Quick Take | Tips to Help Executives and Leaders Grow
The Quick Take podcast provides concise and actionable tips to help executives and leaders, like you, tackle the thorny and complex challenges that affect us daily. By leveraging their experience and relationship with other global leaders, our hosts provide suggestions that are based on their deep experience as leaders and coaches but also pressure tested in boardrooms everywhere because they asked their friends….(almost). Hosted by James Capps and Susie Tomenchok. Episodes release weekly on Thursdays.
Quick Take | Tips to Help Executives and Leaders Grow
Enhancing Leadership Through Storytelling
Did you know a well-told narrative can transform your influence, motivate your team, and create alignment? Today we explore the skill required to make your stories resonate deeply with your audience. Discover how to craft compelling narratives that are relatable and understandable to your audience.
We'll discuss the importance of embedding storytelling in your company's DNA, using real-world examples from successful business leaders. Find out how simple, everyday anecdotes can be powerful tools for communication in meetings and leadership situations. Whether you're leading a project or shaping company culture, these storytelling techniques can help you connect with your team and drive your message home effectively.
In this episode, we discuss the following:
1. Storytelling in leadership and business.
2. The importance of crafting compelling narratives.
3. How to effectively use storytelling in organizational settings.
CONNECT WITH SUSIE:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/susietomenchok/
CONNECT WITH JAMES:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/capps/
Welcome to the Quick Take podcast, the show where you get targeted advice and coaching for executives by executives. I'm Susie Tominchuk.
Speaker 2:And I'm James Capps. Give us 15 minutes and we'll give you three secrets to address the complex topic of issues that are challenging executives like you today.
Speaker 1:Hey Quicksters, welcome to Quick Take. I'm your host, susie, along with James. How are you, James?
Speaker 2:I am fantastic Enjoying the summer. How about yourself?
Speaker 1:Ditto, ditto, ditto. It's flying by, though I'll tell you that Always does. Always does. So this topic we're going to talk about today is storytelling and, as a speaker and a facilitator like storytelling is really key to my because you bring relevancy to our learnings.
Speaker 2:Yeah, the topic. Thank you.
Speaker 1:And it's so interesting because I've been reading a lot about influence, because I do a lot around influence as well and they said that storytelling in meetings in every day is key, but I don't see that practice that much in every day is is key, but I don't see that practice that much.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think that's fair. I think that's a fair statement. I don't I don't see it practice much. Um, I think that, um, you know there's a time and place for everything. I you know when, when the system is down and you've got clients who aren't able to use your tool, it's not a time to get away in the conference room and tell wax philosophic about this Before we start.
Speaker 2:I want to reflect on this, uh, this, this, this one time I was playing tennis, um, but I do think that to um, engage with people, to motivate people and to get alignment, storytelling is an intrinsic part of the human fabric and I think that, uh, we know that storytelling is how people remember their past, how they um bring people together, and I think that we know that storytelling is how people remember their past, how they bring people together, and I think, if we take advantage of that as leaders, we're hacking the system, and this is a place that I think good leaders succeed because they just are good storytellers, and all of us can try to work on this tool.
Speaker 1:And I think what you said right there. They are good storytellers. I also think there's an art to it. I've coached some leaders on them, doing some keynotes for leadership summits within their organization. It was super interesting to me because I introduced the idea of storytelling and I'm not an expert on how to do storytelling. But what was really interesting is they started telling a story but they weren't illustrating it in first person. They were kind of telling the scene and explaining the data around them, and so it didn't compute.
Speaker 2:Oh sure.
Speaker 1:You have to be a good storyteller for it to come across.
Speaker 2:Well, I think the story has to be like any story, right, it's just a simple conversation around creative writing. It's got to be compelling, it's got to resonate with people. I think you know one of my favorite early days of Starbucks. You know Howard Schultz was known for saying you know he wanted to create a third place for people to go, and during his early shareholder meetings he would talk about how his mom had this, this group of women who were the quilting group, and his dad had the VA or the Elks Club and they had this third place and that was helpful for them as people and he wanted everyone else to have a third place.
Speaker 2:And the way he told that story, the way he he triggered everybody's memories of what their lives were with kids and how their parents had something really got people excited about the fact yeah, I do need a Starbucks on every corner. It was not, hey, we're going to have coffee, it was a third place and so that really brought people around and understanding the outcomes that came with that business strategy. And I think you know that's the first piece of advice I think I need to give is that you need to have a compelling narrative. It's got to make sense to people. It's got to be something that people can viscerally understand and I mean, I don't you don't need people in tears, but you know you got to tell a story that is relatable and understandable.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and when you've said that and that was so simple as soon as you said the third place, I just started picturing myself in a coffee shop. What it does is it transcends that person into that, and it doesn't have to be a story about you, so I like it. It can be simple, but it's the whole point is to get people to understand your point through like a third parallel you know what I mean, you know like a third way to to really understand it.
Speaker 1:I think about I always talk about in leadership. It's like being in a safari, and I talk about like being really close when you're an individual contributor and really focused so myopically on a piece of land that you're trying to cultivate, and then as you go up in the organization, you're looking out and looking at everything and I think that's really helpful for people to go. Am I really focused in here and do I need to zoom out so it gives you and I've.
Speaker 1:I don't, I've never been on a safari, but it's a story that helps people. I don't know. Every day with you is kind of a safari.
Speaker 2:I mean, this is kind of like.
Speaker 2:I wish I could do animal like sounds, but obviously that's the best dolphin I've heard all day, so I think you're in great shape, okay. So so what's number two? Well, number two it's. It's interesting that you say that because I think one thing that's so interesting when you look at the epic poems of of Greek tragedy, or you look at something as modern as Stephen King, or actually my favorite is Disney Disney does this so well.
