
Time flew by, and the rabbit’s fame grew in the forest because everyone knew it had a powerful boss. The rabbit became arrogant, bullying others, and no animal dared to challenge it. It recalled the humiliation of losing a race to a tortoise and found the tortoise, saying, “Meet my boss in three days!” Then it strutted off.
The tortoise cried in distress but met a hunter and told him the story. The hunter laughed heartily, and a major event unfolded in the forest. The hunter, wearing a lion’s skin, and the tortoise were eating rabbit hotpot together. On the ground lay a crumpled piece of paper with the words: There Are Always Stronger Players Beyond the Strong!
When a business becomes so arrogant that it forgets its place, it’s not far from ruin. When your company is still a “rabbit” and not a “lion,” no matter how strong your backing is, you mustn’t take yourself too seriously. Always be prepared for danger in times of peace.
To Be a Good Boss, You Must First Know How to Retain Employees
For a long time, the forest returned to its usual calm, and the story of the rabbit eating the wolf was nearly forgotten. However, a young tiger, inspired by the story, caught an antelope and said, “If you can bring me food like the rabbit did, I won’t eat you.”
The antelope reluctantly agreed, and the tiger leisurely entered the cave. But three days passed, and the antelope didn’t bring a single animal. The tiger, unable to wait any longer, came out to check. The antelope was long gone, and the tiger was furious. As he raged, he found an article written by the antelope, titled: To Be a Good Boss, You Must First Know How to Retain Employees!
No matter how great a company or its benefits, you cannot neglect or mistreat employees. No matter how grand your vision or project, you can’t achieve greatness alone. A boss who wants to achieve big things is different from one who only wants to make money. Likewise, an employee with ambition is different from one just seeking a living. How to “eat” others without being eaten, and how to help others “eat” without being eaten yourself—this is the harsh reality of society!
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