We all can remember being told stories as children: bedtime stories, stories around a campfire, or stories shared on road trips or family meals. They all served a purpose, and we remember the connections, the lesson contained, or the closeness we developed with the storyteller.
Leaders need to tell stories, too. But instead of fairy tales or moral-ending fables, leaders need to tell stories that build trust, call others to action, and inspire vision.
Build Trust
Telling true stories about yourself may not be comfortable for some; doing so humanizes you and connects you with listeners. In turn, they may reciprocate, building a circle of trust.
Call to Action
Leaders must act with and through others. One of the best ways to achieve action is to tell a story that has the audience thinking that if they do this (action item), then we will get that (desired outcome). Action stories are useful in the process of organizational change. Speak to people’s hearts, not their minds.
Inspire Vision
When you call others to act, leaders need to know where that action will take them, and they then need to convey that information, their vision of how the situation will be better because of taking action. The vision story extends into the future, making it feel vivid and real.
Inspired by:
Westergaard, N. (2023, September 22). “5 Types of Stories Leaders Need to Tell.” Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2023/09/5-types-of-stories-leaders-need-to-tell?utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter_daily&utm_campaign=mtod_notactsubs