In a certain land, a King traveled, attended by a civil official (the “Official”) on horseback and royal servants carrying the King’s palanquin. While the King rested, the servants grumbled among themselves: “We do all the hard labor while the Official rides a horse. This is not right!” The King heard them but remained silent.
Along the road, hearing a mournful cry of dogs, the King ordered a servant to investigate. The servant quickly rode his horse back and reported: “A litter of puppies is crying, Your Majesty.” The King asked, “Are they domesticated or wild?” The servant rode back and returned shortly: “Domesticated, Your Majesty!” The King continued: “Why are they crying?” The servant rode off again, only to return later: “Their bedding is soaked with rainwater, Your Majesty.” The King then asked: “How many males and females? What is the color of their fur?” The servant, growing exhausted, had to ride off immediately after every query.
Just then, the Official arrived. The servants looked at him, seated in his sedan chair, calmly fanning himself, and their resentment grew. The dogs were still crying. The King stopped the servant and addressed the Official: “Go and see what is happening.”
The Official obeyed. His return took three times longer than the servant’s quick gallop. Upon returning, the Official slowly reported: “Your Majesty! There is a litter of five puppies—three male, two female—with ash-gray fur. Their bedding is soaked with rainwater, but it appears their mother has been killed, leaving the pups cold, hungry, and crying desperately. I have already given the local farmer a few coins and asked him to buy food for them.“
The King smiled, turned to the servant, and asked, “Do you now know why you are the servant, and he is the Official?”
The modern lesson: Beyond the forward button
This allegory provides a deep lesson in work ethic. The servant lacked comprehension and initiative. His job was merely to relay partial information. The Official, however, investigated the root cause, offered a complete diagnosis, proposed a concrete solution, and took responsibility for his action.
One of the actions I despise and rate lowest among mid-level management is the “forward” button.
An employee, especially a manager, should never send an email like: “Boss: The Sales team has this report…. Please advise on instructions.” or “Boss, here is the partner’s report. Please advise.”
When I receive reports like this, I often reply with nothing but: “?????”
New employees often ask why I am so terse. My answer is blunt: “If your report is only a forward, I am effectively paying you to be an email router. A low-paid intern can do that job.”
Instead of forwarding an email and expecting me to think, an employee—particularly at the management level—should deliver a report that looks like this:
“Boss, the Covid situation is creating difficulties for both our suppliers and market expansion. I’m attaching the report for your review. I have already convened the sales teams and cross-checked the data with two alternative suppliers. Therefore, I recommend we pay the current supplier upfront today and proactively reduce our selling price by 10%. We have calculated this carefully: we will incur a 7% loss in revenue, but gain a 12% increase in market share, and the supplier will begin work next week. I take full responsibility for this decision. Unless you have any objections, I will implement this within the next three days.”
This response demonstrates that the employee understands the work, takes ownership, thinks critically, and most importantly, contributes meaningful value.
As a company grows, it must eliminate mid-level managers who are mere “messengers” or “complainers.” These “messenger managers” create stress and inefficiency at the top. Eventually, if the leader has to constantly solve their problems for them, the leader will either face a complex firing process (difficult in Vietnam) or simply become furious.
My ultimate, fervent wish is to visit any company and hear the team tell me: “Boss, it’s wonderful you visited. The work is ours to do, and the responsibility is ours to bear. Finish your visit and go enjoy your time. You don’t need to do anything here.”
