Reconnect With Your Story.
This article is part of Finding the Words, a newsletter that delivers practical insights on the day’s issues.
"Story is critical to business success."
Ben Horowitz, Andreessen Horowitz
Stories. They help us build empathy. They give purpose to our work. They deepen understanding and bridge divides. And yes, stories are critical to business success.
Here's a story to prove it.
Earlier this year, I was asked to deliver an urgent and necessary presentation training for a newly appointed executive. The organization that reached out was delighted with the appointment of its new CEO, and the Board was feeling universally optimistic about the potential of this leader and her vision.
But there was a problem.
The organization was in a moment of major expansion, which required this CEO to be in front of many new audiences. While she was calm and in control of her messages with staff, the new executive often faltered in her presentation delivery with new audiences: sometimes rambling, sometimes losing her way, and often speaking in such technical jargon that even the academics grew bored.
A national spotlight was on this organization, and it was their moment to shine. The CEO needed to meet the moment but was instead meeting some serious discomfort. And that discomfort was raising concerns.
According to a Harvard Business Review survey, trust in our leaders is at an all-time low; 58 percent of respondents admit to trusting strangers more than their own boss. (Yikes!)
I understood immediately why this team felt the need to support their chief storyteller in telling more compelling stories. Trust was on the line. So, I spent an initial few hours with her to get a better idea of the situation. I wanted to understand her backstory and what brought her to this work. I asked her to share a story about why she chose to join this organization. I asked her to think back on what she imagined was possible when she considered taking on this role and what she felt about this team, this organization, and their future.
First, she focused on the facts. Her delivery was dry, and I sensed why she was losing the attention of key audiences. Then I asked her to think back...way back...to how she felt when she first joined this organization nearly 15 years earlier in a different role. What was happening in the world then, and why did this feel like the place to land?
In a matter of minutes, her tense body language softened. She began remembering important parts of her story, and her words now carried emotion, which made it impossible not to listen and feel inspired by her vision. Her colleagues, who were listening in, were shocked. Later, they shared that simply hearing her vulnerability deepened their admiration for her as their CEO.
This ability to reconnect with her story had been what her colleagues wanted, but they worried she "didn't have it in her." Similarly, the CEO shared that telling a story through a personal lens, while uncomfortable at first, had unlocked something important for her, too. She thought she was communicating just fine until she realized how much better she could be at connecting with her audience, and the impact that her improvements could have on the business overall.
There are few things as powerful as a story. The best part is that we all have stories inside of us, many of them just waiting to be unlocked. When we learn how to unlock our stories and connect more deeply with others, we can become better versions of ourselves.
If you’re feeling disconnected from your work or worried that you’re not being as compelling as you want to be in your own presentation, then ask: what stories have shaped you into who you are today? Reconnect with the stories of your past. Consider those transformative moments that helped you realize your purpose and feel the meaning in your work.
And then tell those stories to the world.
Bottom line: Stories are critical to business success. And stories exist in all of us. Make time to reconnect with your stories and find out what's possible as a result.
This post is part of the Finding The Words column, a series published every Wednesday that delivers a dose of communication insights direct to your inbox. If you like what you read, we hope you’ll subscribe to ensure you receive this each week.
