Storytelling is Self-awareness

Storytelling helps us share information with our audiences.

Let us think of people we follow online. How do we hear about them? How have we kept up with their content? What keeps us interested and committed to their network? I am confident it is because they speak about things of interest that resonate deeply with us to answer questions or give valuable insights. Simply put, they have positioned themselves as leaders in their sector.

?The starting line is self-awareness.?

Storytelling in personal branding makes us look within. Telling stories in the limelight makes us question what we know and how well we know it. It forces us to evaluate ourselves to identify what we?really?know and be comfortable with it. In time, it ensures we know our most important focus areas so well that it flows out of us seamlessly and clearly, shifting our self-perception and ability to communicate effectively.?

?Self-awareness increases our confidence as business leaders, supports our personal positioning and enhances storytelling.

It is vitally important to build our confidence as it increases our ability to speak and increases audience engagement. Good engagement results from how well we connect to the audience and how confident we are. The right degree of confidence comes from several key areas:

?Authenticity: Authenticity is the ability to be true to who we are in every conversation. A sustained storytelling journey brings out the truth of who we are and showcases it. As we prepare to speak, write, or share in any form, we showcase our belief systems as people respond. Our ability to handle questions and challenging situations also reveal our depths. People see through us when we are not authentic.

?Knowledge: We each know something either well enough to explain it clearly or just enough to learn more that we can share. Our knowledge base is growing because we are constantly seeking information. Constant learning increases our confidence and ability to connect with the audience.?

?Vision: We must each have a clear image of who we are and what we want to accomplish in the future. A clear vision guides who we speak to, what we share, how often, and where. The vision gives us clarity and intrinsic strength to persist no matter what.

?Self-awareness and confidence are transformational to storytelling and personal brand building. Let us work to grow in it and thrive as business leaders.