Stories in Leadership Can Make A Big Impact
There is more to the story I shared with you recently about storytelling. There is a reason I urge you to engage stories often:
Stories have power
We watch movies and read books to get lost in a story. People share and swap stories in long conversations with friends over dinner to see life from another viewpoint. Few things have as much power to emotionally affect our species than a well-told tale. Why is that do you imagine?
When people tell their story we have the opportunity to see ourselves in the struggles, and the victories that they share.
Narratives are Powerful Tools in a Leaders Toolbox
Narratives share fundamental universal themes. Leaders used compelling storytelling from humanity’s early days, enabling them to communicate with each other. Even without words, the stories told on ancient cave walls still speak to us today.
Modern leaders are aware of the power and value of a compelling narrative. How can they not be? Think of Apple, Tesla, or Microsoft. Three successful companies whose leaders harnessed the power of story to sell their company to the public and their employees.
So even though it is 2020, and we live in a brave new world of social media and short attention spans, storytelling remains anything but peculiar. Try distilling any message down to its essence; the chances are, you will find a story. And the more valuable the message, the better the account will be!
Organizations and Their Stories
Think of a story as the legs behind any message or organizational purpose.
An organization’s story often begins with a vision. A dream of a future, if the story turns out the way they hope. The narrative is complicated, with unexpected challenges from antagonists on a mission to quench the vital quest.
But the story is what creates “buy-in.”
It’s the struggle that makes it real and universal. We have all been there to some degree; we have all done “that” in some way. The story helps us relate. “Ah-ha, that’s just like when I…,” we think.
A well-articulated vision builds loyalty.
An empowering vision will motivate entire teams to pool their skill sets and creativity towards a common organizational goal.
A vision that is rooted in a story has a purpose.
Visions give direction to the employees and stakeholders alike. Visions galvanize our efforts.
Who Remembers a Pie Chart?
Let’s look at it this way: when was the last time you fondly recalled a pie chart or a particular graph? Don’t worry if you can’t remember. You are not alone.
Although pie charts and graphs have their place in boardroom meetings (which these days means videoconferences), they don’t motivate management nor employees within organizations to be the best they can be or to think outside of the box. They show statistics.
But I’ll bet donuts to dollars that you are likely to recall a compelling story where someone persevered through adversity. Or a meeting where a colleague shared a personal account of a challenging experience and got through it with surprising results.
We Learn Why We Should Care
Narratives help show why something matters and why you should care—and why it is all worth it! It’s always worth it if you have the right story, the right purpose.
Because overcoming challenges are a part of any success story!
Leaders utilize the power of stories to show the journey of a company. People hear what the company has passed through and where it is going.
A well-told story will inform and educate employees. It can also inspire and motivate them to want to be a part of that story; to be active characters in an organization’s journey toward success.
When employees feel they have an active role in a company’s success, the results can be spectacular!
Here are Four Essential Ingredients to A Leaders Well-Shared Tale
Follow these tips to connect and create buy-in from your team.
1. Your team is part of the story
Make your organization feel like it is part of an evolving story and still working towards its intended goal.
It could not happen without every single one of them. Without buy-in from your employees, you’ll have an uphill struggle.
2. Ensure your narrative is authentic
Don’t take shortcuts by communicating a poorly-thought-out description of your company’s mission and goals.
Craft your narrative in a way that shows its real purpose and show plainly what that is.
Usually, that mission will include making the end-user of your company’s products or services happy and improving their lives in some way.
3. Be the lead character
We all know that successful organizations are greater than the sum of their parts, whose success is rooted in bringing everyone together under a single vision.
However, consistency must begin at the top. Be the lead character in the story, and allow your every action to reaffirm your company’s narrative consistently.
4. Always be serving
Always aim to improve the lives of those you serve, whether they be consumers, patients, learners, clients, etc. You are only as good as your last success.
So, aim to keep those you serve front and center in what you say and do.
Long Live the Folklore!
Stories have been with us from the very beginning, and they will be with us right through to the very end.
The very fact that we exist as a species is a story, as is just about everything we do in life.
We identify with stories because our daily experiences are a collection of stories that we tell ourselves and each other.
Without stories, our objectives in daily life would seem rather pointless, wouldn’t they?
It’s no different for an organization. Always have and always remember the story.
