Once Upon a Business – Episode 94
The Lamb and the Wolf
Lisa Bloom: A lamb was returning along the road from the pasture. Seeing him unprotected, a wolf started following him with the intent of eating him.
Hi, I’m Lisa Bloom, the story coach, and you’re listening to Once Upon a Business. In each episode, we explore a story, a fairy tale, folk tale, or traditional story, so that we can discover the amazing lessons relevant for business and for entrepreneurs.
The lamb realized that he could not escape. He turned around to face the wolf and said, I know, friend wolf, that I must be your prey. But before I die, I would ask one favor of you. Will you play a tune so I may dance? The wolf complied and started playing. The lamb started dancing. Some hounds heard the sound of the pipe and ran up to the wolf and started chasing him. The wolf realized he’d been tricked. Turning to the lamb, he said, I’ve got what I deserve, for I, who am only a butcher should not have turned to piper to please you.
This story is from Aesop’s Fables. There are many stories in the Aesop collection that describe the interaction between animals, often highlighting weak versus strong with the David and Goliath like unexpected outcome. And in truth, we love these stories where the lesser or weaker of the two parties manage to overcome despite all odds. It’s a resonance story for business, too. How we can find a way to have impact beyond our reach, to succeed beyond expectations. It’s true that navigating the business world often feels like being the lamb in the fable. Vulnerable and underestimated, with the wolf of industry or competition looming.
I remember the first accountant I hired for my business. He never took me or my business seriously. He couldn’t see the possibility that I envisioned. And he took his eye off my business such that I ended up in quite a mess. I’ve also experienced family and friends who don’t really understand my business, telling me that I should find a job, get something real going. That was before COVID when people started realizing that you can have clients that you’ve never met in person and an online business is a real thing. In each case, I was underestimated, but also the odds against being successful seemed to stack against me. So I love the creative thinking of the lamb, facing what seemed like an inescapable destiny to be the prey of the wolf.
I’ve seen how being creative, finding a good strategy, and some engine ingenuity doesn’t just evade threats in business. It also becomes an advantage. The lamb asks, will you play a tune that I may dance? I love this. It’s a real shocker. I mean, I’m sure the wolf had no thoughts about music or dancing, and yet he obliges, almost like the lure of this joyful activity pulls him in. It’s compelling. Aren’t we often seduced by joyful activities, too? And sometimes distracted by them, for good and for bad.
It reminds me of when I go into corporate spaces, leadership meetings, and start to tell a fairy tale. I see their faces when I say something like, there was a little boy who went off exploring, and soon he got lost in the forest. They’re perplexed, confused, like, what is she saying? What’s happening here? We’re in the office of fairy tale. But they can’t maintain that thinking. They fall into the story. They get all wrapped up in it, and it creates an amazing new space where everything that came before is gone and they now have a clean slate. It’s an amazingly creative space that emerges when a story has been told. And this often results in great thinking and a ripe space for problem solving and planning.
In this fable, the innocent lamb thinks creatively and strategically, causing enough confusion and submission by the wolf to enable him to get help and escape his fate. Finally, the wolf understands his fatal mistake, but says fair play to the lamb. He realizes that in the moment, he’d forgotten who he was. He’s a butcher, not a piper. He should have remembered his role so that he could have been true to himself and also won his prey. This is an important lesson for us, both as business owners and also in life. How often do we take on a role in order to please others, but instead lose ourselves? And that never works out. We pay a high price when we forget who we are.
I remember how hard it was to get clients when I felt that I needed to figure out what they wanted and then somehow become that. I would twist myself up in knots to try to be the person or the service they required. And when I stopped that and just told my story, I realized that by being myself, either they would connect and hire me or they never would have anyway. Now, not that I’m advocating devouring the lamb. I was thrilled when he managed to trick the wolf. But in life, we do need to know who we are. Because when you do, and you act accordingly, you attract the right kind of clients and you serve them well.
I’m Lisa Bloom, and you’ve been listening to Once Upon a Business. You can find out more about me at story-coach.com that’s story dash coach dot com. Once Upon a Business is part of the Mirasee FM Podcast network, which also includes such shows as Making It and Just Between Coaches. To catch the great episodes that are coming up on Once Upon a Business, please like and follow us on Mirasee FM’s YouTube channel or your favorite podcast player. And if you enjoyed the show, please leave us a comment or a starred review. It’s the best way to get more stories to more people. Thank you. We’ll see you next time.