Storytelling: a leadership development tool
Joanne took the podium
As the waiters cleared the dessert plates from the banquet tables, Joanne, the vice president of sales, took the podium and began the annual meeting. CEO Jeff Carlson could feel the heat building under his neck. He wiped his sweaty palms with the linen napkin and took another sip of water to moisten his cottonmouth lips.
Joanne welcomed them all with charm and sincerity. She laughed a bit with a short story about the Region Three delivery truck that was impounded for illegally parking. Then came the moment when he introduced Jeff.
As he made his way to the podium, he felt time stop. The room was dark except for the spotlight, which seemed to Jeff like a heat lamp illuminating his face. He glanced at his notes, made a funny comment about the truck driver, and then, with hands shaking almost uncontrollably, he launched into his speech.
Later, when his mental alertness returned to normal, he asked his wife how she was doing. I really had no idea. It was like he wasn’t there during the speech, at least not as the confident and confident CEO he knew he was.
What the hell happened to his confidence and power?
Jeff instinctively knew something was missing when he spoke in front of a group. After observing the confidence and poise of the guest speaker who followed him, he finally gave it a name: His power. In all other aspects of his life, he was a powerful and confident man. But when he stood in front of a crowded room to speak, he lost his connection to that power.
Does that happen to you? Do you feel the same level of confidence and power when giving a speech as when leading your company or department? If not, it’s time to learn an important skill that will ensure you maintain your power on the platform: corporate storytelling for a business audience.
Corporate storytelling in business is the answer
Storytelling is a powerful leadership tool. It puts you in touch with your true power so you can motivate and inspire your audience. Professional speakers have learned to turn storytelling into an art form. They know they can connect with their audience and deliver vital messages using the power of storytelling.
Stories are the perfect form of communication that works on many levels. Because they are inherently visual and stimulate the imagination, stories engage the non-linear right brain; Because the sequence of the story is linear, they engage the left linear brain. The stories are both emotional and educational, thus connecting the head and the heart. They are well received by auditory, visual, and kinesthetic learners because well-crafted stories can incorporate all modes of learning. In short, stories are the window through which audience members see their own truth.
So why do some stories work and others don’t? The answer is in the art of storytelling. Almost any story has the potential to be a great story. The secret is to choose and craft a story for your strategic use.
Here are some criteria to apply to the use of stories in your business speeches:
Share personal stories. Audience members want to know who you are and what you believe in. The stories of your life humanize you and make you more accessible. They reveal the person under the title. Research shows that people follow leaders they trust and believe. By sharing personal stories that teach lessons from your life, you reveal the source of your wisdom as a leader. Before listeners buy what you have to say, they must buy you. You are the message. Given that, the next question is: What is your story?
Make a point. When told in front of commercial audiences, stories should have a point, so make an effort to match the point you want with the story you tell before you begin. But be careful. Never assign a point to a story that doesn’t fit naturally. The point should flow effortlessly out of the story. When you know the point you want to teach, ask yourself, “Where did I learn that lesson?”
Find stories from your own life and move from there. Start building your story with your key point in mind.
Here is an example. In one of my motivational keynotes, I teach the value of focusing on solutions rather than problems when telling a story about being late for a speech in Kansas City. My plane had been delayed, and to make matters worse, when I finally made it to the airport, I missed the only shuttle that would have got me to my conference commitment on time. So I saw a limo on the sidewalk and, desperate, I asked the driver if he could take me. His other passenger had just canceled, so he said yes.
By concentrating on the solution, I saw the limo, took action, and made it to my appointment on time. If I had focused on the problem, I would have waited for the next shuttle and been late. He would not have seen the opportunity for an innovative solution. This key point comes out of my limo story, and in the end I suggest that when things don’t work out the way they are supposed to, then “Find the limo.”
The magic is in the details. To stimulate the imagination of your listeners, be sure to elaborate your stories in great detail. Remember and relate each nuance, each character and each emotion. Was anyone driving a car or a beat-up old Chevy with spongy shock absorbers that made it rattle down the street like Elvis’s pelvis? Did the waiter take your order or recite the ten specials of the day as if auditioning for the new Steven Spielberg movie? Paint pictures with words. Use a fine brush, not a roller.
Show and tell. Stories come to life when the narrator recreates certain moments. Step out from behind the lectern so you can “show and tell.” Go from storytelling to action and vice versa. If you simply narrate a past event, it is interesting. If you recreate that very event is powerful and intriguing. It will probably broadcast show-and-tell stories with animation all the time. Introduce them as if you were in an intimate setting with a few close friends. Be natural. Whatever you do “off stage”, do it “on stage”. And have fun.
Think about the last speech you heard. That you remember? If you are like most people, you remember the stories they told you. You remember the sights and sounds, most of which took place in your own imagination. There is no more receptive environment for planting the seeds of a new idea or vision than imagination.
When you tell me something, I listen to it and I understand it, thus I gain knowledge on the subject. But intellectual understanding alone does not motivate people to act. Motivation comes from the Latin word motivus, which means to move. A strategic story contains images that awaken the emotions; it “moves” people. When your story has a logical point, the knowledge converges with the motivation you have created. This leads his listeners to a new understanding and a desire to act.
Using stories strategically can help you say goodbye to sweaty palms and cottonmouth. Before you know it, you’ll be having fun, making your points and feeling your true power in front of an audience, just like when you’re orchestrating the company’s next strategic move.
The Story Theater method for strategic storytelling in business is a unique methodology to help you achieve storytelling success. It is a storytelling technology for business professionals. Get more information by contacting the author.