(From Forbes) -- Show me a great leader and I’ll show you a talented storyteller. Leadership and storytelling go hand-in-hand. In fact, leaders who lack the ability to leverage the power and influence of storytelling are missing the very essence of what accounts for compelling leadership to begin with – the story. Give me a few minutes and allow me to share a story with you – it may just change your life.
If you’ve ever been captivated by a skilled orator whose articulation and eloquence has influenced your thinking, you understand the power of the art of story. I refer to story as an art form because it is. Storytelling requires talent and practice, but as with any worthy discipline, the investment yields great benefit. A story is the root level driver behind successfully communicating any message. A subtle side benefit of well crafted stories can be found in their versatility – they can be delivered in person or by proxy, and in visual, textual, or verbal form.
Before the existence of the written word, learning largely took place by passing down stories through the generations. The passing of history has diluted many things, but not the value of story. Today’s technology driven world has only made it easier to amplify story – the potential for a story to “go viral” has never been greater. Here’s the thing – you’ll never know how good your story is if you choose not to share it. Storytelling is the hook that drives engagement, evokes passion, and provides the energy that fuels innovation. Storytelling is an attraction magnet – it’s one thing you definitely want to add to your leadership toolkit.
While an authentic story is much like DNA in that no two stories are exactly the same, it takes more than being unique to be memorable. Stories are the instruments that tug at your emotions, speak to your logic, support your beliefs, and reinforce your positions. Great stories challenge, engage, inform, persuade, entertain, mobilize, convict, and inspire. Smart leaders understand stories highlight learning opportunities and create memorable experiences. Are you consciously and consistently using story to be a more effective leader? Perhaps more importantly, are you scaling storytelling by teaching others how to use story to their advantage? I’m reminded of a Navy recruiting video which posed the question; If someone wrote a story about your life, would anybody read it? This is a powerful question for any of us to ponder, but especially leaders.
There is no denying everybody loves a good story, and there are numerous reasons why. Think about the novels you’ve read, movies you’ve watched, speeches you’ve listened to, ads that have hooked your interest, or virtually any other message delivered by any other medium, and it’s the story that either seals the deal or leaves you feeling cheated. The best part about learning to be a great storyteller is it will afford you the best shot at becoming a story maker. When reflecting on the greatest leaders of our time you’ll quickly see it’s their ability to not just tell the story, but their ability to create engagement, inspiration, and influence through their storytelling which sets them apart from the masses.
