Inspiring Leadership through Storytelling
Leaders can inspire change through story telling. Storytelling is a powerful tool for social, political and personal activism. It is a tool for trust building, influencing, motivating, and creating a shared vision. Everyone has a story to tell and that if told well stories become a means to moves a group of people into the place of trust and faith to do what needs to get done. In her book The Story Factor Annette Simmons emphasizes that all choices are ultimately personal choices to influence or motivate others into a direction our form of influence has to be personal; it has to involve your personal story.
What kind of story (stories) do you think Steve Jobs is telling at the Stanford Commencement Speech?
Sometimes stories are even better than facts.
10 Situations Where Facts are Inferior to Stories
Influence usually means persuading people to believe what they currently do not believe. They do not believe they need to cooperate with you, that they should change their behavior, or that they should support your goals until they “see” it. Facts don’t help them “see” but stories do. Stories can be more effective than facts.
1. When transforming your one dimensional image to multi-dimensions.
2. When trying to fight influence-neutralizing bear trap questions. Avoids over simplification and increases complexity.
3. When trying to take people out of tunnel vision.
4. When direct communication is unwise or ineffective.
5. When trying to empower people to think for themselves and decrease dependence.
6. When demonstrating the benefits you promise (about a product, an action, etc.)
7. When trying to show your superior is wrong.
8. When trying to communicate your wishes in a respectful way that requests rather than demands.
9. When trying to say no to someone who wants to hear a yes.
10. When trying to change or improve your group's mood.
