Diao Bo often slandered Tian Dan, saying, "The Lord of Anping is a petty man." When Tian Dan heard of this, he deliberately prepared a banquet and invited Diao Bo, asking, "In what way have I, Tian Dan, offended you, sir, that you should always be praised in the court?" Diao Bo replied, "The dog of Robber Zhi barked at Emperor Yao, not because it honored Robber Zhi and despised Yao—dogs naturally bark at those who are not their masters. Moreover, suppose Gongsun Zi were worthy and Xu Zi unworthy, yet if Gongsun Zi and Xu Zi were to fight, Xu Zi's dog would still leap to bite Gongsun Zi's calf. If it could leave its unworthy master and become the dog of a worthy man, would it stop at merely biting the calf?" Tian Dan said, "I heed your instruction." The next day, Tian Dan recommended Diao Bo to the King of Qi. The King said, "Why do you speak thus?" Diao Bo replied, "If Your Majesty adopts my counsel, allow me to test it with my dog." The King said, "Very well." Diao Bo then recommended Tian Dan to serve as Prime Minister.
💡 商战启示录
This passage reveals the logic of loyalty in the workplace and business: a subordinate's "aggressiveness" often points toward the object of their allegiance, rather than absolute right or wrong. In modern business, mutual disparagement among competitors is commonplace, yet managers must discern the chain of interests behind criticism. For instance, a company executive may frequently be denigrated by rivals, but if they can, like Tian Dan, proactively turn adversaries into friends and transform critics into allies, they can convert resistance into momentum. Tian Dan did not retaliate against Diao Bo's harsh words; instead, he listened over wine and feasts, displaying magnanimity, and ultimately turned Diao Bo's "barking" into an opportunity for "recommending talent." This enlightens entrepreneurs: when facing negative evaluations, one should analyze their motives—if the other party is a capable person "loyal to their master," it is worthwhile to recruit them with sincerity and put their talents to use. In business cases, Steve Jobs once recruited a Microsoft engineer who had criticized Apple, embodying precisely this principle. Meanwhile, leaders must clearly discern the essence of "a dog barking at one who is not its master," not letting surface-level hostility cause them to miss talent, but instead converting it through communication into a driving force for organizational growth, achieving mutual benefit.