Here's how you can enhance your leadership effectiveness through storytelling and narrative techniques.

Leaders simplify. They do that by nurturing the five senses through various techniques. They will walk with a signature and you will be in awe. They will use tonality that will inspire. They will touch your sweet spots and you will be a raving fan. And there is not a better way to touch these senses other than telling a story. Stories creates a movie on the creative right brain, it sticks to us when coupled with the right emotion. So you ask how? Be creative in telling what ever you say. Don't speak to their ears, speak to their heart, make them feel like a character in the story.

I find storytelling and narrative techniques really engaging because they help with self-reflection and highlight areas for improvement. Crafting a clear, compelling vision that aligns with your team’s values and goals makes everything more memorable and engaging. Sharing personal stories builds trust and connects you with your team on a deeper level. By motivating and inspiring them, you establish yourself as a mentor and role model they look up to.

Before diving into the intricacies of storytelling, it's crucial to grasp the basics. A compelling story has a clear structure: a beginning that sets the scene, a middle with a central conflict or challenge, and an ending that resolves the tension and provides closure. As a leader, your stories should be authentic, relatable, and aligned with your message. They need to resonate with your audience on a personal level. Understanding these storytelling fundamentals will lay the groundwork for enhancing your leadership communication.

Stories are the most effective way of captivating an audience and relating to different social styles. However, not all stories are created equal. For a story to be effective, it must be: 1. Relevant 2. Timely 3. Purposeful Here's what I mean by these three. Relevant: A story can be exceptional, but if it is not relatable to your audience and they can't envision the characters or experience, it won't stick. Timely: Stories help an audience tie various concepts together at the right time. Purposeful: Every story should include an IPB (incident, Point, Benefit) - The incident is the story build (Who, where, and when), the Point is what is important to remember (moral of the story), and the benefit is why it matters.

Share Personal Experiences. Authenticity resonates deeply. Share personal anecdotes that reflect your values, challenges, and triumphs. This helps to humanize you as a leader and build trust. Highlight Team Successes. Celebrate the team's achievements through stories. Recognize individual contributions and emphasize the collective effort, fostering a sense of pride and belonging.

Authenticity is the value that is always driving me ... acknowledging who I am, not perfect, and leading by convictions and care. The more authentic you sound, the more people will follow you.

To be a leader, you need to lead from within, meaning authenticity. People will intuitively know when you're being insincere, and this will influence their trust in you. Instead of sharing generic wisdom or stories of famous leaders, share your stories, struggles, and wins. Being vulnerable and relatable will not only strengthen your position as a leader but will also build trust because people will know that what they see is what they get.

Paint a Clear Picture. Use narratives to vividly illustrate your vision for the future. Describe the desired outcomes in a way that the team can visualize and feel excited about. Connect Vision to Values. Link your vision to the core values of the team and organization. This alignment helps to create a sense of purpose and direction.

A considerable part of the success of storytelling is making the story tangible. This means adding descriptive language and valuable details to your narrative, helping the listener see your story before their eyes instead of only listening to it. The more sense you can address, the more impactful your story will be. Focus on one main message and build your story around it, making it crystal clear what the takeaway is while telling an incredible story you can build on and refer to in the future.

If you're aiming to instill a new company value, or drive a change initiative, it's important to understand the current baseline/starting point & the sentiment of your audience to inform how you craft a narrative that leads to a clear call to action. For this purpose, I often like to combine the "From, To, Because" framework together with some form of the "Feel, Felt, Found" framework a mentor shared with me some years back: We are going FROM (baseline), TO (vision), BECAUSE (why). I understand how you FEEL (with a small recap of sentiment). I FELT similarly before (provide a short/small example so they know that you truly do understand). Here's what I've FOUND (provide example of what worked/didn’t work). Close with next steps (CTA).

Most people aren't born storytellers. It takes a lot of practice, creativity, and strategy. Try to learn as much as you can about storytelling, practice it in clubs such as Toastmasters, and say yes to smaller opportunities to speak in public. This way, you will be able to receive feedback and learn to adjust your storytelling to specific audiences. Building up confidence in combination with knowledge is the way to become a powerful storyteller who can inspire and empower their teams.

Practice is essential to become a great storyteller. Make sure to include the Incident/Point/Benefit for your audience. Tie it back to their needs and make it very clear why a story is being shared. The moral is important in the story, but why it matters at the end is what makes it memorable. A great way to capture good stories and experiences from your life is through the use of a story journal. Write them down so you can easily pull them into your work when applicable.

One technique I liked to use to communicate change for instance is the emotional leadership storytelling : 1. what does the success look like? 2. How will we get there (priorities, et 3. What is the context ? The big picture and why it is important and relevant 4. What are the benefits for you in this? How can you count on me to support you, and what do I need from you? 5. how we will measure success together?