We generate impact¹ through creative sense making² humanized³ by storytelling⁴.
¹Business or personal impact includes purpose, clarity, engagement, alignment, efficiency, outcomes, and growth.
²Creative sense making is the art and science of assessment, organization, facilitation, clarity, ideation, strategy, design, planning, and prioritization.
³A humanized approach includes the use of human-centered design and empathy to generate resonance across leaders and teams.
⁴Storytelling leverages words, structure, voice, and visuals to convey, connect, and persuade new ideas or direction.
Impact begins with a compelling story.
Let’s say you want to hit a financial target. Who doesn’t? Our first question will be—is everyone clear on the story of where we are today, where we need to be, the journey to get there, and why it matters? My next questions is going to be, is your customer clear on where they are today, where they’d be with your offering, and the transformation they’ll experience to reach their goals? A sharp story tailored to the right audiences in the right format and sequence can unlock goals.
Sound fluffy? Let’s delve into the history and science together.
Storytelling is uniquely human.
It’s believed storytelling began as painted images on cave walls before language 30,000+ years ago. This led to oral storytelling passed down from generation-to-generation through myths, legends, fables, proverbs, and poems. Storytelling is an ancient mode of teaching learnings, conveying empathy, instilling knowledge, and capturing memory. Recent Princeton University studies show that brain waves between storyteller and listener begin to sync during stories to capture meaning and context. Our businesses, leaders, investors, buyers, partners, customers, and teams are made up of—humans. Humans are wired to learn, connect, and grow through visual and verbal stories.
We buy into stories every day.
We buy products after learning the company’s why and outcomes—a brand story. We develop friendships after learning each other’s journey’s—a life story. We hire teammates after learning their resume and background—a personal brand story. We follow leaders into a challenging program after learning the vision and benefits of a new future—a transformational change story. We try new ways of working after hearing how someone was successful doing so—a success story. We join partnerships and choose to collaborate after learning how our work can support one another—a growth story. Whether it’s an idea, change, product, or service, we buy into stories.
Influential leaders tell meaningful stories.
Leaders with the greatest vision, credibility, influence, following, impact, and success use storytelling to drive organizations, businesses, ideas, and change forward. They understand that through story they can foster emotional connection, trust, engagement, and belonging They understand that story is the mode in which they can move individuals, teams, organizations, companies, and communities to action. Human-centered leadership is knowing how to weave stories into strategy, meetings, initiatives, and marketing.
Storytelling takes many shapes.
Aristotle said every great story has a beginning, middle, and end. Freytag said every story has five stages—an exposition, an inciting incident, a rising action, a climax, a falling action, and a resolution. Campbell analyzed the monomyth or the notion that a hero undergoes a transformation of adventure, challenge, temptation, rebirth, and sharing of new knowledge. Duarte said persuasive storytelling that has the power to change history follows a sparkline or emotional highs and lows between the status quo and an improved future. We can captivate and move people in business when we understand how to shape the context, characters, and messages into a narrative.
The storytelling format has impact.
Stories are everywhere. It can be a photo, a song, a book, a play, a movie, a video, a blog, a speech, a testimonial, a presentation, a brand, a resume, a website, a social media post—the list goes on. In order for stories to resonate, they have to be received. When we understand how different personas digest information and where they go to engage, we can tailor stories in ways that they can receive it. We can influence influence engagement, change, adoption, and sales with strategic stories.