The Power of a Good Story

The Power of a Good Story

Dr. Carol Lippert

When I began in administration and leadership, I never guessed that I would also have to learn how to be a storyteller. I quickly realized, however, that if I didn’t control the narrative about my school, others would create it for me. Being a natural introvert, the very idea of becoming a storyteller was overwhelming! At first, I found telling my school’s story very difficult because I simply did not know how to start or how to capture the listener’s attention. I had to go back to my high school English class to get started – hook, three ideas, closure. Once I had that structure, I began to build my story. For all the other introverted leaders out there, here is Carol’s Step-by-Step guide to creating and telling a good story ~

·??????Step One – think about your different audiences – parents, students, potential new employees, etc. You will develop a story to appeal to each of these audiences.

·??????Step Two – for each audience think about the “hook” that will draw them into your story. For a new employee it might be the family-like nature of the staff. For a student it might be the great extracurricular programs.

·??????Step Three – for each “hook” develop 2-3 examples to support your statement. Use data points when it makes sense to do so.

·??????Step Four – decide on your call to action. What do you want that person to do as a result of listening to your story? Should they share the information with others? Visit your website to learn more? Submit an application?

o??Caveat – if you send them to your website, make sure that they will see examples on the site that align with your story.

·??????Bonus Step Five – share your story via social media! Once you get it fine-tuned, you can share your story broadly via social media. This gets the word out about your school with the added benefit of having the information come straight from you. It also lets potential future partners get to know you in a more personal way.

My colleague, Dr. Jennifer Johnson, and I created a video about storytelling and marketing your school. Click here for a more detailed look into this topic. We can’t wait to hear your story!