Speaker 2:There is no confusion about who the heroes are and who the villains are. It is black and white. And when you tell a story, your heroes and villains need to be clear, and that villain could be the competition. It could be a failure for people to grow. I mean, you look at simply, like the way that Nike had created a narrative around, just do it. And who are the heroes, the athletes? It's historic, these heroes were put above all others and the villain was apathy or whatever else. But there's no confusion there. So when you're telling a good story, any creative writing teacher or any book will say, look, you've got to have a hero and villain. And so when you're telling your story, that narrative has to be compelling, has to be accessible, but the heroes and the villains have to be clear so people can remember how this is going to fall out for them.
Speaker 1:Oh, I love that, because what you made me think of is like leading a project, leading a lot of different people toward a common goal, and so if you could tell a story that would also unite the room to feel like they're a part of this collective as they move forward and work together.
Speaker 2:Yep, no, I think it's just so important to create that fabric, and I think that's really my third item, which is really embed storytelling in your DNA. As a company, you know, I have worked with executives that start every meeting with a story, and if I say the words Tupelo Mississippi to you, what do you think of?
Speaker 1:You think?
Speaker 2:of Comcast and where Ralph Roberts started Comcast. Why? Because that story was embedded in every conversation, that every meeting that had Ralph or Brian Roberts in it always started where Ralph started a company selling suspenders in Tupelo Mississippi. And so that storytelling that brought people together, that fabric created within the DNA of the company, really creates harmony. So it does change the way people think about their work and changes the way they think about each other.
Speaker 1:Oh, I think that's a really good one around company culture and really understanding where the company came from. Can you think about an example, can we put out an example of in day-to-day kind of proximity, how do you tell a story, how do you start the meeting like that, without it feeling like story time?
Speaker 2:You know, I think a lot of times the leaders I've seen have just really tied it to what was going on in the last 48, 72 hours. And a good you know a good storyteller can go. You know, I was at my kid's lacrosse game this weekend and I was really noticing that the team members that were doing X, y and Z were the ones that were really making a difference. And that's what we need to be doing here. It doesn't need to be, you know, a 300 page novel. It just needs to tie it to everybody's daily life. How do you create a narrative around the message you're trying to make?
Speaker 2:You know, I've seen speakers TED speakers who refer to what happened to them earlier in the day and they still can bring it home. You know, they mentioned the fact that I was in the lobby talking to the guy who's sitting in the front row and he told me this. And now let me tie it to that, and that that, that real world application, I think, is just so important and those stories are more genuine too. Right, and I think the story you know how that is you see some of those TEDx speakers and you know they've been telling that story since 1975.
Speaker 1:And that's and so tell a story about somebody on the team or on the adjacent team, because then that also builds that community and connection. So it doesn't have to be about you, it doesn't have to be about something that's not related. It can also be very relevant to just what is happening within your organization.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you can take advantage of the real world stuff in your organization and use it as a double whammy. You got a storytelling and you're going to do some real time uh, you know, praising of your employees. So, um, yeah, I think that the opportunities are plenty and it doesn't need to sound so much like yeah, you're right, it doesn't need to be storytelling.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I brace it down in a circle. I'm going to have the little I'm going to be on a.
Speaker 2:Yeah, You're going to get on your mats and we're going to it's story time.
Speaker 1:Crisscross applesauce.
Speaker 2:I would like story time like that, as long as it included a nap.
Speaker 1:Exactly. And graham crackers? Oh yeah, graham crackers. All right. What are our three tips?
Speaker 2:Okay, first one, craft a compelling narrative. It has to be a story that makes sense and is interesting to your audience. Second, I really strongly recommend creating a very clear delineation between the heroes and villains. What are we trying to accomplish? What is that storyline? And then take that approach and embed it in your company's DNA. Do it often. Create that narrative, create that shared sense of community, and you'll find, and you'll see your leaders doing the same thing. If you can be an effective communicator and embed that in the DNA of your company, it'll infect, if you will, the rest of the employees.
Speaker 1:I love this so much and if you're listening to this and you try a story, we'd love to hear from you, oh, james.
Speaker 2:So fun Thanks.
Speaker 1:If you were going to spend a Saturday and you have no plans or obligations, what would you do?
Speaker 2:day and you have no plans or obligations, what would you do? Uh, if the weather was good, I would obviously be outside, for sure. So, um, I work really hard to get outside season year round and and I go a little crazy if I don't get outside, for even if it's miserable and um, uh, I love I live in the mountains right now, um, and there's roughly seven feet of snow on my deck, but you know we'll still get out for a hike as often as possible and snowshoe as often as possible. So if I've got a window, I'm going to be outside All right, that was a good answer, but it's not a fun question.
Speaker 1:I don't want to end on that, so I get a bonus, all right, you need a hat on.
Speaker 2:Okay, I get a bonus, you get a bonus. All right, you ain't had on Okay.
Speaker 1:So my added bonus is James, imagine I was a genie and I could make you. I'm going to make you an animal and you don't get to pick if you are going to be an animal or not. But you are, I'll let you pick the animal. What animal would you pick?
Speaker 2:Not a horse.
Speaker 1:Thanks for listening to this week's episode of Quick Take, where we talk about the questions that are on the mind of executives everywhere. Connect with us and share what's on your mind.
Speaker 2:You can find us on LinkedIn, youtube or whatever nerdy place on the internet. You find your podcasts. Our links to the show are in the show notes. We appreciate you.
