Entrepreneurship Lessons to Be Learnt From Old Tales

The most ancient and significant way of passing down the history and legacy is by Storytelling. The popularity of reading and listening stories is still incomparable. Fables and fairytales haven’t lost their charm, even in the digital age because it teaches a precious and a valuable moral.

We all interpret these old stories the way they fit into our situations. Here, we have gathered 11 old fables which can teach you valuable entrepreneurship lessons. They can utilize the lessons these stories teach for building up their marketing strategy.

#1 Always Lead by Example: The story of a Young Crab and his Mother

The story wherein the mother who is trying to teach young crab how to walk, when she can’t move herself, she realizes her mistake and apologizes.

Lesson: 

[pullquote align=”normal”]This is a great example of how you can lead people by setting an example, as a leader needs to live up to the expectations that he or she sets, then only others are going to follow. [/pullquote]

#2 Ideas are Essential, but Execution is the Key: The story, “Who would bell the cat”

The story of a mouse where he comes up with a brilliant idea to tie the bell in the cat’s neck, but don’t know who would bell the cat.

Lesson:

[pullquote align=”normal”]”An idea which can’t be executed is of no use. No doubt it’s good to come up with creative ideas but the execution is equally important.” [/pullquote]

# 3 Being Modest is Obligatory: The story of the Bull and the Bee

The story where bee is full of itself that he doesn’t consider the coming of bull and on the other hand the bull doesn’t consider the existence of the bee, despite of the fact that bee is sitting on his horn.

Lesson:

It’s important to be modest even when you’ve tasted a bit of success.

[pullquote align=”normal”]”An entrepreneur shouldn’t give himself such importance that he ends up losing.” [/pullquote]

When people like Bill gates can be humble then why we can’t?

#4 Keep on Building Goals Persistently: The story of a Thirsty Crow

There would be no one who wouldn’t have listened to the famous fable of a thirsty Crow, who keeps on putting pebbles into the pitcher, until he can drink water.

Lesson:

[pullquote align=”normal”]”The perseverance of Crow to quench its thirst teaches the entrepreneurs to keep the focus on building goals to eventually taste success.” [/pullquote]

#5 To sit and do nothing, you have to sit very high up: The story of the Eagle and the Rabbit

The story wherein an Eagle is sitting at the top of the tree doing nothing and the Rabbit asks can I also do the same, and then the Eagle replies you can. But when the rabbit does so, a fox comes and eat it.

Lesson:

When your business in the starting phase, then you continuously needs to be in action otherwise you will lag behind.

[pullquote align=”normal”]“You need to be at a certain height (achieve certain scale of success) to rest for a while.” [/pullquote]

#6 Slow and Steady wins the Race: The story of Hare and Tortoise

The famous story in which Hare gets overconfident in the race, as he runs fast and fell asleep, whereas slowly and slowly Tortoise keeps moving and wins the race.

Lesson:

It’s not necessary to go fast every time, as even when you are slow and steady throughout the process, you eventually win.

[pullquote align=”normal”]”Startups who are in their initial phase shouldn’t put themselves into trouble by going too fast, be reliable and at the end you will gain your target audience.” [/pullquote]

#7 Think Winter All Summer: The story of Ants

The story tells how ants start saving food for winter in the middle of summer. They start saving for the bad times before the bad time arrives.

Lesson:

Even when you are in the midst of the good times, you need to start preparing for the bad times.

[pullquote align=”normal”]“An entrepreneur should be realistic and think ahead of upcoming good and troubled situations.” [/pullquote]

#8 Funding will Get you on the Top, but won’t Keep you There: The story of the Turkey and the Bull

The story where Turkey wants to sit at the top of the tree, but is unable to do so, due to lack of energy, then she nibbles the droppings of dung and reaches the top of the tree.  But, the Turkey is shot by the Farmer.

Lesson:

The bullshit can help you reach at the top, but it won’t keep you there.

[pullquote align=”normal”]“As, funding can take your business to the next level, but you won’t be able to stay there without consistent efforts.” [/pullquote]

#9 Imitating Big Companies Blindly can Land you in Trouble: The story of a Dog with a large juicy bone

The story of a dog with a large bone, when he stops to see his own reflection, he barks by seeing someone bigger in the reflection and ends up losing his bone.

Lesson:

It’s stupid to imitate others.

[pullquote align=”normal”]“An entrepreneur should aim to achieve the success, but if you start spending like big brands, then you might end yourself up in trouble.” [/pullquote]

#10 Failure Might be the Pillar of Success, But if you Can, Avoid it: The story of the Lion, the Ass and the Fox

All of them went hunting one day and hunted a huge amount of meat. The Ass divides the meat equally and Lions eats him up, Fox knows that it’s his turn next, so he takes a small piece of meat and leaves to save his life.

Lesson:

If you can avoid the situation and save yourself from failure, then do it at any cost.

[pullquote align=”normal”]“Entrepreneurs should analyze the situation and if they can avoid the failure, then should surely do it.” [/pullquote]

#11 Even If you’re in Trouble, Don’t Try to Short Sell your Ideas: The story of a Bird and Cow

A story of bird who was flying in the cold, fell on the ground and froze, then a Cow comes and shit on her, the bird realizes that her life has been saved and starts singing and then a cat hears her singing and dug it out and eat the bird.

Lesson:

Not everyone who gets you out of the shit is your friend and not everyone who shit on you is your enemy.

[pullquote align=”normal”]“An entrepreneur shouldn’t sell short his ideas because there maybe chances that others might have been trying to take advantage of your situation.” [/pullquote]

These old stories teach such lessons which are noteworthy for entrepreneurs, no matter whether they are in the starting phase or already established. So, all that matters is that one should never stop learning, make a note of these morals to gain success with time.