The Stories We Tell Shapes the Future: The Public Narrative Framework

In the coming weeks, I’ll be sharing some of my latest work—both through Either/Org and personal initiatives that reflect my passion for building healthier, more connected workplaces. These projects embody the Culture Shift Studio’s (formerly the Empathy Action Lab) philosophy: that true evolution happens through compassion, trust, and intentional, people-centered action.

As I prepare to launch these initiatives, I’m excited to offer insights into my approach to organizational design, cultural evolution, and creating an essential lovable culture where everyone can thrive. Stay tuned for this series in my newsletter and on my website—I’m looking forward to sharing this journey with you!

Every movement, every moment of change, begins with a story. The stories we tell—about who we are, what we stand for, and where we’re going—define the future before it arrives. Right now, we’re at a crossroads. In an era of uncertainty, polarization, and rapid transformation, leadership is not just about power or position. It’s about the narratives we shape and the agency we claim.

Marshall Ganz, a renowned expert in community organizing, says, “Leadership is enabling others to achieve purpose in the face of uncertainty.” It’s not a title. It’s a practice—a practice we must all engage in if we want to shape the world rather than be shaped by it.

Ganz’s work has informed movements from Cesar Chavez’s United Farm Workers to Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign. His Public Narrative framework—a powerful model for mobilizing people through storytelling—offers a roadmap for stepping into leadership with clarity and urgency. His approach deeply informs our work at the Culture Shift Studio (formerly the Empathy Action Lab).

The question before us isn’t just who will lead—it’s what story will we tell? And more importantly, who gets to write it?

What Narrative Are We Writing?

I’ve been reflecting on leadership, purpose, and action—especially in the face of sweeping political and social changes. Every step we take tells a story—a story of who we are and who we aspire to become. The actions taken by those in power also tell a story—one about the kind of country they want to shape.

Ganz defines narrative as the “process through which individuals, communities, and nations make choices, construct identity, and inspire action.” The beauty of narrative? It can always be rewritten.

By grounding ourselves in our values, we move beyond fear and uncertainty toward agency—the power to act. Connecting head and heart doesn’t just inform; it inspires, moving people toward meaningful change.

Rewriting the Narrative: Leadership in Action

Now is the time to lead. If we don’t claim our story, one will be written for us. Ganz’s Public Narrative framework offers a roadmap for stepping into leadership with clarity and urgency.

The Structure of Public Narrative

Ganz’s framework is built on three interconnected stories:

1. Story of Self – Why you lead: Your personal journey—values, experiences, and challenges that shaped your purpose.
2. Story of Us – Why we must act together: A collective story of shared struggles and values that build community.
3. Story of Now – Why we must act now: A call to action that highlights what’s at stake and what’s possible.

Why Public Narrative Matters

Public narrative is essential because humans make decisions based on both logic and emotion. Facts engage the mind, but stories engage the heart, turning awareness into action. Effective storytelling follows a Challenge-Choice-Outcome structure, helping leaders move people from inaction to impact.

Some emotions paralyze us, while others propel us forward:

Urgency → Overcomes Inertia

Anger → Overcomes Apathy

Hope → Overcomes Fear

Solidarity → Overcomes Isolation

Empowerment → Overcomes Self-Doubt

Public Narrative as a Leadership Tool

Leadership is about enabling collective action in uncertain times. Public narrative helps leaders:

• Build trust and authenticity through personal storytelling.
• Create shared identity within a movement or organization.
• Inspire action by framing challenges and opportunities clearly.

At its core, storytelling is not just about communication—it’s about mobilizing people toward change.

Leading Through Storytelling

Leadership isn’t just about making decisions—it’s about moving people to act. A powerful public narrative connects three key leadership elements:

• Story (Heart): Why must we act now?
• Strategy (Head): How can we act now?
• Action (Hands): What must we do to act now?

True leadership isn’t just about standing up for oneself—it’s about building community and mobilizing action. Public narrative weaves personal values, collective struggles, and urgent calls to action into a story that drives change.

