Storyconomics

My 6th form English literature teacher gave me my first ever public speaking gig when she practically forced me to speak in front of my entire year at school.?

That's because she caught wind that Rudyard Kipling's 'IF' was the inspirational narrative for my team, Leeds Rhinos' playoff campaign. We became the first team to win the grand final from 5th place.

I sat and watched the final as a small, skinny 17-year-old, and I remember saying to myself, "I'm going to do that next year".

But first, I had to read the words which would become somewhat of a personal manual for my life as I grew older.

"If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;

??If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;

If you can meet with triumph and disaster

??And treat those two impostors just the same;"

In the case of 2011, as a team, we lived the lines of "trusting ourselves when all men doubted us but made allowance for their doubting too".

Brian McDermott , an ex-royal marine, boxer, rugby player and coach, coached me for 8 years. He's the most successful super league coach in history.

I remember that he used to say:

"Everyone has a similar game plan; it's the team that executes theirs the best that will win it."

Pretty simple, right?

Then why do we just expect the highest levels of execution? Because people are getting paid? Because they have had the information delivered?

The truth is, you can have the best game plan or strategy in the world, but if you do not have buy-in and your people don't bind to it, then the tactics don't matter.

Stories were woven into our game plans all of the time. They would reinforce the WHY behind the data and stats. We would sit in video meetings, and tales of Carl Froch vs George Groves would work their way into warning us of complacency in cup games. Emails would come through at the start of the week with stories about the SAS moving through hesitation to set the scene for when Friday night came. Only dipping our toes in come game day would be the last thing on our minds...

Human beings evolved by telling stories. They're our PDF's. It's how religion is passed on and practiced with such discipline. They create chaos and order.?

As Mac said on my podcast:

"I could get us to run through brick walls more than other teams."

It sounds harsh, but that's the aim of the game. We won the Grand final from fifth in 2011, and then ridiculously, we did the same thing in 2012, and I was on the pitch. I was bound to the strategy because of the underdog story we were living. I was a character in the game plan and, even more powerfully, in my dream.?

We can focus so much on delivering the rationale. We can focus on numbers and targets, but we aren't rational as a species. Our whole economy runs off the fact that we are often highly irrational. This doesn't just apply to fans and customers; it applies to you and your team. The desire for true belonging, safety, connection, and even the opportunity to write a collective story is waiting to be ignited.

Coming out of my career as a rugby player, I see the possibilities that storytelling could bring to leadership and brand led organisations.

As Shakespeare said,

"All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players"

Give your team the chance to be part of an exciting story, not just a strategy.

• Are you the underdogs?
• Who are your doubters?
• Who are the bad guys?
• What's your brick wall?
• Who is the guide for your journey?
• Why are you doing things differently?
• How does everyone's unique talents combine in this story?

There are opportunities to revolutionise internal communications, set alight strategy and engage on a real level with customers.

As a speaker, people bring me in to their world because intuitively they know the power of storytelling. After coming out of the rubble of a crazy and incredible career as a rugby player, I have the delight of crafting my own story and using it to ignite others. I'm driven to enable authenticity and create environments where people are safe and brave enough to be themselves. That's where the magic starts to happen, and genuine connection is developed. For me, that's where the best stories are generated and the best teams are made.

You can read the full Rudyard Kipling poem 'IF' here