LEADERS VALUE STORIES – BOTH HEARING THEM AND TELLING THEM

I have written here before about how the human brain is wired to resonate with stories. People young and old crave stories:

-Children sitting on the floor in school at story time,

-Teens sitting around a fire at camp leaning into ghost stories,

-Juries mesmerized by trial lawyers starting off opening statement with detailed stories, or

-Conference keynote speakers starting off their 45-minute presentations with meaningful anecdotes

I was reminded of the power of stories this week when a leader I respect talked about stories in a family context rather than in a work context. This leader came across a “Dad’s Journal,” in which fathers have the opportunity to follow prompts and share stories and experiences from their lives with their children, whether those children are pre-teens, teenagers or adults.

This leader remarked that his dad has not been expressive or particularly sharing in the past. There was so much he wanted to know about his dad’s life and experiences that he simply did not know. So he did something unusual: he purchased the blank journal and then mailed it to his father, asking his dad if he would be willing to follow all the prompts and complete the journal for the son’s birthday – his 50th birthday.

Then the son waited.

After not receiving a response from his dad, he texted him and asked is he had indeed received the blank journal. The father affirmed that he had received it. Then the son asked the big question: Would his dad be willing to fill in the journal as a 50th birthday gift for his son?

The son’s anxiety built as he saw those three circles show up on his cell phone, indicating his dad was composing a text response. He truly did not know how his dad would respond.

His father’s response was short and sweet: “If it is important to you, then I will do it.” The son was equally relieved and happy. He looked forward to learning much about his dad’s life, stories that he would relate to and from which he could learn.

As I listened to this wonderful anecdote, I started thinking about the power of stories in leadership at work.

What stories can leaders share with their teammates that would resonate in the work space?

-Stories about how the business got started and grew

-Stories about past leaders and the legacy they left behind for the organization

-Stories about how the business or organization grew over time and the mission expanded

-Stories about the most valued clients or customers

-Stories about the evolution of the business mission statement

-Stories about past team members who had made valuable contributions that ought to be remembered

Then I reflected on stories that leaders themselves could pull from their teammates, stories teammates would be eager to share with colleagues:

-Stories about how they got into this field

-Stories about what attracted them to apply for their current job

-Stories about their own workplace values and how those values are reflected in their work

-Stories about the relationships they have built and nurtured at this workplace

-Stories about what they have learned about life and work while working here

-Stories about their goals and ambitions moving forward

Stories are powerful motivators, whether we are on the telling end or the receiving end. I invite you to think about how you can use the power of stories during this coming week.

Feel free to share a story or two with me!

If you believe this content would resonate with a friend or colleague, please feel free to forward it along!

-Larry