5 Small stories relevant to a manager

In the dynamic world of business, where numbers and charts intertwine, the art of storytelling often gets overlooked as a powerful tool for effective leadership. Stories, those timeless narratives that have shaped civilizations and ignited imaginations, hold a unique ability to connect with us on a deeper level, transcending the boundaries of language and culture.

Through the power of stories, managers can inspire, motivate, and guide their teams toward shared goals. Stories can serve as powerful learning tools, providing real-world examples of management principles and best practices in action. They can also help us connect with our team members on a personal level, fostering a sense of empathy and understanding that is crucial for building strong relationships.

Story One

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A man married a beautiful girl. He loved her so much. Once she developed a skin disease. Slowly she started to lose her beauty. It also happened that one day her husband left for the tour. While returning he had an accident. In the accident he damaged his eyes and lost his eyesight. However, their married life continued as usual. But as days passed, she lost her beauty gradually. Blind husbands did not know this and there was no difference in their happy married life. He continued to love her, and she also loved him very much. One day his wife slipped from stairs and died due to head injury. Her death brought him great sorrow. He finished all her last rights and wanted to leave that town.? A man from behind called and said, now how will you be able to walk all alone? All these days your wife used to help you. He replied, “I am not blind.” I was just pretending to be blind because if she knew I could see her ugliness, it would have pained her more than her disease. So, I pretended to blind this whole time. She was a good a wife. I only wanted to keep her happy.

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Moral of the story: Sometimes it is good for us to act blind and ignore one another’s shortcomings, to be happy. Same way you can ignore few things of your subordinates and colleagues. Ignoring the little harsh things in life can make your life easier.

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Story Two

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One cold night, a billionaire met an old poor man outside. He asked, “don’t you feel cold being outside not wearing a coat?” The old man replied, “I don’t have it, but I got used to that” The billionaire replied, “Wait for me, I will enter my house now and bring you one.” The poor man got so happy and said he will wait for him. The billionaire entered his house and got busy there and forget the poor man. In the morning he remembered that poor old man and he went out to search for him, but he found him dead because of cold, but he left a note…. “When I didn’t have any warm clothes, I had the power to fight the cold because I was used to that but… When you promised to help me, I got attached to your promise and that took my power of resisting.”

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Moral of the story: Don’t promise anything with customers or subordinates if you can’t keep your promise. It might not mean anything to you, but it could mean everything to someone else.

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Story Three

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I story derives from a Sufi tale. There was a man and his son who lived in a valley, and they were very happy, and they were also dirt poor. The man decided that he wanted to become rich, and he bought a stallion because he intended to breed horses. The very night that he bought the stallion, it kicked the top bar loose from the paddock where he housed it and escaped. All the villagers ran around and commiserating that said, “You wanted to be a rich man, but your stallion ran away, and you still owe us money. The man shrugged his shoulders and said, “Good thing bad thing who knows.”

The stallion fell in with a group of wild horses, and the man was able to entice them into the paddock, which he had repaired. So, escape was no longer possible. So, all of a sudden now, he had his stallion back, plus about a dozen horses. By the standards of that village, that made him a rich man. The villagers came around to congratulate him. They said, “We thought you were destitute, but fortune has smiled upon you,” and he shrugged his shoulders and said, “Good thing bad thing who knows.”

The man and his son started breaking the horses, so that they could sell them on the market, and one of the horses threw the man's son and stomped on his leg. It broke, and it healed crooked. The neighbors came around again and said, “He was such a fine young lad, and now he'll never be able to find a girl to marry him.” He shrugged his shoulder and said, “Good thing bad thing who knows.” That summer, the king of the country declared war on the neighboring country. King mans moved through the villages, rounding up all the able-bodied young men but this man's son was spared because he had a gimp leg. The neighbors had tears in their eyes, and they said, “We don't know if we will ever see our son's alive again, but you still have your son. How fortunate are you?” The man shrugged his shoulder and said, “Good thing, bad thing. Who knows.” And it goes on like that forever.

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Moral of the story: Don’t add a label to what happens to you. Don’t be disheartened with the adverse things of life, this is temporary. You never know what the consequence in the long run will be, it might be a good thing in the future. Be extremely resilient.

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Story Four

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Two men lost his way and confined in a Forest. Lost and stranded amidst the dense foliage of the forest, two men found themselves trapped within the realm of wild, untamed nature. As the sun began its descent, casting long, eerie shadows across the forest floor, the unsettling sounds of prowling beasts echoed through the air, sending shivers down their spines. The first man, his heart pounding like a drum, instinctively tightened the laces of his shoes, his muscles tensing in preparation for a desperate flight. His companion, however, met his actions with a sardonic chuckle. Second man laughed and said, “Do you think you are able to run faster that a Tiger.” First man replied, “I just want to make sure to run faster than you.”

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Moral of the story: Don’t be last in the corporate run, if not first then at list make an effort to be in the middle, otherwise tiger will eat you.?

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Story Five

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A few centuries ago, two shoes company sent their representatives to Africa to check the possibilities to selling shoes and explore the new market for his company. After initial exploration, first salesman sends a message back to the company that, “No one is wearing shoes here, they don’t know anything about shoes and there will be no possibility of shoes market here. I am coming back. However, second salesman sends a message to his company that, “No one is wearing shoes here, they don’t know anything about shoes but there is huge possibility of selling a shoe here since this will be the new thing for local people. Please send a big inventory of shoes to Africa.”

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Moral of the story: Life is all about making perceptions. There can be two different prospects of the same things. If you are positive about the outcomes, you will create an opportunity for it.????????

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As we conclude our exploration of storytelling's impact on management, let us reflect on the profound lessons these narratives have imparted. We have witnessed the power of stories to inspire, motivate, and guide teams towards shared goals, bridging the gap between numbers and emotions. Through these tales, we have gained invaluable insights into the nuances of effective leadership, recognizing the importance of empathy, understanding, and clear communication.

Stories have shown us that leadership is not merely about barking orders or devising strategies; it's about connecting with people on a human level, fostering a sense of shared purpose and belonging. It's about creating an environment where individuals feel valued, heard, and empowered to contribute their unique talents.

As we move forward, let us embrace storytelling as an essential tool in our management toolkit. Let us weave narratives that inspire, motivate, and guide our teams towards a brighter future. For in the tapestry of leadership, stories are the threads that bind us together, creating a shared narrative of success.

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