Professional Documents
Culture Documents
The Leaders' Guide To Storytelling: Mastering The Art and Discipline of Business Narrative
The Leaders' Guide To Storytelling: Mastering The Art and Discipline of Business Narrative
t.Butrathertouseunwittinglyand clumsilyorintelligentlyandskillfully. Storytellingisasizablepartoftheeconomy.Persuasionconstitutesmorethanofthe USGNP.IFstorytellingishalfofpersuasion,thatamountsto14%ofGNP,ormorethan atrillion$s. Differentnarrativepatternsareusefulforthedifferentpurposesofleadership. Learningtotellstoriesisnotsomuchataskoflearningsomethingasitisreminding ourselvesofsomethingwealreadyknowhowtodo. Storytellingismorethanonetool:itsawholearrayoftoolstoolsthatcouldhelp achievemultiplepurposessuchassparkingpeopleintoaction,communicatingwhoyou areorwhoourcompanyis,transmittingvalues,sharingknowledge,tamingthe grapevineandleadingintothefuture. Disciplineofstorytellingdealswithleadershipmorethanmanagement.Leadership dealsmorewiththeendsthanthemeans.Concernsissueswherethereisno agreementonunderlyingassumptionsandgoalsorwherethereisabroadagreement, buttheassumptionsandgoalsareheadingforfailure. Leadershipisessentiallyastaskofpersuasionofwinningpeoplesheartsandminds. Adifferentkindofleader Thecaseismade,stepbystep,thatifyouconsistentlyusethenarrativetoolsdescribed, youwillacquirenewcapabilities.Youcommunicatewhoyouareandwhatyoustand for,otherscometoknowyouandrespectyouforthat.Becauseyouareattentivetothe worldasitis,yourideasaresound.Youspeakthetruth,youarebelieved.Youmake yourvaluesexplicitandyouractionsareconsistentwiththosevalues,yourvalues becomecontagiousandothersstarttosharethem.Youlistentotheworldandthe worldlistenstoyou.Youareopentoinnovationandhappyaccidentshappen. NarrativepatternscanbelearnedbyanyonewhowantstoleadthemCEO,middle management,onthefrontlinesofanorganizationoroutsideanyorganizations altogetheranyonewhoseesabetterwaytodothingsandwantstheorganizationto change. 1TellingtheRightStory Analysismightexcitethemind,butithardlyoffersaroutetotheheart.