Imagine you’re in a tough work situation. It might be tempting to turn to your friends for help, right? After all, who better to support you during a work problem? Well, think again. Relying on your friends in a professional setting can be a big mistake. Here’s why: your friends might start comparing themselves to you and feel jealous about your success. That’s why it’s a smarter move to create some distance between you and your friends.

Let’s look back in history at Chinese emperors. Many of them were betrayed and killed by their closest friends, some of whom the emperors had put in powerful positions. Emperor Sung was aware of this danger, so in 959, he tried a different approach. He invited his close friends, who were also his generals, to a big feast. At the banquet, he gave them estates and riches, and they all retired to their palaces. This clever move allowed Sung to rule for another 16 years, which was quite unusual for the time.

Now, you might wonder, if you can’t rely on your friends at work, who should you work with? It might sound strange, but teaming up with your enemies can be a brilliant idea. Let’s go to 1807 in France, where the foreign minister, Talleyrand, saw that Napoleon was losing power. So, he decided to work against him, but he needed a strong partner to do it. Surprisingly, he found the right person in Joseph Fouché, the chief of the secret police. Fouché and Talleyrand had been political rivals for a long time and both wanted Napoleon out of the picture.

Talleyrand undermined Napoleon’s diplomacy with Russia, while Fouché worked with the English to weaken Napoleon’s rule. Eventually, they succeeded, and Napoleon was removed from power. Though Fouché also lost some influence, Talleyrand became an important minister in the new government. So, remember, in tough work situations, working with your friends might not be the best idea, and sometimes, your enemies can turn out to be your valuable allies.