Why Leaders Should Care About Storytelling

This excellent blog post by Shannon Emerson encapsulates why stories are such a powerful tool for modern leaders. As our focus is on storytelling to inspire action, we encourage you to pay special attention to the second embedded TED talk, by Steve Denning. We agree with Denning when he states “When it comes to inspiring people to embrace some strange new change in behavior, storytelling isn’t just better than the other tools. It’s the only thing that works.” Denning’s four elements of an effective story are: It must be a true story. Not just factually accurate, but authentic. Don’t tell the Titanic story by saying “On the Titanic’s maiden voyage, 700 people made it safely to New York.” It has to be positive in tone. The story needs a happy ending to stimulate the correct regions of the brain. It’s simple. Don’t get people lost in the details. Give them a skeleton and let their subconscious fill in the gaps and put themselves in the story. Contrast the “before” state with the “after”. There needs to be a clear distinction to inspire action.

http://www.echostories.com/leadership-storytelling/