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Storytelling
in
Leadership
Leaders
need to
inspire
changes
- in
behaviour
and
systems,
and in
attitude
- and to
build
loyalty
to their
organisation
and
product.
This
requires
a
special
type of
communication...
to
persuade.
Leadership
and
management
are
moving
away
from the
hierarchical
structures
where
autocratic
leadership
was
pervasive
and
behaviour
was
motivated
by
adherence
to a set
of rules
and
management
theory.
Today
the
communication
channels
tend to
be more
web-like
and far
more
"human'.
Public
speaking
in
leadership
can no
longer
be a
performance
that
leads to
change,
it has
to be a
process
that
engages
with its
audience
if it is
to
succeed
at all.
And like
all
forms of
persuasion,
it needs
to move
its
audience
subtly.
The
engagement
needs to
be at a
much
deeper
level.
This is
where
stories
come
into
their
own,
providing
a
powerful,
successful
tool.
They
allow
the
audience
to relax
into the
lesson
to be
learnt,
and
therefore
break
down
resistance
far more
subtly
and
effectively
than
statistics
and
facts
and
management
theory.
They are
less
direct.
If a
manager
wants
employees
to
change
and
improve
in some
way, he
could
simply
explain
the
change
and what
is
expected
and why
… or …
he could
tell a
story or
two
about
being in
the same
position
and
facing
the same
challenges.
He has
placed
himself
at the
same
level,
demonstrating
an
understanding
of the
challenges
faced,
creating
a bond
in the
process,
and then
introducing
the
behaviour
that he
found
best for
those
conditions
-
motivating
change
far more
subtly
and
powerfully.
In this
process,
leaders
build
credibility
in their
abilities
to lead
and to
understand
the
people
to whom
they are
speaking.
Leaders'
presentations
are just
like any
other
presentation
that
aims to
persuade
in any
way.
They
need to
“sell”
the idea
or
proposal
on the
basis of
emotion,
connection
and the
human
aspect
through
storytelling.
That is
the
basis of
persuasion.
Then
they can
provide
the
justification
and
rational
support
in a set
of facts
and
figures
that
support
a
decision
already
made.
Facts
tell –
stories
sell.
And this
is
particularly
important
for
leaders.
©Bronwyn Ritchie
If you want to include this article in your publication, please do,
but please include the following information with it:
Bronwyn Ritchie is a professional librarian, writer, award-winning
speaker and trainer. She is a certified corporate trainer and speech
contest judge with POWERtalk, a certified World Class Speaking
coach, and has had 30 years experience speaking to audiences and
training in public speaking. Get her 30 speaking tips
FREE and boost your public speaking mastery over 30 weeks. Join now or go to
http://www.30speakingtips.com
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