#Why CEOs need to learn how to tell stories to inspire action in their company

Steve Jobs was famous for his spellbinding keynote presentations that revealed much more than just the features of a new Apple product. His speeches were essentially storytelling sessions that took his audience on a captivating journey into the Apple brand and its vision. This approach to inspiring teams and stakeholders was one of the hallmarks of his success as a CEO.

Telling a story is more than just a way to entertain, it is an effective tool that leaders can use to galvanize their employees and drive them toward a common goal. This is important because a motivated workforce is key to the success of any organization.

A recent study about storytelling conducted by Harvard Business Review Analytic Services found that 65% of executives believed that their employees would be more strongly motivated and inspired if they could connect their work to a larger narrative.

In addition, the study discovered that 70% of respondents believed that storytelling could also increase employee engagement in the company's mission and values. This is because storytelling helps employees to understand the purpose behind their work, which in turn enhances their focus and productivity.

Another study showed that in comparison to data-driven presentations, presentations that use storytelling can be up to 22 times more memorable. This is a staggering statistic because it highlights the effectiveness of storytelling in capturing and retaining people's attention.

?? As a CEO, knowing how to craft and deliver a compelling story can be the key difference between leading an energized team that is committed to achieving shared goals and leading a demotivated team that lacks direction.

More than ever, there is a need now for CEOs to learn how to tell stories that inspire action in their company because changes in today's business landscape are happening at an unprecedented rate affecting the morale and productivity of employees.

So if you are a CEO and would like to drive morale and productivity, storytelling might be the biggest weapon in your next town hall meeting. Here's how you can get started ????

? Identify the objective of your storytelling, i.e., what do you want to achieve with it? For example, do you want to motivate your team towards a new project or inspire them to embrace change amid economic instability

? Identify what matters to your employees concerning the topic that you want to share. For example, if you want to inspire them to embrace an organizational change that could impact their job scope you might want to angle it to how change is constant and how embracing it will enable them to be more resilient as a professional which could impact both their personal and professional life

? Consider a personal story you have that can be used to bring your point across. keep in mind that the power in the story comes from being vulnerable hence be open about your expressing how you felt when experiencing the described situation and use descriptive language to paint a vivid picture for your audience. Here's a simple structure that could get you started

?? Normal: Share about your experience as an employee like the ones that are reporting to you right now. Talk about how much you enjoyed your role and the company you were working in.

?? Unexpected event: Lead into this segment by sharing an unexpected event that changed the trajectory of your career, for example, an economic crisis, an acquisition, or a change in management. Share how you felt when the change came, how it impacted you, and what your struggles were with adapting to that change

???? New Normal: Transit by sharing about the realization you had that kept you going. The realization could have come from a friend's advice, a sermon from Sunday's church service, or one of your mentors from work ( share what the advice was and how it made you see differently ) Then share what steps you took to keep going and what was the payoff for your perseverance. Close by turning it back to your employees and invite them to join you in this change

By now, your organization of potentially thousands would have had a newfound respect and connection to you because you were willing to pour out your heart to them and shared a personal story that resonated with their own experiences. This approach will create loyalty, trust and inspire action.

That possibly wasn't there before, try it!