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Jan 30 - The Donkey and the Lapdog
The Donkey and the Lapdog
January 30, 2007
"A donkey and a dog lived on the estate of a rich man. The donkey stayed in the stable and had lots of corn and oats to eat. The master used the animal to haul wood and sometimes, at night, to turn the mill. Because he was the master's pet, the dog had it much easier. He got to live in the house and received much of the master's attention.
Look at that mutt, the donkey thought to himself. He gets to play all day and sit in the master's lap. He does nothing while I'm here breaking my back. Maybe if I started acting like that dog, the master would treat me the same way. I could live in the house, gain more of his affection, and do less work.
So the next day, the donkey rushed into the house, where the master was eating his lunch, and began frisking about like the dog. The donkey accidentally broke a leg off the table, sending plates and cups crashing to the floor.
'What do you think you're doing, you infernal beast!' the master screamed.
Imitating the dog, the donkey then jumped on the master's lap and pawed him with his hooves.
'Get this creature off me!' the master yelled to his servants. 'And put him back where he belongs.'
The servants restrained the donkey, took him back to the barn, and weighted him down with so many sticks and stones that the animal couldn't stand up.
Aesop's Moral: Be content doing what you're best suited for.
Business Moral: The more you engage your workers, the less employee turnover you'll have (Noonan, 2005, p.154-155, 156)."
Reference: Noonan, D., (2005). Aesop & the ceo: powerful business insights from aesop's ancient fables. Nashville: Nelson Books.
Aesop & the CEO is available on loan from the Ohio State University Leadership Center. To borrow this resource or any other resource, please go to the resource search page http://164.107.48.88/winnebago/index.asp?lib=???
Learn how the Ohio State University Leadership Center is strengthening tomorrow's leaders today at http://leadershipcenter.osu.edu
Created: 2007-04-19, Updated: 2009-02-26
