Thursday's Leadership Insight: What is Your Leadership Story? Part III: How to Structure it, When to Tell it, and How to Tell It.

A well-crafted leadership story is a powerful tool for connecting with and inspiring others. A well-crafted leadership story can convey your values, experiences, and vision in a way that resonates deeply with your audience. They can be used to connect and provide clarity in a personalized way for a variety of purposes. A leadership story is a tool every leader needs. Story crafting and telling is a tool that requires constant practice and refinement that is appropriate to the purpose and setting. A well-curated leadership story is like a great Fourth of July fireworks display connecting, engaging the audience, and shedding light. A poorly crafted story is like that fireworks display that was a dud, fizzling away any sense of connection. The use of stories, the benefits, and the structure of a story were the subjects of parts I & II. This Thursday's Leadership Insight newsletter will review the structure of a leadership story and discuss when to share one's leadership story and tips to apply to maximize effect.

?A quick review: structuring one's leadership story

A compelling leadership story should incorporate the following foundational elements:

1. Characters: Include yourself as the main character, but also highlight various? characters? who? shaped your leadership development

2. Conflict: Describe the obstacles or dilemmas you faced that tested your leadership abilities and expanded your learning and capacity. Consider what opportunities these challenges created for you.

3. Resolution: Explain how you overcame challenges and what you learned from the experience.

4. The three C's of one's personal leadership development journey are the leader's personal brand. This story is critical for the leader's self-awareness and clarity as to how they factored into the first three? foundational elements of a leadership story above

Core: Your values, purpose, motivation, and mindset

Content: Skills demanded in your leadership role

Context: The environment and circumstances of your leadership journey.

?A well-crafted leadership story will incorporate these facets of story and leadership development. Incorporating the three C's in one's story is crucial for leaders in telling their story. A well–crafted leadership story is, in essence, their personal brand. In a? 2020 Best You Can Be blog post How & Why to Share Your Story As a Leader ?Brigitta Borinstein writes, "Knowing your story is a necessary precursor to the leadership skill of sharing stories because it means you have already taken the time to dig into all this stuff on your own. "

.Leadership expert John Maxwell emphasizes the importance of personal growth in storytelling: "The story of your life is a story of growth and learning. Don't be afraid to share both your successes and your failures." Miranda Fraraccio, a leadership communication expert, notes: "The most impactful moments to share your leadership story are often during times of uncertainty or transition. Your story can provide context, inspiration, and a sense of direction."

A crafted and practiced leadership story is a tool, a veritable Swiss Army Knife, and a multi-purpose tool to apply to many situations.

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When to Share Your Leadership Story

The power of a well-crafted and practiced leadership story is that it can be used to maximize connection across several settings and serve varied purposes. A crafted and practiced leadership story is a tool, a veritable Swiss Army Knife, and a multi-purpose tool to apply to many situations. There are several appropriate settings for sharing your leadership story: Consider these possible scenarios any leader may face. There are many more scenarios, yet this is a good start.

"Humans communicate with, connect with, and learn about one another through stories."

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1. A job interview

2. An introduction to a new group you will lead

3. Onboarding of new leaders and team members

4. Developing and mentoring new leaders

5. Formal presentations to more prominent groups, such as an advisory board, board of education, or a community group or conference presentations or keynote speeches

6. Company-wide communications during times of change or challenge

7. Team meetings or retreats

8. Networking with peers

9. Connecting with current? clients

10. Building connections with potential clients

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Miranda Fraraccio, a leadership communication expert, writes in a blog for the US Chamber of Commerce entitled ?Elevate Your Effectiveness?as a Leader With Storytelling." storytelling in leadership plays a significant role in driving employee buy-in and improving worker engagement within a company. It is a learned skill that can shift employees' mindsets by suspending beliefs and introducing new ideas. It allows leaders to communicate their vision to guide employees in the right direction.

According to?Virtual Speech, leaders with excellent storytelling skills are able to share a compelling vision to recruit the best people for the job, are more effective at dealing with media, and are able to create better relationships that help with fundraising and successful business deals.

Incorporating storytelling requires a leader to look inside themselves and be open about topics that are relatable to employees. By being honest about overcoming struggles, leaders can inspire employees and create a unified vision throughout the company."

The most impactful moments to share your leadership story are often during times of uncertainty or transition. Your story can provide context, inspiration, and a sense of direction."

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.Clarity is the antidote to confusion in a complex world.

It's not about knowing all the answers but creating a shared understanding that inspires action and trust."

- Anonymous

One's leadership story is a powerful way to communicate a message to a variety of audiences for a variety of purposes. The well-crafted leadership story has maximum effect if delivered well.

Below are some tips for enhancing one's leadership story delivery.

1.? ?Be clear. Clarity is primary in all-powerful stories. First, be clear about your purpose, who the audience is, what they want or need, and what results you want to achieve from the story. In a January 21, 2025 blog by Brighton Leadership, How to Simplify Communication for Maximum Impact, The authors suggest removing jargon, prioritizing key points, and tailoring the message to one's audience.

2. Be concise. The Chamber article noted above states," It is no secret that people's attention spans are getting increasingly shorter. In fact,?a study from Microsoft suggests?humans may have attention spans as brief as eight seconds. To combat this, keep stories brief and concise to maintain a connection with the audience. "

3. Be authentic and vulnerable. Warren Bennis, a pioneer in leadership studies, states: "The most effective leaders are those who can be themselves while inspiring others." Always tell the truth and admit what you don't know to help those in your audience see the real you

4. Use vivid language and descriptive details to make your story memorable and relatable to the audience.

5. Practice your delivery to ensure a natural and engaging presentation. Nicki Keohouho, co-founder of the Direct Selling Alliance, often notes that practice doesn't make perfect; practice makes permanent. ".remeber? an audience will pick up unpreparedness as a lack of professionalism and, more importantly, disrespect for them and their time.

6. Tailor your story to your purpose, goal, and the audience, emphasizing elements that will resonate and connect with them. Leadrship expert John Maxwell often reminds leaders that sharing their stories is not about you; it is about connecting, engaging, and adding value to others. Kindra Hall, a storytelling expert, advises: "Your leadership story should not just be about you, but about how your experiences can inspire and guide others in their journeys."

7. Include a clear message or lesson that ties back to your current leadership context. A clear connection to the three Cs of leadership development creates a personal connection to those in the audience.

8. Use pauses effectively to allow your audience to set up a key point or to absorb key points. A clear, concise repetition and pause can be powerful here.

9. Incorporate body language, facial expressions, and humor, and observe others in the audience to reinforce your story's connection. Use appropriate humor to connect and provide an impromptu pause. Avoid any humor you might consider even mildly offensive. The best humor for many of us is self-effacing. It creates a lighter personal atmosphere of connection.

10. Close with a brief summary of your purpose and key points, and use a call to action or a thought-provoking question that encourages reflection.

By crafting and sharing your leadership story effectively, you can create deeper connections with your team or any other audience, inspire trust, and motivate others to achieve their full potential. Remember, your story is unique and valuable. Don't hesitate to share it in a way that authentically represents your leadership journey and is compelling for others in action or to others as they write their leadership story.

Here is an example of a leadership story presented by Lisa Doyle, VP of Global Learning at Booz Allen Hamilton? Lisa Doyle's Leadership Story. The podcast below from The Talent Champions will provide a more in-depth look at a leadership story by Lisa. Listen to episode 14.

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The leadership questions for you then are

1.?? Will you choose to develop your unique leadership story?

2.?? Will you consider audiences to whom you can tailor your story and practice it?

3.?? Will you seek opportunities to use your story or parts of your story to refine your skills and add value to others?

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