Leadership: The Power of Stories
Leaders set a vision by the stories they tell. Think about leaders that you admire and who you now know what they stood for.
I'll bet that was easy for you to do due to the vivid image or idea that the leader tells in his or her story.
Painting a picture for people by telling stories is one of the oldest methods of communicating. Look at the Bible and all the leaders that are known by a particular story. Stories help people see the future they can't believe will exist.
What a good story also does for the listener is to help them visualize what you mean and how they can adapt that vision to their life or work.
I spoke yesterday to a group on Communicating With Influence. People came up to me afterwards to tell me how much they enjoyed my stories. One person said" Your stories helped me see how to relate your information to my work, my personal life and my community service work. " That remark got me to thinking about the power of stories.
Telling the same story over and over again also helps people get the message. People also know that you mean what you say and are pretty serious about everyone getting the message. That's why telling people 7 times in 7 different ways is a great strategy to use when you are embarking on a change. We all hear things differently and what may motivate me, may not even get you to listen.
So when you want to influence someone to make a change, help them see the future by telling a story that paints the picture for them. In the story describe in detail the way the new future looks, feels and sounds. Having people live the future now will help them move to the future with ease.
Barb...The Leadership Lady
I'll bet that was easy for you to do due to the vivid image or idea that the leader tells in his or her story.
Painting a picture for people by telling stories is one of the oldest methods of communicating. Look at the Bible and all the leaders that are known by a particular story. Stories help people see the future they can't believe will exist.
What a good story also does for the listener is to help them visualize what you mean and how they can adapt that vision to their life or work.
I spoke yesterday to a group on Communicating With Influence. People came up to me afterwards to tell me how much they enjoyed my stories. One person said" Your stories helped me see how to relate your information to my work, my personal life and my community service work. " That remark got me to thinking about the power of stories.
Telling the same story over and over again also helps people get the message. People also know that you mean what you say and are pretty serious about everyone getting the message. That's why telling people 7 times in 7 different ways is a great strategy to use when you are embarking on a change. We all hear things differently and what may motivate me, may not even get you to listen.
So when you want to influence someone to make a change, help them see the future by telling a story that paints the picture for them. In the story describe in detail the way the new future looks, feels and sounds. Having people live the future now will help them move to the future with ease.
Barb...The Leadership Lady
posted by Barb at
1:48 PM
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