Writing the Next Chapter

Storytelling is a catalyst for action. Each of us carries a Story of Self—our values and motivations. When we connect with others, we build a Story of Us—shared identity and purpose. And when faced with a challenge, we step into the Story of Now—a call to action that defines the future. This transforms the present into a moment of challenge, hope, and choice.

Leaders will shape an uncertain future. The movements that thrive will be those that know their values, build community, and act despite uncertainty.

The question is: What story are we writing next?

Introducing the Engagement & Action Framework

The Engagement & Action Framework is a powerful storytelling model that helps leaders connect their personal stories to a broader narrative of collective action and future vision. It integrates personal experiences (Story of Self) with community identity (Story of Us), urgent calls to action (Story of Now), tangible steps forward (Story of Action), and long-term aspirations (Story of the Future). This framework provides a roadmap for translating stories into meaningful leadership and change. This framework includes the following elements:

• Story of Now: Creating a sense of urgency—highlighting what’s at stake and why we must act now.
• Story of Self: Sharing your personal journey—values, experiences, and challenges that shaped your purpose.
• Story of Us: Connecting your story to a collective identity—building community through shared struggles and values.
• Story of Action: Demonstrating how our collective actions lead to real change—illustrating the steps we take and the impact we create together.
• Story of the Future: Envisioning the change we want to see—building a better world through shared purpose and action. All movements and organizations will fall on a spectrum--between a nightmare and dream scenario. The choices and actions we make today make all the difference.

New Guide: Leading with Your Story: The Engagement & Action Framework

Our new guide offers a practical approach to crafting personal narratives that inspire leadership and change. Using the story tree metaphor, it helps leaders connect their Story of Self to the Story of Us, Story of Now, Story of Action, and Story of the Future. The guide provides reflective exercises and storytelling techniques to turn personal experiences into powerful tools for building community, driving action, and shaping the future. This resource is an invitation to lead with empathy, clarity, and purpose in an evolving world.

Download and Use the Guide Now

The Story of the Future: A Vision for Evolved Organizations

The future is not a destination; it is a story we write with each decision, each movement, and each shift in consciousness. For too long, organizations have been built on structures of hierarchy, control, and extraction—models that prioritize efficiency over empathy, competition over connection, and short-term gains over long-term well-being.?

But a new narrative is emerging.

Through Strategic Foresight, we recognize that the future is not something to predict—it is something to shape. We move beyond forecasting trends and instead design for possibilities that lead to collective thriving. This requires not just adapting to change but actively evolving the systems, cultures, and mindsets that shape our workplaces, communities, and institutions.

A Future Where Organizations Are Built for Humans, Not Just Profit

The dominant model of work has long extracted more than it gives—draining employees of energy, depleting communities, and widening inequities. But in the future we are building, organizations will no longer be machines for productivity; they will be ecosystems for human potential.

This shift is already underway:

• From Hierarchy to Networks – Rigid, top-down structures are giving way to more fluid, participatory networks where leadership is shared and decisions are made collectively.
• From Fear to Psychological Safety – Fear-based motivation—scarcity, competition, and exclusion--is being replaced by a new model. One that prioritizes emotional intelligence, trust, and environments where people feel safe to take risks and contribute fully.
• From Extraction to Regeneration – The future of organizations is not just to minimize harm but to actively contribute to human and ecological well-being. The focus will be on sustainable models that nurture rather than deplete.

The Evolution of Leadership: Thriving Together

Leadership is no longer about control; it is about fostering collective intelligence. The Thriving Together Framework embodies this shift, teaching us that evolving work is about movements, not mandates—about engaging hearts, minds, and hands to co-create a culture of shared purpose and action.

In this future:

• Leadership will be measured not by power over others but by the ability to create space for transformation.
• Organizations will evolve, not transform, recognizing that true change happens through iterative, intentional growth.
• The most successful movements will be those that build belonging, not just compliance.

A Story Still Being Written

The future is not predetermined. It is a story still unfolding, shaped by the choices we make today. The question is not just, What is possible? But rather, What are we willing to make possible?

This is the work ahead: to rewrite the narrative of work, leadership, and human connection—to build workplaces that heal instead of harm, that evolve instead of stagnate, and that create impact not just for today, but for generations to come.

The future is not waiting for us to arrive.

It is waiting for us to write it.