Which program do you THINK in? Excel? Word? PowerPoint?

A former boss (and mentor) of mine made an interesting comment over 20 years ago that I didn't fully understand or appreciate at the time.

He said,?“You can learn a lot about someone quickly if you can determine which program they THINK in: Excel, Word, PowerPoint...”

Yes, you read it correctly, “think in.”??He went on to say that people who think in Excel tend to be more focused on the details, measurement, and patterns.??People who think in Word are often more focused on explaining something, providing rich details, and developing a sense of context.??People thinking in PowerPoint are focused on storytelling and creating connections to develop understanding.??Often data analysts and accountants are Excel thinkers; policy writers and attorneys are thinking in Word; and teachers and marketers are running PowerPoint upstairs in their heads most of the day.

As I've progressed into senior career roles leading large, diverse teams from different functional areas, I've given this more thought. And, my perspective on this topic of “thinking in programs” has really come into full view over the last few years.

One of the most critical skills for leaders today is?storytelling.??Now more than ever, when large-scale disruptive change happening at warp speed is the norm rather than the exception, the ability of leaders to connect seemingly disparate pieces of information fluidly in a way that engages, educates, and energizes stakeholders is paramount.

By virtue of my interests, education, and my early orientation to the world—I am data-driven. I remember when I was eight years old, I mathematically solved why my summers were feeling shorter each year. (Answer: the number of summer days as a fraction of my total life was getting smaller each year.) No doubt, my default program is often Excel. I thrive on data that directionally indicates what's working (and what isn't), confirming or invalidating my gut feeling, experienced-based assumptions, or educated guesses.

I've had countless conversations over the years that result in me saying something like this:??“I hear, appreciate, and get your point of view and the case you're making, but show me the data that supports your position.”?Plus, we must recognize that sometimes data doesn’t exist to help us with a decision we need to make, and in those cases, I have been known to say,?“if we are going to make a gut decision, we are going to make it with my gut.”?In saying this as a business leader, I own the risks that come with navigating when the data doesn’t exist.?

Numbers are the vowels that form the language I readily understand.??The old sayings—'data doesn't lie' or 'trust but verify'—have?some?truths to them.??But they don’t tell the all-important story that connects the dots (the data points) that inform a decision that needs to be communicated (in words) and, more broadly, conveys and activates the strategic narrative that pulls it all together.

Realizing your go-to program is important. Having this self-awareness can release you from being limited by always running your default program. As a numbers guy, I keep my details in check and I keep them in mind. And as a leader, I am constantly looking for not just the wider picture—but the motion picture—the story; I seek to find the “how I think” balance necessary to perceive and communicate dynamics—the experiential journey through the weeds, trees, and the forest while in motion. I may be a numbers guy at heart, but I have developed over the course of my career to be a storyteller.

??The bricks of data alone don’t create the story. The long ropes of words often aren’t enough to anchor the story to the ground. The all-important strategic narratives that unite teams and corporations with shared and understandable knowledge constructs are the keystones of unity in wayward times.

I encourage you to take pause to inventory which program you are running in your head. If you are not running PowerPoint often in your mind, it’s time to get with the program! I believe that thinking like a storyteller is one of the most important attributes today’s leader needs to develop and that development happens long before it’s time to make a presentation. Thinking like a storyteller will inform all of your experiences gathering information and creating connections as you think about what you observe.?

Storytelling is what these times demand and is required of all leaders.?Over the coming weeks, I will capture and share more of my thoughts on storytelling and how to approach it and build those critical skills.?