8/9/2019 Lessons from Fairy Tales

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Fairy tales have the power to excite, enthral and enthuse. Between once upon a time and happily

ever after lies a timeless, ever-changing world, where everything is possible and dreams do come

true.

Good morning/afternoon, boys and girls, would you like me to tell you a story?

Once upon a time in a far away land, there lived in a castle 60 royal personages, not unlike us, whocalled themselves SOME -- Students of Management and Entrepreneurship. True to the name, they

studied the art of managing annoying palace-mates and showcased their entrepreneurial skills in

pulling pranks on the instructors.

One day, a wise instructor, wearied of being caught on the wrong side of the jokes, thought to teach

the unruly batch a lesson. The next morning when the boys and girls barged into the ball room, they

stared in horror:

"The ceiling was cracked, the chandelier had crashed and the draperies were torn all asunder;

What could they do; how could they rejoice; when faced with the God of Thunder?"

Interesting story, isn't it?

Fairies and witches, beautiful princesses and brave princes, enchanted castles and abandoned huts--

this is the stuff fairy tales are made of. We all have our favourite ones: where love conquers all,

truth always wins and the hero has the last laugh.

But more than entertaining us, fairy tales teach us some very important lessons.

The Ugly Duckling is a tale of identification and belonging. We've all experienced that "pariah"

feeling at one time or the other. Sometimes we may feel like an entirely different species from the

gang. For all you know, you may be a lion cub among the ducklings -- with an extra pair of legs and

claws protruding from them, a mouth full of teeth, no feathers or wings, and when you look at the

other animals on the farm you imagine them resting quietly in your belly. On top of being called a

"mutant", you must conform to the duckling code of conduct. Imagine this strain -- "Ole Mac Donaldhad a farm, And on his farm he had a lion cub, With a "quack, quack" here and a "quack, quack"

there."

The tale of the Ugly Duckling who was really a swan teaches us: 'Know Yourself.'

With your self-knowledge secure, you march on, climb the ladder and reach a place of great height --

well, 20 mattresses is pretty high. But, do not get complacent, for three small peas can disturb a

good night's sleep. Apply this to management -- the mattresses piled one on top of the other can be

likened to the layers in an organization. It is important to identify the vegetables hidden in the folds.

How many times have you worked in a group and found people to be inert and comatose?

'Be alert. Sense irregularities.'

While on the one hand, there are those who fall into a stupor, on the other, there are windbags --

those who talk you to death. We've all suffered from the Raw Ear Syndrome when your brain shuts

down, you can't get a word in edgeways, and your point is blown away. But do not fear those with

the curse of the gab; your salvation lies in building a concrete edifice, then no amount of huffing and

puffing will blow your house away.

So 'Lay a strong base to protect against windbags'.

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Sometimes, however, we may be so relieved to find shelter; we do not notice the chains that bind

us. We become slaves to habits and ancient ideas. It is here that we can draw lessons from the

travails of Hansel and Gretel. If you have a crone for a boss, don't lock horns with him/her at any and

every opportunity. Bide your time. Never lose sight of the end-goal. And when the time is right, you

will be able to shove the job, instead of the job cooking you.

'Stay focused. And Never Say Die.'

As managers, as entrepreneurs, simply as people who journey through life, remember:

"Know Yourself.

Be alert. Sense Irregularities.

Lay a strong base against windbags.

Stay Focused. (And) Never Say Die."

Fairy tales have a lot to teach us. What we learn, however, depends on our interpretation of the

stories. To the layman, fairy tales conjure images of a knight in shining armour, riding a white horse,

battling a vicious fire-breathing dragon to rescue the damsel in distress. But you are future managers

and must be able to get the total picture. Apply your mind and you can do wonders.

Just like our 60 friends. We had left them in a ball room that was falling apart. But, being very smart

boys and girls, they put their heads together and came up with a plan. While one group approached

neighbouring kingdoms to sponsor the renovation, another marketed and advertised a grand ball. A

third group set out to organise said party, while a fourth roped in personnel to decorate the hall.

On the appointed day, carriages brought elegant beauties and charming beasts to a ball room that

glittered with flashing lights, that smelled of a delicious feast, and resounded with groovy beats that

threatened to crack the ceiling again. [0:15] [0:40]

Our wise instructor took to the stage and said:

"I think it now appropriate to give a vote of thanks;Thank you for this sumptuous meal, and thanks for this pint I drank,

You transformed into a ballroom a doghouse, to be frank.

Thanks to the God of Thunder, you had no time for pranks!"

Now, they are SOME group!